[LIZZIE and MOLES exchange amused glances.

ELAINE.  But Mr. Coast’s your auntie’s cousin; and your cousin can’t be your beau.

PHILIP.  He ain’t any relation to Auntie Georgiana.  Mamma said so.  Mr. Coast’s mamma’s cousin, and grandma’s nephew, but grandma isn’t any real relation to auntie.

CHRISTOPHER.  How?

PHILIP.  I don’t know how, only Aunt Georgiana had a different mamma, she didn’t have grandma.

ELAINE.  And the same papa!

PHILIP.  Not all the time, mamma had another papa first.

CHRISTOPHER.  It’s sort of mixy, isn’t it?

PHILIP.  Yes, I guess mamma and Aunt Georgy are sort of divorced sisters!

ELAINE.  Oh!

[As if that explained it.

TOOTS. [Beating the table.] Lemmlelade! lemmlelade!

[MOLES crosses to pitcher and serves TOOTS first, then the others.

PHILIP.  Toots, you’re getting tipsy!

[The children laugh.

CHRISTOPHER.  Cousin Sammy comes to see Aunt Georgiana nearly every day.

PHILIP.  Yes—­he’s begun to bring toys just like some of the others did.

CHRISTOPHER. [With his mouth full.] Hobby horse!  Hobby horse!

[Pointing to the hobby horse.

LIZZIE.  Don’t talk with your mouth full, Mr. Christopher.

PHILIP. [Shouting.] He’ll choke!  He’ll choke!

[All laugh, tremendously amused.

MOLES.  Mr. Coast is a very fine gentleman.

PHILIP.  Oh, I know!  I saw him give you a dollar the other day, when he came to see auntie, and you advised his waiting and said auntie’d be in by five.

LIZZIE.  Isn’t he a case!

MOLES.  He certainly is.

[Returns pitcher to table on the Left.

CHRISTOPHER.  I like Mr. Dick best.  He’s always taking us places and things.

TOOTS. [Who has finished his croquette and is now ready for conversation.] Um!  Circus!

PHILIP.  And not just ’cause he’s stuck on auntie.

MOLES.  You oughtn’t to use that expression, Mr. Philip.

PHILIP.  Why not! you do.  I heard you tell Lizzie you were stuck on her last Sunday.

LIZZIE. [Blushing.] Oh, my!

CHRISTOPHER.  Mr. Dick’s a soldier!

PHILIP.  Yes, siree!  He helped stop a strike of street cars in Brooklyn. 
His name was in the papers!

CHRISTOPHER.  He was hurted bad, and if he was dead, he’d have a monnyment with “Hero” embroidered on it.  Aunt Georgiana said so!

ELAINE.  I should think Miss Georgiana was too old, anyway, to have beaux.

CHRISTOPHER.  Oh, awful old!

LIZZIE.  Oh!  Miss Carley isn’t so old!

PHILIP.  Yes, she is, too!  She’s our old maid aunt.

ELAINE.  If she wasn’t old, she’d be married.  It must be awful to be so old.