MISS KITCHEN 253 



"Mr Smith!" said Miss Hitchen, and then, 

 recognising in a flash that the pseudonym was 

 part of some artless plan of Bobby's, " oh, yes, 

 Mr Smith. You mean my friend who has just 

 introduced us. And what have you been doing? 

 I mean, what did your fun consist of? " 



" Faith, it mostly consisted of a girl." 



" Yes? " 



Mr Giveen tilted his hat and scratched his head. 

 He did not shine as a conversationahst, and as 

 Miss Hitchen \^atched him something of disfavour 

 for this humorist with the shifty manner of a seK- 

 conscious child stole into her mind. 



" Yes? " said Miss Hitchen. 



" I beg your pardon? " said Mr Giveen. 



" You were saying something about a girl." 



" Oh, ay, it was a girl down at a place in the 

 country, and, faith, by the same token, she was 

 old enough to be my aunt. It was a bazaar." 



" Yes? " 



" And she was selling tea behind a counter, and 

 up I went, and ' What can I serve you with? ' 

 says she. ' A cup of tea,' says I, ' and a bun.' " 



" How funny ! What did she reply? " 



" Faith, I forget — but the next she says to me, 

 * One and sixpence,' she says." 



" Yes? " 



" One and sixpence! " suddenly burst out Mr 

 Giveen. " Why, you might have knocked me 

 down with a feather. And I put me hand into 

 me pocket, and ' Here's sixpence for you,' says I, 



