"I shall do nothing of the sort," replied the voice.
"Why?" said Verty, with ready philosophy; "it's nobody but me."
"Hum!" said the voice again, in indignant protest against the force of any such reasoning.
"You are not Redbud," continued the cavalier; "I want to see Redbud."
"Well, sir,—go down, and Reddy may come and see you," the voice replied; "as long as you stand there, you will not lay eyes on her—if you stay a week, or a year."
At this dreadful threat, Verty retreated from the door. The idea of not seeing Redbud for a year was horrible.
"Will you come down, Redbud, if I go?" he asked.
Voices heard in debate.
"Say?" said Verty.
After a pause, the voice which had before spoken, said: