“Oh, no! you have yet to learn my capabilities in that direction. I am glad to know that your protégé is a sister of my favorite, for I like Terwilliger, and I think he has had a harder time than he deserves. There is one portion of his history that I could have testified to if I had been in the city and possibly have saved his being sent unjustly to prison, so I feel that I owe it to him to do him any kindness that I can.”
“What was it, Mr. Van Silver?” I asked eagerly.
“Oh! it’s my secret; and as it is too late to help Terwilliger now, I shan’t confess.”
“Perhaps it is not too late to help him,” I exclaimed. “Mr. Van Silver, I can’t tell you now, but Mr. Mudge will explain everything, and when I send him to you will you please tell him all you can in Terwilliger’s favor. Indeed, he never needed your friendship more.”
“I’m there,” Mr. Van Silver replied; “and in return what will you do for me?”
“Winnie is writing a composition on the life of Raphael. I will copy it and send it to you,” said Milly.
Mr. Van Silver made a wry face; he had not a very favorable opinion of school-girl compositions. “I would rather see the young lady herself,” he replied; “but I don’t believe there is any Witch Winnie. She is a Will-o’-the-Wisp, Margery Daw sort of girl.”
“She is thoroughly real, I do assure you.”
“What does she look like? How does she dress?”
“Well, out of doors she likes to wear a boy’s jockey cap of white cloth and a jaunty little jacket, and I regret to say that she is not unfrequently seen with her hands in its pockets, and her elbows making aggressive angles.”