“Why don’t you do as you are told, man? There it is in the corner, straight in front of your nose.”
Mr. Marchbanks, however, still seemed wholly unable to locate Tobias.
It was left to Miss Perry to play the part of the goddess out of the machine. That Scatterbrain, having at last clearly realized the situation, came forward to the window curtains, open basket in hand, in the friendliest and most reassuring manner.
“He is just a sweet,” she said to Mr. Marchbanks. “He never bites a soul if you take him round the throat gently. There he is, the duckums!”
Mr. Marchbanks appeared still unable to see Tobias.
“Do you think,” said Miss Perry, “I had better take him myself?”
“Yes, girl,” stormed the old lady, “I think you had better.”
Mr. Marchbanks, who seemed to share the opinion of his mistress, stepped back haughtily several paces.
“Come along, then,” said Miss Perry, cooing to the window curtains. “Come along, Toby, then.” She knelt down and began to grope. “Come along, Toby, boy. There he is, the sweet!”
Very deftly she made a grab at the lurking, lean, brown form of Tobias, took him by the throat, popped him into the open basket, and fastened down the lid.