It was too good fun to give up.

For the next half-hour the dialogue ran after this fashion, while Peter and Felix and I, and even the Story Girl, suffered agonies trying to smother our bursts of laughter--for Great-aunt Eliza could see if she couldn't hear: CECILY, SHOUTING:--"That is Mr.Joseph Elliott of Markdale, a second cousin of mother's." DAN:--"Don't brag of it, Sis.

He's the man who was asked if somebody else said something in sincerity and old Joe said 'No, he said it in my cellar.'" CECILY:--"This isn't anybody in our family.

It's little Xavy Gautier who used to be hired with Uncle Roger." DAN:--"Uncle Roger sent him to fix a gate one day and scolded him because he didn't do it right, and Xavy was mad as hops and said 'How you 'spect me to fix dat gate?
I never learned jogerfy.'" CECILY, WITH AN ANGUISHED GLANCE AT DAN:--"This is Great-uncle Robert King." DAN:--"He's been married four times.

Don't you think that's often enough, dear great-aunty ?" CECILY:--"(Dan!!) This is a nephew of Mr.Ambrose Marr's.