'Whichever it is,' he added, 'none of you shall want for anything,
though Oswald did kick me, and say I was a snivelling pig.'

'I didn't,' said Oswald, 'I told you not to be.' And Alice explained to
him that that was quite the opposite of what he thought. So he agreed
to drop it.

Then Dicky spoke.

'You must all of you have noticed the advertisements in the papers,
telling you that ladies and gentlemen can easily earn two pounds a week
in their spare time, and to send two shillings for sample and
instructions, carefully packed free from observation. Now that we don't
go to school all our time is spare time. So I should think we could
easily earn twenty pounds a week each. That would do us very well.
We'll try some of the other things first, and directly we have any money
we'll send for the sample and instructions. And I have another idea,
but I must think about it before I say.'

We all said, 'Out with it--what's the other idea?'

But Dicky said, 'No.' That is Dicky all over. He never will show you
anything he's making till it's quite finished, and the same with his
inmost thoughts. But he is pleased if you seem to want to know, so
Oswald said--

'Keep your silly old secret, then. Now, Dora, drive ahead. We've all
said except you.'