“Please, I don’t know what you mean,” said the boy, feeling very much confused.
The man smiled pityingly, and looked down with a most exasperating kind of condescension at the visitor,—in a way, in fact, that stamped him mentally as a brother in spirit, if not in flesh, of Maria, the doctor’s maid.
“I ’ave to announce your name to her ladyship,” said the footman.
“Oh, my name,” cried Dexter, “Obed Cole—I mean Dexter Grayson.”
He turned more red than ever in his confusion, and before he could say another word to add to his correction the door was thrown open.
“Master Obed Cole Dextry Grayson,” said the footman, in a loud voice; and the boy found himself standing in a large handsomely furnished room in the presence of Lady Danby, who rose with a forced smile, and looked very limp.
“How do you do, Master Grayson!” she said sadly, and she held out her hand.
Dexter in his confusion made a dash at it, and caught it tightly, to find that it felt very limp and cold, but the sensation did not last long, for the thin white fingers were snatched away.
“Eddy, dear,” said Lady Danby.
There was no answer, and Dexter stood there, feeling very uncomfortable, and staring hard at the tall lady, who spoke in such an ill-used tone of voice.