“But,” said Effie, afraid she had spoken unkindly, “if we come to the Hall, we must all come.”
“Delightful! And my brother shall paint you. Is this the wolf?”
“That is Ossian, my father’s deerhound.”
“What a noble fellow! Where does your father live, and what are your names?”
Leonard lifted his hat again. “Pardon me, lady,” he said, “for replying instead of my sister. Father lives in London, at present. My name is Incognitus, and my sister’s name Incognita. My sister has already introduced you to the dog, permit me to introduce you to the donkey. His name is Don.”
The young ladies pouted, and looked half-inclined to be cross, but finally laughed such a pleasant, merry, ringing laugh, that Don pricked up his ears, and joined in with such a terrible lion-like roar, that the very hills rang for a mile around. It was not often that Don did give way to a fit of merriment, but when he did nobody else was able to get in a word until the strength of his lungs was quite exhausted.
He stopped presently, and helped himself to a fresh green thistle that was growing handy.
Meanwhile Ossian jumped up and kissed one of the ladies, as much as to say,—
“Don’t be afraid, Don often makes that row. He is only an ass, you know, but there isn’t a bit of harm in the whole of his body.”
“Come on then, my dears. Why, Lily, this is quite an adventure. What a providence it was that we rode in this direction! I would not have missed such an adventure for anything I can think of.”