and he's only thirteen,
and he has asthma so badly you'd think he was going to die. You _must_
want to know Kit! Besides, Jill is there too.'

'Jill Urquhart?' cried Angela. 'Why didn't you say so before? Of course,
we want to see Jill Urquhart!'

So the triumvirate squeezed themselves on to the narrow window-seat, and
hung in a row over the window-ledge, while Jill smiled and nodded from
below, and said pleasant things to them in her pretty soft voice. For all
that, her old school-fellows did not feel at their ease with her; for
they had suddenly made the discovery that Jill Urquhart, who used to be
the privileged possessor of boots to be unlaced and desks to be put away,
and other things now connected with Margaret Hulme, had somehow changed
into a daintily dressed, grown-up sort of visitor, who had to hold up
her skirt because the grass was wet. No one, not even the head girl, held
up her skirt at Wootton Beeches.

'This is Jean Murray, Kit, and that's Angela Wilkins,' said Babs, by
way of introduction; and Christopher, who was still seeking protection
behind his cousin, pulled off his cap and grinned. Then there was a
pause, and the situation became rather strained. Barbara looked round
at her two companions, and could not imagine what had come over them.
Why, she wondered, did they not chatter away as they usually did? They
only giggled faintly, however; and Angela was covered with blushes. So
far, the introduction did not seem a success.

'Angela can swing and turn and leave go with one hand and catch on
again--I mean on the rings,' said Barbara, by way of opening the
conversation.

'I can't! What stories! Besides, it's quite easy; anybody could!' declared
Angela, vehemently.

'And Jean can turn coach-wheels as well as Peter,' continued Babs,
eagerly. 'She can do hand-balance too, when Hurly-Burly isn't looking;
because we're not allowed to do hand-balance, you see, so we've got
to wait till no one is looking. Isn't it wonderful of Jean?'

'How _can_ you, Babe?' murmured Jean, reproachfully; and she concealed her
confusion by staring up at the top of the elm tree opposite and pretending
that she was not the person referred to.

'They are very clever, aren't they, Kit?' said Jill, in a gentle,
encouraging manner.

'Oh, rather!' said Kit, picking a blade of grass and gnawing it in his
desperation.

'And it will be most exciting to see Angela on the rings at the display,
won't it, Kit?' continued Jill,