"It'll be Christmas in four months," she observed, wriggling delightedly. "I'm gownter give my muvver something _sow_ nice fur Christmas' I'm gownter give 'er a---- Ow, Mr. Baffin, you're angry with me agen. I _am_ a bad gel, I know I am; but----"
"You can leave off helping me for a minute or two," said Baffin quietly. "I've got to do some scraping here, so you can have the wriggle now. What is this about Christmas?"
"I got two guineas comin' to _me_ fur Christmas--per'aps. I sat to Mr. Baker fur 'is 'Birth of Wonder,' an' when 'e sells it 'e is gointer gimme two guineas!"
Baffin looked at me, and I nodded in appreciation of his glance. Everybody knows, of course, that Mr. Wilberforce Baker, the eminent Academician, disposed of his "Birth of Wonder" last June. It was his tenth annual contribution to that remarkable collection of pictures now being formed under a bequest of the late Mr. Bantry--Mr. Wilberforce Baker himself being a trustee of the fund bequeathed for that purpose. Baffin excommunicated that distinguished artist in dumb show.
"I shouldn't count on the two guineas," was all he said to Prudence. "... How long is it since you sat for Mr. Baker?"
"Ow, _ever_ so lung!" answered Prudence. "Down't know why 'tis, I'm sure, on'y I down't seem to be able to get now sittin's _now_'ow. They all say I'm pretty an' that; an' they all rave about me neck: an' they all tell me to call agen; but nothink ever comes of it. Can't make it out at _all_, I can't?"
"You are lacking in the quality of perception, my dear," explained Baffin.
"I say," repeated Baffin, "that you are lacking--that you are damned slow at seeing things!"
"Ow, Mr. Baffin, you _are_ a naughty man. Fancy usin' such wicked words. My mother says it is on'y bad people what uses words like that. My mother cut 'er finger yesterday, makin' toast. We got the drains up in _our_ 'ouse. Ugly things, them little kittens, ain't they? I 'ates 'em when they're crawly, like those."
Prudence, making a wry face, pointed to a basket beside the sugar-box. This contained a family of illegitimate kittens which James had adopted out of Christian charity.
"I _'ate_ cats," continued Prudence in her childish, sing-song voice. "I ate all animals. I like goin' to the theayter, though. I like goin' to church too. I like----"