beast in any way, but I want to what Father calls define the
situation. Do you agree?'

'Fire ahead,' said Cyril without enthusiasm.

'Well then. We all know the reason we're staying here is because
Nurse couldn't leave her house on account of the poor learned
gentleman on the top-floor. And there was no one else Father
could entrust to take care of us--and you know it's taken a lot
of money, Mother's going to Madeira to be made well.'

Jane sniffed miserably.

'Yes, I know,' said Anthea in a hurry, 'but don't let's think
about how horrid it all is. I mean we can't go to things that
cost a lot, but we must do SOMETHING. And I know there are heaps
of things you can see in London without paying for them, and I
thought we'd go and see them. We are all quite old now, and we
haven't got The Lamb--'

Jane sniffed harder than before.

'I mean no one can say "No" because of him, dear pet. And I
thought we MUST get Nurse to see how quite old we are, and let us
go out by ourselves, or else we shall never have any sort of a
time at all. And I vote we see everything there is, and let's
begin by asking Nurse to give us some bits of bread and we'll go
to St James's Park. There are ducks there, I know, we can feed
them. Only we must make Nurse let us go by ourselves.'