"No, run away, pet--run away at once like a good girl, and I'll tell you Red Riding Hood, too, to-morrow." Baby looked up at her sister's guest.
"You are a horrid old pig, Aldiff MacCatfy," she said, with slow emphasis, "an' I hates you hard, an' we all hates you here, 'ceps Meg; and Pip says you're ze jammiest girl out, an' I wis' a drate big ziant would come and huff and puff and blow you into ze middlest part of ze sea." Aldith laughed, a little aggravating grown-up laugh, that put the finishing touch to Baby's anger.

She put out her little hand and gave the guest's arm in its muslin sleeve a sharp, scientific pinch that Pip had taught her.

Then she fled madly away down the long paddocks, to the bit of bush beyond.
"Insufferable," Aldith muttered angrily, and it needed all Meg's apologies and coaxings to get her into an amiable frame of mind again, and to induce her to communicate the enthralling secret.
At last, however, it was imparted, with great impressiveness.
Aldith's eldest sister was engaged, engaged to be married! Oh! wasn't it heavenly?
Wasn't it romantic ?--and to the gentleman with the long fair moustache who had been so much at their house lately.
"I knew it would come--I have seen it coming for a long time.
Oh! I'm not easily blinded;" Aldith said.

"I know true love when I see it.

Though certainly for myself I should prefer a dark moustache, should not you, Marguerite ?" "Ye--es," said Meg.