ed 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." And friends we became. "Call me Leo, and I'll call you
Reginald," said the little gentleman; and so it was.

I think it is not doing myself more than justice if I say that to
this, my first friendship, I was faithful and devoted. Leo, for his
part, was always affectionate, and he had an admiration for Rubens
which went a long way with Rubens' master. But he was a little spoiled
and capricious, and, like many people of rather small capacities
(whether young or old), he was often unintentionally inconsiderate. In
those days my affection waited willingly upon his; but I know now that
in a quiet amiable way he was selfish. I was blessed myself with an
easy temper, and at that time it had ample opportunities of
accommodating itself to the whims of my friend Leo and my cousin
Polly. Not that Polly was like Sir Lionel in any way whatever. But she
was quick-tempered and resolute. She was much more clever for her age
than I was for mine. She was very decided and rapid in her views and
proceedings, very generous and affectionate also, and not at all
selfish. But her qualities and those of Leo came to the same thing as
far as I was concerned. I invariably yielded to them both.

Between themselves, I may say, they squabbled systematically, and were
never either friends or enemies f