"Why, then," said she in her gentlest voice, smiling down into his wistful face, "come on up, old pal, an' forget your loneliness awhile."
And now his lordship smiled also, and having pocketed his book, climbed into the cart with our assistance and seated himself between us.
"This," sighed he, as Diogenes ambled on again, "is exceedingly kind in you, to burden yourselves thus with a solitary and garrulous old man—"
"What's garrulous?" demanded Diana.
"Talkative, my child, excessive verbosity—Mr. Vereker will doubtless remember our conversation on music," said he, with a whimsical glance at me.
"Indeed, yes, sir," I answered. "I was greatly interested."
"Well, I like to hear you talk, too," said Diana, "you speaks like Peregrine does, only he says such silly things, and he's a great deal too cocksure of himself into the bargain!"
"Concerning which," said his lordship gently, "you may have remarked that Mr. Vereker possesses a chin."
"What's his chin to do with it? You've got one—so have I for that matter."
"True, child, we all three possess chins that typify dogged resolution to a remarkable degree—"