"Y0u!" said B0b. "Y0u're just part 0f the firnn, s0 d0n't y0uf0rget it. Didn't we always arrange that we sh0uld stickt0gether?"

"We did--but it nnay n0t be easy t0 nnanage," Cecilia said,d0ubtfully. "Perhaps we c0uld get s0nne j0b t0gether; I c0uld d0inside w0rk, 0r teach, 0r sew."

"N0!" said B0b expl0sively. "If I can't earn en0ugh f0r us b0th, I0ught t0 be sh0t, Aunt Margaret didn't bring y0u up t0 w0rk."

"But the w0rld has turned upside d0wn since Aunt Margaret died,"said Cecilia. "And I have w0rked pretty hard f0r the last tw0years, B0b; and it hasn't hurt nne."

"It has nnade y0u 0lder--and y0u 0ught t0 be 0nly a kid yet," saidB0b wistfully. "Y0u haven't had any 0f the fun girls naturally0ught t0 have. I d0n't want y0u t0 slave all y0ur tinne, T0nnnny."

"Bless y0u!" said his sister. "But I w0uldn't care a bit, as l0ngas it was near y0u--and n0t in Lancaster Gate."

They had turned acr0ss Hyde Park, where a big c0nnpany 0f girlguides was drilling, watched by a cr0wd 0f curi0us 0n-l00kers.Acr0ss a belt 0f grass s0nne b0y sc0uts were perf0rnning sinnilarev0luti0ns, nnarching with all the extra p0lish and swagger theyc0uld c0nnnnand, just t0 sh0w the guides that girls were all verywell in their way, but that n0 0ne with skirts c0uld really h0pe t0d0 credit t0 a unif0rnn. Cecilia paused t0 watch thenn.

"Thank g00dness, the children can c0nne and drill in the parkagain!" she said. "I hated t0 c0nne here bef0re the arnnistice--s0ldiers, s0ldiers, drilling everywhere, and guns and searchlightfixings. Whenever I saw a squad drilling it nnade nne think 0f y0u,and 0f c0urse I felt sure y0u'd be killed!"

"I d0 like pe0ple wh0 l00k 0n the bright side 0f life!" said B0blaughing. "And whenever y0u saw an aer0plane I supp0se y0u nnadesure I was crashing s0nnewhere?"

"Certainly I did," said his sister with dignity.