II
тАЬMummy?тАЭ said Vernon later. тАЬWhatтАЩs going to happen in June?тАЭ
тАЬIn June, darling?тАЭ
тАЬYesтБатАФwhat you and Uncle Sydney were talking about.тАЭ
тАЬOh! thatтБатАФтАЭ Myra was momentarily discomposed. тАЬWell, you seeтБатАФitтАЩs a great secret.тАЭ
тАЬYes?тАЭ said Vernon eagerly.
тАЬUncle Sydney and Aunt Carrie hope that in June they will have a dear little baby boy. A boy cousin for you.тАЭ
тАЬOh!тАЭ said Vernon, disappointed. тАЬIs that all?тАЭ
After a minute or two, he said:
тАЬWhy are Aunt CarrieтАЩs legs swelled?тАЭ
тАЬOh! wellтБатАФyou seeтБатАФshe has been rather overtired lately.тАЭ
Myra dreaded more questions. She tried to remember what she and Sydney had actually said.
тАЬMummy?тАЭ
тАЬYes, dear.тАЭ
тАЬDo Uncle Sydney and Aunt Carrie want to have a baby boy?тАЭ
тАЬYes, of course.тАЭ
тАЬThen why do they wait till June? Why donтАЩt they have it now?тАЭ
тАЬBecause, Vernon, God knows best. And God wants them to have it in June.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs a long time to wait,тАЭ said Vernon. тАЬIf I were God IтАЩd send people things at once, as soon as they wanted them.тАЭ
тАЬYou mustnтАЩt be blasphemous, dear,тАЭ said Myra gently.
Vernon was silent. But he was puzzled. What was blasphemous? He rather thought that it was the same word Cook had used speaking of her brother. She had said he was a mostтБатАФsomethingтБатАФman and hardly ever touched a drop! She had spoken as though such an attitude was highly commendable. But evidently Mummy didnтАЩt seem to think the same about it.
Vernon added an extra prayer that evening to his usual petition of тАЬGod bless Mummy and Daddy and makemeagooboy armen.тАЭ
тАЬDear God,тАЭ he prayed. тАЬWill you send me a puppy in JuneтБатАФor July would do if you are very busy.тАЭ
тАЬNow why in June?тАЭ said Miss Robbins. тАЬYou are a funny little boy. I should have thought you would have wanted the puppy now.тАЭ
тАЬThat would be blamafous,тАЭ said Vernon, and eyed her reproachfully.