“Oh, excuse me! Take seats! take seats!” he said, waving his hands wildly around the hall among the oaken and leather-cushioned chairs with which it was furnished.
Mr. and Mrs. Legg seated themselves on two of the nearest.
Dandy drew a third up before then and dropped into it.
“You’ll come home ’long of us and stop for good, Uncle Andrew, I hope,” said Mrs. Legg.
Before the old man could reply Mr. Legg took up the word.
“Yes, sir, we should be proud to have you a member of our family for the rest of your life! And may it be a long and happy one!”
“I do thank ye, niece and nephy! I do, indeed! But I don’t know ’bout going home ’long of you now! You see, I’m stopping here ’long o’ my young friend, Mr. Randolph Hay, and wisiting of him, am sort o’ at his orders——” began Dandy, but his niece interrupted him hastily, almost indignantly, with:
“You don’t mean to say, Uncle Andrew Quin, that while ever you have got a ’fectionate niece and nephy ready to share their last crust ’long o’ you as you have gone at your age and tuk service at the Hall?”
“Lord! No, wench! What are ye talking on? Didn’t I tell ’ee that Mr. Randolph Hay was a friend of mine? And didn’t I tell ’ee I was a-visiting on him? What be ye a-thinking on?”
“Well, then, what did you mean by being at his orders?”