He seized them, gathered them into a knot, and flung them into a corner.
"Oh, Hugh John!" cried Prissy, "how could you? And they took such a long time to do!"
And there were the premonitions of April showers in the sensitive barometer of Priscilla's eyes.
The brother was touched--as much, that is, as it is in the nature of a brother to be. But in the interests of discipline he could not give way too completely.
"All right, Prissy," he said, "it was no end good of you. But really, you know, a fellow couldn't be expected to put up with these things. Why, they'd stick in your nails and tangle up all your traps so that you'd wish you were dead ten times a day, or else they'd make you say 'Hang!' and things."
"Very well," said Prissy, with sweetest resignation, "then I will take them for myself, but I did think you would have liked them!"
"Did you, Priss--you are a good sort!" said Hugh John, patting his sister on the cheek.
His sister felt that after such a demonstration of affection from him there was little left to live for.
"Good-night, you dear," she said; "I'll wake you in the morning, and have your bath ready for you at eight."
"Good old girl!" said Hugh John tolerantly, and went to bed, glad that he had been so nice to Prissy about the brush-covers. Such a little makes a girl happy, you know.
Perhaps, all things being considered, it was for the good of our hero's soul at this time that Cissy Carter was on hand to take some of the conceit out of him.
"Girls are funny things" was Hugh John's favourite maxim; and he forthwith proceeded to prove that boys are too, by making a point of seeing Cissy Carter several times a week during his entire vacation. Yet he was unhappy as often as he went to Oaklands, and only more unhappy when he stayed away. On the whole, Cissy was much less frigid than on that first memorable evening. But she never thawed entirely, nor could Hugh John discover the least trace of the hair-brained madcap of ancient days for whom his whole soul longed, in the charmingly attired young lady whose talk and appearance were so much beyond her years. But he shaved three or four times a day with his new razors, sneaking hot water on the sly in order to catch up.
