Anstice spoke quietly, but she had quick eyes, and the children looked slightly abashed.
"He'll knock you down, if I let him go," Josie said.
"I'll risk that."
Very reluctantly they loosed their grip of his collar.
Hercules made a bound towards her. Anstice stood her ground, and smiled at him. He sniffed at her shoes, wagged his tail, and then as she patted his head, he turned up his beautiful brown eyes, and regarded her with favour, even going so far as to lick her hand.
Then Anstice turned to the little girls.
"Won't you show me the animals? I expect you have a good many pets and I want to know them."
But they took to their heels, whistling for Hercules, who bounded after them, and a wave of depression passed over Anstice's soul. Then she turned with brisk steps to search for Brenda.
"Can you leave your little charge?" she asked her when she met her on the stairs.
"Indeed, yes, ma'am. He's accustomed to loneliness, poor little soul! But I've carried him down to the library and his sisters will be in and out concocting mischief with him. For the matter o' that 'tis his brain that hatches most of their plots, and they carry them out."