I
involuntarily showed off Rubens as he approached, and he lingered and
watched us. By a sort of impulse I took off my little hat, as I had
been taught to do to strangers. He lifted his with a dismal grace and
moved on.
But as he walked about I could see that he kept looking to where
Rubens and I played upon the grass, and at last he came and sat down
near us.
"Is that your dog?" he asked.
"Yes he's my dog," I answered.
"He seems very clever," said Sir Lionel. "Did you teach him all those
tricks yourself?"
"Very nearly all," said I. "Rubens, shake hands with Sir Lionel."
"How do you know my name?" he asked.
"Polly told me," said I.
"Do you know Polly?" Sir Lionel inquired.
I stared, forgetting that of course he did not know who I was, and
answered--
"She's my cousin."
"What's your name?" he asked.
I told him.
"Do you like Polly?" he continued.
"Very much," I said, warmly.
It was with a ludicrous imitation of some grown-up person's manner
that he added, in perfect gravity--
"I hope you are not in love with her?"
"Oh, dear no!" I cried, hastily, for I had had enough of that joke
with Miss Eliza Burton.
"Then that is all right," said the little baronet; "let us be
friends.
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