"I'm that, who doubts it?"
"I don't, sir; only you, you frighten me a bit, and I don't like to see you deceived."
"Arrah, then, get out of this!" said The Desmond. "Play with the young gurrls and don't keep botherin' me."
"I will, in one minute; I will, really, only I have something dreadful to tell you."
"Not about my pushkeen? God Almighty help us, not about my pushkeen!"
"Listen to me, sir," said Tilly. "May I stay here as long as your pushkeen stays, and may I ride Starlight every second day? If you say yes to those two things sir, everything will be right and you'll never, never know."
The Desmond rose slowly and ponderously from his chair.
"What are ye after at all, colleen?" he said. "The pushkeen herself says ye are to go in two days and her wishes are to be first considered in this house."
"Oh, are they?" said Tilly, her face almost black with rage, "then I'll tell—I'll tell!"
"You'll tell nothing, Tilly Raynes," said Madam, coming up in her soft and sweet way; and, taking the girl out of the room, she closed the door between her and The Desmond. "Now you behave yourself while you are here," she said. "Himself is not to be worried. You understand that clear and cool. Go back and play with my daughters. You can't hurt our pushkeen nor The Desmond himself for all your trying."