Sherry came cheerfully in, and, as she jumped up, took her by the shoulders and shook her, not very hard, saying: “Kitten, you little wretch, how dared you ask George not to blow a hole through me?”
“But I did not wish him to blow a hole through you, Sherry!” she replied reasonably. “What else could I do? Only I am afraid I have made Isabella very angry, and I don’t know what to do!”
“What the deuce has Isabella to say to anything?” he demanded.
“Well, you see, I asked her if she would speak to George, but she — she did not seem to understand any more than you did how George came to kiss me, and she would not do it, and now she is — ”
“You asked Isabella to intercede with George for me?” gasped Sherry, the indulgent grin wiped suddenly from his face.
She raised a pair of dismayed eyes. “Oh, dear, perhaps I should not have mentioned that! Please do not mind it, Sherry!”
“Not mind it! Do you know that you have done your best to make me the laughing stock of the town?”
“Oh, no, Sherry, truly not! Isabella was not in the least amused, I assure you!”
He looked very hard at her. “Did Gil and Ferdy set you on to do it?”
“No, no!” she said hastily. “It was quite my own idea!”