The amateur firemen.
"That’salikelylittlebroochyou’vegoton,Miss,"saidPerksthePorter;"Idon’tknowaseverIseeathingmorelikeabuttercupwithoutitWASabuttercup."
"Yes,"saidBobbie,gladandflushedbythisapproval."Ialwaysthoughtitwasmorelikeabuttercupalmostthanevenarealone—andINEVERthoughtitwouldcometobemine,myveryown—andthenMothergaveittomeformybirthday."
"Oh,haveyouhadabirthday?"saidPerks;andheseemedquitesurprised,asthoughabirthdaywereathingonlygrantedtoafavouredfew.
"Yes,"saidBobbie;"when’syourbirthday,Mr.Perks?"ThechildrenweretakingteawithMr.PerksinthePorters’roomamongthelampsandtherailwayalmanacs.Theyhadbroughttheirowncupsandsomejamturnovers.Mr.Perksmadeteainabeercan,asusual,andeveryonefeltveryhappyandconfidential.
"Mybirthday?"saidPerks,tippingsomemoredarkbrownteaoutofthecanintoPeter’scup."Igiveupkeepingofmybirthdayaforeyouwasborn."
"ButyoumusthavebeenbornSOMETIME,youknow,"saidPhyllis,thoughtfully,"evenifitwastwentyyearsago—orthirtyorsixtyorseventy."
"Notsolongasthat,Missie,"Perksgrinnedasheanswered."Ifyoureallywanttoknow,itwasthirty-twoyearsago,comethefifteenthofthismonth."
"Thenwhydon’tyoukeepit?"askedPhyllis.
"I’vegotsomethingelsetokeepbesidesbirthdays,"saidPerks,briefly.