"Good evening!" he said, as if he had never seen Miss Loder before. "I have tea with Christina, because I don't care for drawing-room tea. The bread and butter is too thin, and there's not enough jam, and grown-up people are so stupid!"
"Good evening," said Miss Loder politely. "I have been telling Christina of an adventure I had on the way here this afternoon. I am afraid you have some bad characters about."
Puggy sat down, and looked at her suspiciously.
"Have we?" he said, trying to speak unconcernedly, but getting rather red in the face.
"These were two little ragamuffins with blacked faces who pretended to be highwaymen. I'm afraid they got a whipping, but I couldn't help liking them, for they were evidently very fond of Christina. I suppose she has a great many friends? I eased their minds by promising to be good to her, but I am wondering who they were. Do you know?"
Puggy stared at her in silence.
"If I did, I wouldn't tell you," he remarked at length.
Miss Loder did not say any more. She chatted to Christina about all kinds of things, and Puggy ate his tea in silence. This new governess puzzled him greatly, he was almost—just a tiny bit—afraid of her.
[CHAPTER VI]
"DEFYING THE HUNT"