'Good morning, Nutty!'
'What's the time?' asked her brother, hollowly.
'Getting on towards nine. It's a lovely day. The birds are
singing, the bees are buzzing, summer's in the air. It's one of
those beautiful, shiny, heavenly, gorgeous days.'
A look of suspicion came into Nutty's eyes. Elizabeth was not
often as lyrical as this.
'There's a catch somewhere,' he said.
'Well, as a matter of fact,' said Elizabeth, carelessly, 'the
water's off again.'
'Confound it!'
'I said that. I'm afraid we aren't a very original family.'
'What a ghastly place this is! Why can't you see old Flack and
make him mend that infernal wheel?'
'I'm going to pounce on him and have another try directly I see
him. Meanwhile, darling Nutty, will you get some clothes on and go
round to the Smiths and ask them to lend us a pailful?'
'Oh, gosh, it's over a mile!'
'No, no, not more than three-quarters.'
'Lugging a pail that weighs a ton! The last time I went there
their dog bit me.'
'I expect that was because you slunk in all doubled up, and he got
suspicious. You should hold your head up and throw your chest out
and stride up as if you were a military friend of the family.'
Self-pity lent Nutty eloquence.
'For Heaven's sake! You drag me out of bed at some awful hour of
the morning when a rational person would just be turning in; you
send me across country to fetch pailfuls of water when I'm feeling
like a corpse; and on top of that you expect me to behave like a
drum-major!'
'Dearest, you can wriggle on your tummy, if you like, so long as
you get the fluid.
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