It would be an awful swot to keep it up--looking out the words and all that.) To speak in the language of everyday life, our holiday was jolly nearly up.

We had had a ripping time, but it was all but over.

We really did feel sorry--though, of course, it was rather decent to think of getting back to Father and being able to tell the other chaps about our raft, and the dam, and the Tower of Mystery, and things like that.
When but a brief time was left to us, Oswald and Dicky met by chance in an apple-tree.

(That sounds like 'consequences', but it is mere truthfulness.) Dicky said-- 'Only four more days.' Oswald said, 'Yes.' 'There's one thing,' Dickie said, 'that beastly society.

We don't want that swarming all over everything when we get home.