"Why?" He looked her up and down. "To mend my boots with, of course."
She looked at his boots.
"You silly thing," grinned the boy.
A faint color came under her skin. "I'm sorry for being stupid. I suppose you're hungry."
"As a hunter. But there's no call to trouble you. I'll be where I can get bread, and meat too, in forty minutes. Good-by, child."
"No," said Helen. "Please don't go. I'd like to give you some bread."
"Oh, all right," said the boy. "What frightened you? Did you think I was a scamp?"
"I wasn't frightened," said Helen.
"Don't tell me," mocked the boy. "You couldn't get a word out."
"I wasn't frightened."