A spoon and fork lay by the plate.

She handed him the former and kept the latter for herself.
"We'll have a picnic, Daddy." she said, with a wistful little smile.
"I told _ayah_ always to bring two plates, but she has forgotten.

We don't mind, though, do we ?" It was childishly spoken, but the pathos of it went straight to the man's heart.

He tasted the rice under her watching eyes and pronounced it very good; then waited for her to follow his example which she did with a slight shudder.
"Delicious, Daddy, isn't it ?" she said.

And even he did not guess what courage underlay the words.
They kept up the farce till the pyramid was somewhat reduced; then by mutual consent they suffered their ardour to flag.