Teddington' in anybody's birthday-book.

M might stand for Mary or Martha or Margaret or Millicent or anything.

Doesn't even Miss Bowes know ?" "If she does she won't tell.

It's a state-secret." "Well, never mind; we call her Teddie, and that will do." Many were the ingenious devices which the girls had adopted for trying to find out both Miss Teddington's Christian name and her age.

They spoke of historic events that had happened before their parents had been born, fondly hoping she might betray some memory of them and commit herself.