“Yes.”

And so on, with clapping of joyful hands till all the group had begged for invitations but Tom and Amy. Then Tom turned coolly away, still talking, and took Amy with him. Becky’s lips trembled and the tears came to her eyes; she hid these signs with a forced gayety and went on chattering, but the life had gone out of the picnic, now, and out of everything else; she got away as soon as she could and hid herself and had what her sex call “a good cry.” Then she sat moody, with wounded pride, till the bell rang.

She roused up, now, with a vindictive cast in her eye, and gave her plaited tails a shake and said she knew what she’d do.

At recess Tom continued his flirtation with Amy with jubilant self-satisfaction.