It had been promised cakes and sweeties galore if it gave
the egg well and truly to the kind old gentleman who was waiting
to receive it. Lester had tried to convey to it privately that
horrible smackings would attend any failure in its share of the
proceedings, but it is doubtful if his German caused more than an
immediate distress. Lady Barbara had thoughtfully provided
herself with an emergency supply of chocolate sweetmeats; children
may sometimes be time-servers, but they do not encourage long
accounts. As they approached nearer to the princely da?s Lady
Barbara stood discreetly aside, and the stolid-faced infant walked
forward alone, with staggering but steadfast gait, encouraged by a
murmur of elderly approval. Lester, standing in the front row of
the onlookers, turned to scan the crowd for the beaming faces of
the happy parents. In a side-road which led to the railway
station he saw a cab; entering the cab with every appearance of
furtive haste were the dark-visaged couple who had been so
plausibly eager for the "pretty idea." The sharpened instinct of
cowardice lit up the situation to him in one swift flash. The
blood roared and surged to his head as though thousands of
floodgates had been opened in his veins and arteries, and his
brain was the common sluice in which all the torrents met.
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