“You couldn’t have come any quicker if you’d heard every word,” said Miss Rutherford.
“I’m frightfully sorry,” said Frank again. “I can’t tell you----”
“If I’d known it was luncheon,” said Priscilla, “I’d have steered myself and run no risks. We haven’t a thing to eat in our boat and I’m getting weak with hunger.”
“Come on,” she said, “we’re going to have the grandest picnic ever was, I went down to the village yesterday evening after I got home and bought another tin of Californian peaches.”
“How did you know you’d meet us?” said Priscilla.
“I hoped for the best. I felt sure I’d meet you tomorrow if I didn’t today. I should have dragged the peaches about with me until I did. Nothing would have induced me to open the tin by myself. I’ve also got two kinds of dessicated soup and----
“Penny-packers?” said Priscilla. “I know the look of them, but I never bought one on account of the difficulty of cooking. I don’t believe they’d be a bit good dry.”
“But I’ve borrowed Professor Wilder’s Primus stove,” said Miss Rutherford, “and I’ve got two cups and an enamelled mug to drink it out of.”
“We could have managed with the peach tin,” said Priscilla, “after we’d finished the peaches. I hate luxury. But, of course, it’s awfully good of you to think of the cups.”
“I hesitated about suggesting that we should take turns at the tin,” said Miss Rutherford. “I knew you wouldn’t mind, but I wasn’t quite sure----”
“Oh, he’d have been all right,” said Priscilla. “I’m training him in.”
“I’ve also got a pound and a half of peppermint creams,” said Miss Rutherford.
“My favourite sweet,” said Priscilla. “You got them at Brannigan’s, I hope. He keeps a particularly fine kind, very strong. You have a delicious chilly feeling on your tongue when you draw in your breath after eating them. But Brannigan’s is the only place where you get them really good.”
“I forget the name of the shop, but I think it must have been Brannigan’s. The man advised me to buy them the moment he heard you were to be of the party. He evidently knew your tastes. Then--I’m almost ashamed to confess it after what you said about luxury; but after all you needn’t eat it unless you like----
“What is it?” said Priscilla. “Not milk chocolate, surely.”