"Let dogs delight to bark and bite, For God hath made them so—-"
"I don't believe it," said Vera, who was on for battle; "God wouldn't."
"Yes, He would. He's made lots of things that fight. Lions and tigers and Pappy."
Captain Poynter was a soldier, and had served with some distinction in the Egyptian War.
"Well I don't want to fight," said Vera, shaking her blonde head. She wriggled down off Dicky's lap, and ran to Agatha, who was close to her, and unfortunately very close to every one else, too. "I want to love peoples. Don't you, Aggie? Do you love peoples, Aggie?"
"I do indeed—lots of peoples," said Agatha, drawing the child on to her knee. "I love you for one."
"Oh, me!" It was plain to the public that Miss Vera thought it would be a poor person indeed who did not bow the knee to her.
"But not all the other peoples?"
"Yes, I love all the other peoples, too."
"That's not true, for mammy says that you're beastly unkind to—-"