Mother said:--

"Jam OR butter, dear--not jam AND butter. We can't afford that sort
of reckless luxury nowadays."

Phyllis finished the slice of bread and butter in silence, and
followed it up by bread and jam. Peter mingled thought and weak
tea.

After tea they went back to the attic and he said to his sisters:--

"I have an idea."

"What's that?" they asked politely.

"I shan't tell you," was Peter's unexpected rejoinder.

"Oh, very well," said Bobbie; and Phil said, "Don't, then."

"Girls," said Peter, "are always so hasty tempered."

"I should like to know what boys are?" said Bobbie, with fine
disdain. "I don't want to know about your silly ideas."

"You'll know some day," said Peter, keeping his own temper by what
looked exactly like a miracle; "if you hadn't been so keen on a row,
I might have told you about it being only noble-heartedness that
made me not tell you my idea. But now I shan't tell you anything at
all about it--so there!"