“There,” he said; “won’t that do?”
“Yes,” said the girl, with a slight pout of two rather pretty lips. “It will do; but it isn’t high enough.”
“Oh, come, it’s higher than you could have reached.—Don’t say the Doctor’s out, Mrs Morley?”
“No; but he’s got somebody with him;” and the speaker glanced at her niece, who turned away and looked conscious. “I am not surprised,” continued the Doctor’s wife, and she looked fixedly now at her visitor.
“What at?” replied the lad wonderingly.
“How innocent!—What do you say, Minnie? Look at him!”
The girl turned sharply, fixed her eyes upon the young officer’s face, and laughed merrily.
“What are you laughing at?” he cried, hurriedly taking out a handkerchief. “Have I made my face dirty?”
“No, sir.—We were quite right, auntie. I can’t think how young men can be so stupid.”
“’Tis their nature to,” said Archie, laughing, as he replaced his handkerchief. “But what have I been doing stupid now, Minnie?”