awfully polite to Cecil!"

"Cecil!" said Jim, lifting his nose. "If Cecil's anything like what he
used to be--" He did not finish the sentence.

"Do we play with Cecil?" Wally asked, grinning.

"The question is, if Cecil will condescend to play with you," Norah
said. "He thinks ME too much of a kid to look at--"

"Oh, does he?" asked Jim resentfully.

"But you're both ever so much bigger than he is, so perhaps he'll let
you love him!" Norah finished.

"I'm relieved to my soul," said Wally, with gravity. "Visions of my
unrequited affection poured out on Cecil have been troubling my rest
for days. May I kiss him?"

"I'd wait a little while, I think," Norah answered. "He may be shy--not
that we've found it out yet. Indeed, he's the unshyest person I ever
met."

"Is he very awful, Nor?"

"Oh, he's a bit of a drawback," Norah said. "Dad says he's not bad at
heart, only so spoilt--and he's just terribly bumptious, Jim, and thinks
he can do everything; and his clothes are lovely! He isn't caring for
me a bit to-day, 'cause he gave me a broad hint that he wanted to ride
Bobs, and I didn't take it."