and so stood on a pinnacle of virtue.

"_I_'VE been doing nothing bad," said he, curling himself into a
long chair with a studious affectation of the Colonel's languor
after a hot parade. He buried his freckled nose in a tea-cup and,
with eyes staring roundly over the rim, asked: "I say, Coppy, is
it pwoper to kiss big girls?"

"By Jove! You're beginning early. Who do you want to kiss?"

"No one. My muvver's always kissing me if I don't stop her. If it
isn't pwoper, how was you kissing Major Allardyce's big girl last
morning, by ve canal?"

Coppy's brow wrinkled. He and Miss Allardyce had with great craft
managed to keep their engagement secret for a fortnight. There
were urgent and imperative reasons why Major Allardyce should not
know how matters stood for at least another month, and this small
marplot had discovered a great deal too much.

"I saw you," said Wee Willie Winkie calmly. "But ve sais didn't
see. I said, 'Hut jao!'"

"Oh, you had that much sense, you young Rip," groaned poor Coppy,
half amused and half angry. "And how many people may you have told
about it?"

"Only me myself. You didn't tell when I twied to wide ve buffalo
ven my pony was lame; and I fought you wouldn't like."