le; they rose at the sight
of Dorothy, and Tinker introduced them to her gravely. Sir Tancred was
naturally surprised at being suddenly confronted by a startling vision
of beauty, when he had expected an ordinary young fresh-coloured,
good-natured Englishwoman. But for all the change worked in his face
by that surprise he might have been confronted by a vision of corkscrew
curls. Lord Crosland, however, so far forgot the proper dignity of a
peer as to kick Tinker gently under the table. Tinker looked at him
with a pained and disapproving air.

Dorothy was even more surprised by the sight of Sir Tancred. She had
given the matter little thought, but had supposed that she would find
Tinker's father a sedate man of some fifty summers. When she found him
a young man of thirty, and exceedingly handsome and distinguished at
that, she was invaded by no slight doubt as to the wisdom of indulging
the spirit of whim which had led her to take the post of Tinker's
governess, without going a little more into the matter. This
uneasiness made her at first somewhat constrained; but Sir Tancred and
Lord Crosland contrived soon to put her at her ease, and presently she
was taking her part in the talk without an effort.

When she went away with the children, Lord Crosland lighted a
cigarette, and said thoughtfully, "Well, Tinker has made a find. She
is a lady."

"I should be inclined to say gentlewoman," said Sir Tancred. "Lady is
a word a trifle in disrepute; there are so many of them, and so
various, don't you know."

"Gentlewoman be it," said Lord Crosland. "But he's a wonderful young
beggar for getting hold of the right thing. What a beautiful creature
she is!"

"She is beautiful," said Sir Tancred grudgingly.

"Woman-hater! Va!" said Lord Crosland.

Dorothy found herself admitted to a frank intimacy in this little
circle into which whim had led her. She spent most of her time with
the children. She gave Elsie two hours' lessons a day, and, since she
had a knack of making them interesting, Tinker often enjoyed the
benefit of her teaching. After lessons she shared most of their
amusements, and learned to be a pirate, a brigand, an English sailor, a
Boer, and every kind of captive and conspirator. Since she occupied
some of Elsie's time, Tinker had once more leisure for mischief; and
Dorothy rarely tried to restrain his fondness for pulling the legs of
his fellow-creatures, for she found that he had the happiest