He volunteered it." "Fetch your uncle's cup, Raby." Raby's mouth puckers up into a queer little smile as she obeys.
Walker appears in a minute to confirm the report of Master Percy's absence.

"He's been gone this three hours, mem." "Let some one go for him at once, Walker." "I get so terrified when he goes off like this," says the mother; "there's no knowing what may happen, and he is so careless." "He has a safe neck," replies the father; "he always does turn up.

But if you are so fidgety, why don't you send Raby to look after him ?" "If any one went with him, it would need to be some one who, instead of encouraging him in his odd ways, would keep him in hand, and see he did not come to any harm." "Oh," says Raby, laughing, "he wouldn't take me with him if I paid him a hundred pounds.

He says girls don't know anything about science and inventions." "He is probably right," observes Mrs Rimbolt severely.
"Certainly, as regards the science _he_ practises," says her husband.
"What was it he had in hand last week?
Some invention for making people invisible by painting them with invisible paint?
Ha! ha! He invited me to let him try it on me." "He _did_ try it on me," chimes in Raby.
"It is nothing to laugh about," says the mother; "it is much better for him to be of an inquiring turn of mind than--idle," adds she, looking significantly at her niece's empty hand.
"It strikes me it is we who are of an inquiring turn of mind just now," said the father.

"I fancy he'll turn up.