“Who’s Father?” the lion tamer threw over his shoulder Win had longed to ask the same question, but had not liked to betray herself as an amateur.

“Oh, I forgot this was your first party!  Wish ’twas mine.  Father’s what the supe—­the superintendent, the gent in the window—­gets himself called by us guyls.”

“Wipe me off the map!  I’m some Johnny to cost you all that breath.  But gee! the thought of standin’ up to him gets my goat worse ’n twice his weight in lions.  I’m mighty glad this young lady’s gotta go through with it in front of me.  Say, maybe you’ll push the right bell with him, too.”

“I hope we both may,” answered Win fervently.  “It’s more than kind of you to give me your place, but really I—–­”

“Ain’t we the polite one?” remarked the lion tamer.  “Say, girlie, you’ve made a hit with me.  Where did you buy your swell accent?”

“Don’t make fun of me, please, or I shall drop!” exclaimed Win with a laugh nipped in the bud, lest it should reach the august ear of Father.

This way of taking the joke appeased those within hearing, who had perhaps believed that the tall Effect in brown thought a lot of herself and was putting on airs.  Her seeming to imply that she might be considered ridiculous inclined censors to leniency.

“Have a spruce cream?” asked a girl in front, screwing her head round to see what the Effect was like, and offering a small, flat object about an inch in width and two in length.

“Thank you very much,” said Win.

Every one near tittered good-naturedly.  Perhaps it was that accent again!  Funny, thought Win.  Her idea had been that Americans had an accent, because they didn’t talk like English people who had invented the language.  Americans appeared to think it was the other way round!

She put the flat thing into her mouth and began to chew it.  At first it was very nice; sugary, with a fresh, woodsy flavour which was new to her.  Presently, however, the sweetness and some of the taste melted away, and instead of dissolving, so that she could swallow it, the substance kept all its bulk and assumed a rubbery texture exactly like a doll’s nose she had once bitten off and never forgotten.  She coughed a little and did not quite know what to do.

“Good heavens’, she’s goin’ to absorb it!” ejaculated the girl in front, still twisting to gaze at the tall Effect.  “Didn’t you never chew gum before?”

“Only millionaires can afford it in my country,” said Win, recovering herself.  The laugh was with her!  But every sound made was piano.  There was the feeling among the mice that this was the cat’s house.

The girl in front who had offered the chewing gum was small and just missed being very pretty.  She had curly hair of so light a red that it was silvery at the roots.  Seeing her from behind, you hoped for a radiant beauty, but she had pale, prominent eyes and a hard mouth.  Win imagined that the muscles in her cheeks were overdeveloped because of chewing too much gum.