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My uncle gave her a sideways glance I was embarrassed for her I expected him to rebuke her, as my father surely would have done if either of my sisters had so put herself forward in the cohtly sour face at Spink and said, "My rather spoiled daughter is hinting that I should introduce her to you"

Spink glanced at me and then reached his own decision He hted to meet her, sir"

"I’m sure," my uncle replied dryly "Cadet Spinrek Kester, I ahter, Epiny Helicia Burvelle Epiny, take the whistle out of yourany trinket for you as I have that one"

Epiny spat out the whistle so it dangled about her neck She dropped an elegant curtsy to Spink "I am so pleased to meet you," she said quite correctly, and then spoiled it when she asked with a s lanced at ed with alarm "Uh, no, Miss Burvelle, I washer direct blue gaze towith you, Nevare? How could you be so stupid as not to have invited your friend?" Before I could even fraly to her father "Papa, please invite hih hands for a good gaht noe’re short a player, and it is far too easy to deduce the cards if there are only two of us Please, Papa! If you don’t, then you shall have to be the one to round out the game for us"

"Epiny!" her father rebuked her, but he sounded ry

"Please, Papa! I’ve been so bored and you toldevery week’s end with us I shall die of ennui this Sevday if we do not have some coone to wait on the queen, so she will not co her a headache Please!"

I had never heard a wo like a little child I think I would have beenif a flush of forlorn hope had not passed over Spink’s face It was gone almost before I had seen it, but I knew ently, "Epiny lad to invite Nevare’s friend, but I fear we have left it too late for this visit I would need to request permission of Colonel Stiet, and Cadet Kester would need tiiven leave, we can invite hiave a harrumph and then crossed her arms stubbornly "Papa, it is not a proble hi so, he could run back and quickly pack a few things Men need very little in the way of clothing and such; I am sure he could be ready in no tily as she unabashedly helped herself to his first name

He was like a bird paralyzed by a snake Epiny and Spink were of a height and she cocked her head and saze and knew he must offer a reply and that the only polite response would be to agree with her "I suppose I could," he said, and then, as if suddenly aware that he had put my uncle in a difficult position, hastily added, "But I doubt that Colonel Stiet would give me permission on such short notice"

"Oh, Colonel Stiet? Don’t fret about him My mother knows his wife, and the colonel’s lady would just die to do anything that o with Papa and say that my mother would take it as such a personal favor if you were allowed to visit Run and get your things so you don’t keep us waiting e coo and see the colonel"

"Epiny, you are i at her deplorable behavior

"No, Father, I a to remain amused when the house is as still as a tomb and I have only Nevare to play Towsers Just look at how he is already frowning atat all Purissa is too little to be any use at all in serious games…unlessyou will take tiuess your finish card when I play Towsers with you Will you play?"

My uncle just looked weary at the question, and I foundhow many hands of Towsers he’d had to play recently I well recalled when my sisters had becoame the focus of their lives for an entire summer My father had tolerated it for a month, then exiled it to the schoolrooht whenshirked Uncle Sefert see to try a different tactic In a moment of decision, I saw both Spink and myself offered as sacrifice to Epiny’s caprice "I’et Colonel Stiet to release Cadet Kester to me for the free days" He paused to look at both of us severely and add, "I trust you youngyour study materials so as to be well prepared for Firstday I do not want the colonel to think that my home is an undisciplined place of folly and leisure"