'Come in, young 'un,' returned Coppy, who was at early breakfast in
the midst of his dogs. 'What mischief have you been getting into
now?'

Wee Willie Winkie had done nothing notoriously bad for three days,
and so stood on a pinnacle of virtue.

'_I've_ been doing nothing bad,' said he, curling himself into a
long chair with a studious affectation of the Colonel's languor after
a hot parade. He buried his freckled nose in a tea-cup and, with eyes
staring roundly over the rim, asked: 'I say, Coppy, is it pwoper to
kiss big girls?'

'By Jove! You're beginning early. Who do you want to kiss?'

'No one. My muvver's always kissing me if I don't stop her. If it
isn't pwoper, how was you kissing Major Allardyce's big girl last
morning, by ve canal?'

Coppy's brow wrinkled. He and Miss Allardyce had with great craft
managed to keep their engagement secret for a fortnight. There were
urgent and imperative reasons why Major Allardyce should not know
how matters stood for at least another month, and this small marplot
had discovered a great deal too much.

'I saw you,' said Wee Willie Winkie calmly. 'But ve _sais_ didn't
see. I said, "_Hut jao_!"'

'Oh, you had that much sense, you young Rip,' groaned poor Coppy,