"I know you love kiddies," Auntie Iris remarked in a general sort of way to Miss Marchrose, Julian, and Mr. Garrett. "These little people are too quaint for words; aren't you, children?"
The rather embarrassing enquiry appeared to present no difficulty to Ruthie, who made it the ground of a sudden onslaught upon Mr. Garrett.
"Are you married?" she enquired with loudness and assurance of the astonished young man.
"Certainly not," said Mr. Garrett, with emphasis. Ruthie immediately took an uninvited seat upon his knee.
"Come here, Ambrose dear," said Auntie Iris hastily, "and talk to us."
"Eh?" said Ambrose, looking enquiringly at her through his spectacles.
It needed no intuition to recognise either the intonation or the vocabulary of Sarah in the pleasing monosyllable shot forth by Master Easter.
"What have you been doing to-day?" rather rashly pursued Auntie Iris.
"Eh?"
"Don't say 'eh' like that, darling. I can't imagine what's come over the child."