"Sally," he whined, "haven't you got something to say to your poor brother?"
Sally considered for a moment, and made up her mind once and for all, if the tone in which she spoke could be taken as an indication.
"No," she said, "I ain't got nothink to say, and I don t want to have nothink to do with you."
"By which," added Seth Dumbrick, as a strong endorsement, " I should understand, if I was in your place, that my room would be better than my company."
"You little viper!" exclaimed Ned Chester wrathfully, addressing his sister, and would have continued but that Seth interrupted him with:
"Stop, stop; this young lady's under my protection. If she doesn't want to say anything to you, you shan't make her. Go down, Sally, if you don't care to stop."
Sally, glad to escape, was about to obey, when the Duchess, who had not moved from Sally's side during the conversation, plucked Seth Dumbrick's shirt-sleeve. Seth peered inquisitively at her.
"Don't hurt him," lisped the child.
A gleam of satisfaction came into Ned Chester's eyes.
"No, no, Duchess," said Seth good-humouredly, "I'll not hurt him. Nobody wants to do anything to him one way or the another. Go down with Sally."