child's caressing familiarity, and her perfect trustfulness in him
touched his extravagant chivalry. He ought to protect her, and yet
correct her. In the consciousness of these duties he laid his white hand
upon her head. Alas! she lifted her arm and instantly transferred his
hand and part of his arm around her neck and shoulders, and comfortably
snuggled against him. The colonel gasped. Nevertheless, something must
be said, and he began, albeit somewhat crippled in delivery:--

"The--er--use of elegant and precise language by--er--young ladies
cannot be too sedulously cultivated"--

But here the child laughed, and snuggling still closer, gurgled: "That's
right! Give it to her when she comes down! That's the style!" and
the colonel stopped, discomfited. Nevertheless, there was a certain
wholesome glow in the contact of this nestling little figure.

Presently he resumed tentativery: "I have--er--brought you a few
dainties."

"Yes," said Pansy, "I see; but they're from the wrong shop, you dear old
silly! They're from Tomkins's, and we girls just abominate his things.
You oughter have gone to Emmons's. Never mind. I'll show you when we go
out. We're going out, aren't we?" she said suddenly, lifting her head
anxiously. "You know it's allowed, and it's RIGHTS 'to parents and
guardians'!"

"Certainly, certainly," said the colonel. He knew he would feel a little
less constrained in the open air.

"Then we'll go now," said Pansy, jumping up. "I'll just run upstairs and
put on my things. I'll say it's 'orders' from you. And I'll wear my new
frock--it's longer." (The colonel was slightly relieved at this; it had
seemed to him, as a guardian, that there was perhaps an abnormal display
of Pansy's black stockings.) "You wait; I won't be long."

She darted to the door, but reaching it, suddenly stopped, returned to
the sofa, where the colonel still sat, imprinted a swift kiss on his
mottled cheek, and fled, leaving him invested with a mingled flavor
of freshly ironed muslin, wintergreen lozenges, and recent bread and
butter. He sat still for some time, staring out of the window. It was
very quiet in the room; a bumblebee blundered from the jasmine outside
into the open window, and snored loudly at the panes. But the colonel
heeded it not, and remained abstracted and silent until the door opened
to Miss Tish and Pansy--in her best frock and sash, at which the colonel
started and became erect again and courtly.

"I am about to