"There you are, young Copperfield, and a royal spread you've got."
"_They_ had currant wine," said Noel, who has only just read the book by
Mr. Charles Dickens.
"Well, so have you," said Mrs. Bax. And we had. Two bottles of it.
"I never knew any one like you," said Noel to Mrs. Red House, dreamily
with his mouth full, "for knowing the things people really like to eat,
not the things that are good for them, but what they _like_, and Mrs.
Bax is just the same."
"It was one of the things they taught at our school," said Mrs. Bax. "Do
you remember the Saturday night feasts, Chloe, and how good the cocoanut
ice tasted after extra strong peppermints?"
"Fancy you knowing _that_!" said H.O. "I thought it was us found _that_
out."
"I really know much more about things to eat than _she_ does," said Mrs.
Bax. "I was quite an old girl when she was a little thing in pinafores.
She was such a nice little girl."
"I shouldn't wonder if she was always nice," said Noel, "even when she
was a baby!"
Everybody laughed at this, except the existing baby, and it was asleep
on the waggonette cushions, under the white may-tree, and perhaps if it
had been awake it wouldn't have laughed, for Oswald himself, though
possessing a keen sense of humour, did not see anything to laugh at.
Mr. Red House made a speech after dinner, and said drink to the health
of everybody, one after the other, in currant wine, which was done,
beginning with Mrs. Bax and ending with H.O.