“Yes, Babs,” said Bob, or seemed to say.
“Tiss my new dolly.”
Bob licked the doll’s face. Then he licked Babs’s hand. “Master’ll soon be back,” he tried to tell her.
She was quiet for a time, singing low to her doll.
“Bob!” she said, solemnly now; “does ’oo fink (think) ’Ansey ’as fallen in and dlowned hisself?”
“Oh, look, look, Bob,” she cried the next moment, “a stlange man toming here!”
Bob started up and barked most savagely. He was quite prepared to lay down his life for his little charge. But as he rushed forward he quickly changed his tune.
It was Ransey Tansey right enough, but so transformed that it was no wonder that Babs and Bob took him for a stranger.
Even the Admiral must fly down from the gibbet-tree and dance wildly round him. Murrams, the great tom-cat, came out and purred aloud; and Babs clapped her tiny hands and screamed with delight.
“’Oo’s a zentleman now,” she cried; “and I’se a lady. Hullay!”