"There is no contenting these women of sense!" said Magnus. "If I fib, she scolds: if I tell truth, she flouts me. If Derby drill will only handle this line of approaches, I shall learn how, in time. Don't walk so fast, wise damsel."
"Will you come in and see papa to-night?" said Cherry, not slackening her pace in the least.
"Well, hardly," said Magnus. "I like to make it all safe with the daughter before I rush into the paternal presence."
If Cherry had been that sort of a girl, I think she would have lent him a very earnest and hearty little cuff. As it was, she gave him one hopeless glance and slipped through the little gate, as her next neighbour would have said, "spryer'n an eel."
But quick steps were play to Magnus, and before Cherry's foot had touched the doorstone he was beside her. His hands met round but not touching her, putting the girl in a charmed circle of space; and the strong, clear voice chanted out an old playtime couplet:
"Open the ring and let her in,
And kiss her when you get her in."
"Oh, Magnus! do hush!" Cherry said desperately. "You are altogether wild to-night. And everybody will find it out!" she added, as if that doubled the case. She made a quick motion to dive under "the ring" and get away, which was quite fruitless.
"Stand still," Magnus admonished her. "Unless you want the prison walls to converge, as in that old tale of the Inquisition. I am going to put you straight through the catechism. First of all, will you confess that you are a humbug and a fraud?"
"I am only myself," Cherry faltered, but standing so still now that she hardly dared breathe.
"Only yourself—a very good answer. Well, I never want you to be anything else, more or less. Do you understand?"