"Hallo, Auntie Lisbeth!" he said, with a cheerfulness wholly assumed.
"Oh!" she cried distressfully, "whatever does this mean; what are you doing here? Oh, you naughty boy!"
"Lisbeth," I said, as I rose in my turn and confronted her, "do not blame the child--the fault is mine--let me explain; by means of a ladder----"
"Not here," she whispered, glancing nervously towards the ballroom.
"Then come where I can."
"Impossible!"
"Not at all; you have only to descend these steps and we can talk undisturbed."
"Ridiculous!" she said, stooping to replace the Imp's cap; but being thus temptingly within reach, she was next moment beside us in the shadows.
"Dick, how could you, how dared you?"
"You see, I had to explain," I answered very humbly; "I really couldn't allow this poor child to bear the blame of my fault----"