"It's worth chancing it to put him off marrying mother.

And of course Uncle Maurice is here.

He'll see nothing serious happens." "Of course he will," said Erebus.
It must have been that the unflagging friendliness of Captain Baster had weighed on their uncle's mind, for Erebus, coming softly on him from behind as he leaned over the garden gate after breakfast, heard him singing to himself, and paused to listen to his song.
It went: "_Where did his colonel dig him up, So young, so fair, so sweet, With his shining nose, and his square, square toes?
Was it Wapping or Basinghall Street ?_" He was so pleased with the effort that he sang it over to himself, softly, twice with an air of deep satisfaction; and twice the moving but silent lips of Erebus repeated it.
He was silent; and she said: "Oh, uncle! It's splendid!" Sir Maurice started and turned sharply: "You tell any one, little pitcher, and I'll pull your long ears," he said amiably.
Erebus made no rash promises; she gazed at him with inscrutable eyes; then nodding toward a figure striding swiftly over the common, she said: "Here he comes." Sir Maurice gained the threshold of the front door in two bounds, paused and cried: "I'm going back to bed! Tell him I'm in bed!" He vanished, slamming the door behind him.
Captain Baster asked for Sir Maurice cheerfully; and his face fell when Erebus told him that he had gone back to bed.

Mrs.Dangerfield, informed of her brother's shrinking, had to be very firm with his new friend to induce him to go for a walk with her and Erebus.

He showed an inclination to linger about the house till his sun should rise.
Then he tried to shorten the walk; but in this matter too Mrs.
Dangerfield was firm.