“I’ve been doing nothing bad,” said he, curling himself into a long chair with a studious affectation of the Colonel’s languor after a hot parade.  He buried his freckled nose in a tea-cup and, with eyes staring roundly over the rim, asked:  “I say, Coppy, is it pwoper to kiss big girls?”

“By Jove!  You’re beginning early.  Who do you want to kiss?”

“No one.  My muvver’s always kissing me if I don’t stop her.  If it isn’t pwoper, how was you kissing Major Allardyce’s big girl last morning, by ve canal?”

Coppy’s brow wrinkled.  He and Miss Allardyce had with great craft managed to keep their engagement secret for a fortnight.  There were urgent and imperative reasons why Major Allardyce should not know how matters stood for at least another month, and this small marplot had discovered a great deal too much.

“I saw you,” said Wee Willie Winkie calmly.  “But ve sais didn’t see.  I said, ‘Hut jao!’”

“Oh, you had that much sense, you young Rip,” groaned poor Coppy, half amused and half angry.  “And how many people may you have told about it?”

“Only me myself.  You didn’t tell when I twied to wide ve buffalo ven my pony was lame; and I fought you wouldn’t like.”

“Winkie,” said Coppy enthusiastically, shaking the small hand, “you’re the best of good fellows.  Look here, you can’t understand all these things.  One of these days—­hang it, how can I make you see it!—­I’m going to marry Miss Allardyce, and then she’ll be Mrs. Coppy, as you say.  If your young mind is so scandalized at the idea of kissing big girls, go and tell your father.”

“What will happen?” said Wee Willie Winkie, who firmly believed that his father was omnipotent.

“I shall get into trouble,” said Coppy, playing his trump card with an appealing look at the holder of the ace.

“Ven I won’t,” said Wee Willie Winkie briefly.  “But my faver says it’s un-man-ly to be always kissing, and I didn’t fink you’d do vat, Coppy.”

“I’m not always kissing, old chap.  It’s only now and then, and when you’re bigger you’ll do it too.  Your father meant it’s not good for little boys.”

“Ah!” said Wee Willie Winkie, now fully enlightened.  “It’s like ve sputter-brush?”

“Exactly,” said Coppy gravely.

“But I don’t fink I’ll ever want to kiss big girls, nor no one, ’cept my muvver.  And I must do vat, you know.”

There was a long pause, broken by Wee Willie Winkie.

“Are you fond of vis big girl, Coppy?”

“Awfully!” said Coppy.

“Fonder van you are of Bell or ve Butcha—­or me?”

“It’s in a different way,” said Coppy.  “You see, one of these days Miss Allerdyce will belong to me, but you’ll grow up and command the Regiment and—­all sorts of things.  It’s quite different, you see.”

“Very well,” said Wee Willie Winkie, rising.  “If you’re fond of ve big girl, I won’t tell any one.  I must go now.”