"What, missy ?" "You're going to take us out somewhere," Bob and Nellie cried in concert.

"You promised, you know you did!" "But, that was if you were good," he answered, enjoying their antics.
"That was the proviso, young people." "We _are_ good," they shouted together.

"Auntie says so." The Captain put his hands to his ears to shut out their voices.
"Are they good ?" he asked Mrs Gilmour.

"Eh, ma'am ?" "Well, yes, I think so," said she, smiling.

"Good enough as far as such children can be, I suppose! I suppose I must not tell tales out of school, sure, about what a little girl said the other day when somebody, whom I won't name, went away ?" "What, what ?" inquired the old sailor, looking from one to the other.
"Tell me what she said!" Nellie put her hand over Mrs Gilmour's mouth.
"Hush auntie," she cried appealingly.