"'Ullo," she said with a friendly grin, "did yer neerly git left be'ind? Wot's yer nime!"
William liked the almost incredible frizziness of her over-crimped hair. He liked the dirty feather in her hat and the violent blue of her dress. He liked her white stockings and yellow boots. He thought her altogether and entirely charming. He liked the way she talked. He found her whole personality intriguing. His grim freckled features relaxed into an ingratiating smile.
"Heglantine," she said. "Noice nime, ain't it? Me sister's called 'Oratia. Loverly, comin' on the trine, weren't it?"
It was evident that she took him for one of her party. William grasped at the opportunity of continuing the acquaintance. "Um," he said non-committally.
"Din't see yer on the trine. Such a crawd, were't there? Some from St. Luke's an' some from St. Mary's. Oi dunno 'arf of 'em, an' don't think much o' some of 'em by their looks. Oi were jus' lookin' aht fer someone ter pal up wif."
William's heart swelled with delight at this implied superiority. A boy in front turned round. He was pale and undersized and wore a loud check cap that would have fitted a grown man.
"You jus' mind wot you say to me," he began darkly.
"Nah then, Elbert 'Olmes," she said sharply, tossing her tight curls and feathered hat. "None of your fice 'ere! You mind wot yer syes ter me an' my frens."
The boy grinned and dropped behind with them.
"Wot we goin' ter do, anywyes," he said in a mollifying tone of friendship. "Not much ter do in the country, is there? No pishers, no nuffin'."
"There's gimes," said William, deliberately adopting the accent of his new friends. He decided to adopt it permanently. He considered it infinitely more interesting than that used by his own circle.
"Gimes!" said the boy in the check cap with infinite scorn. "Runnin' rices an' suchlike. An' lookin' at cows an' pickin' flowers. Thanks! _Not much!_"
William stored up this expression for future use.
"Well, yer needn't of come, Elbert 'Olmes," said Eglantine sharply, "if yer din't of wanted to."
"They said," said Elbert grimly, "as 'ow there'd be a tea, an' oi'm not one ter miss a tea--a proper tea wif cike an' all--_not much!_"
William was watching the large check cap with fascinating eyes.