“Come, I say; come along with me up to the mistress,” repeated Pina.
“What for? I haven’t been a doing of nothing!” exclaimed the boy.
“Well, tell her so, then, and get her to believe it; but come along.”
Leo reluctantly left his tea and muffins and bacon, and hesitatingly followed Pina to the presence of his mistress, where he also expected to be arraigned upon some charge of misconduct.
But the first worst words of the little lady set him at ease.
“Leo, have you seen any suspicious persons or any strangers lurking about here lately?” she inquired.
“Lor, no ma’am, no person at all, not a soul, except ’twas master and you, ma’am, and Pina and me. The place is so out of the way, you know, ma’am. And so lonesome! Awful lonesome I calls it,” answered the boy.
“No sportsmen after birds or other such small game?”
“Not a one, ma’am.”
“Nor boys setting traps for snow-birds?”