"Yes, rather--I'm getting along fine with crutches," was John's cheerful answer. "I say, why can't you come on Sunday, young 'un? You'll find Gracie quite different this time...."
"I can come now, if Cousin Greta doesn't mind my changing," Joey explained. "The Coll got gated, and now it's un-gated, that's all; and I'm going to the match at Deeping Royal this afternoon, and I'd like to come over to you to-morrow no end if I may, and tell you about it."
"Righto. I'll tell my aunt. She'll be awfully pleased. You may take it she'll fetch you for lunch. I say, like to do some more signalling?"
"Oh yes, John. Do you know our Stinks Professor here is frightfully good at that? I saw him the other night...."
"_What?_ Don't you go to bed at night at Redlands?"
"Of course, you stupid. The Professor was doing it at night, not me. I saw him out of my window."
"Signalling practice all by himself in the middle of the night? Tell that to someone younger, my dear Kid."
Joey took no notice of the jeer. "John, isn't dot, dash, dash, dash, J?" she demanded.
"It's the German for yes," John told her, after a second's pause. "But your Stinks man is French, isn't he?"
"I don't know. It seemed to come from a long way off."
"Funny--that's to-day," John said. "Joey."
"I think you had better come over here; I'll ask Cousin Greta to send for you. Come to-day, I mean, and not wait for to-morrow."
"_John?_ I can't to-day--it's the match."
"Well, I'll take you on to it in the car."
"It's frightfully nice of you--but, you see, I was going with Gabby and Noreen, my specialist friends."
"I'll ask Aunt Greta to ask the whole boiling of you to lunch then," John said, impatiently. "So long, Joey. I can't tell you any more till I know it myself. But you come along if you're sent for."
"But, John, I can't come to lunch, because I've promised to tidy the Lab," Joey began, and then stopped, because she had been rung off. She went in to breakfast, feeling very doubtful whether she wanted to go to lunch at Mote to-day, even with the company of Noreen and Gabrielle. It would be much more fun to go with the Team, and it was more than possible that Cousin Greta might not see the great importance of being in time for the match.