pen parcels and admire the contents. He spread bright
rugs over the horse-hair sofa and chairs, and flung big soft cushions
about them, and said "Hurrah! The first time I've been really comfortable
since I left Cambridge." Then he bathed Thomas and put him into a new
little soft cambric night-shirt, and put him to bed in the rocking-cradle.
Thomas was delighted with it all. He had no doubt inherited Peter's
love of all things bright and beautiful, and now for the first time he
had them.

"That's more the style, isn't it, old man?" said Peter, stretching
himself among cushions in the arm-chair. Thomas agreed that it was, and
the two epicureans took their ease among the pleasures of the senses.

"What next?" Peter wondered. "We must have more things still, mustn't we?
Nice things of all sorts; not only the ones we can buy. But we must begin
with the ones we can buy.... Mrs. Baker will have to wait for her rent
for a time; I can't spare any for that.... I've a good mind, Thomas, to
take a whole holiday; a long one. Chuck the envelopes and take to living
like a lord, on tick. It's wonderful how far tick will carry you, if you
try. Muffins for tea, you see, Thomas, only you can't have any. Well,
what's the matter? Why shouldn't I have muffins for tea? You've got
milk, haven't you, and I'm not getting a share in that. Don't be
grudging.... But we want more than muffins and milk, Thomas; and more
than cushions and daffodils and nice pictures. We want a good time. We
want friends; we want someone to love us; we want a holiday. If Leslie
was in England I'd go and say, 'Thomas and I are coming to stay with you
for a time, and you've just got to fork out supplies for us and let us
spend them.' Leslie would do it, too. But people are always away when
one wants them most.... Oh, hang it all, Thomas, I'm not going on with
those horrible envelopes; I'm not. I'm going to do things I like. Why
shouldn't I? Why _shouldn't_ I? Lots of people do; all the best people.
I shall give notice to-morrow. No, I shan't; I shall just not turn up,
then I shan't be bothered with questions.... And we're not going on with
the friends we have here--Mrs. Baker, and the Girl, and the other
envelope-gummers. No; we're going to insist on having nice amusing
friends to play with; friends who are nicer than we are. The Girl isn't
so nice, not by a long way. Rodney is; but he's too busy to be bothered
with us much. We want friends of leisure. We will have them;