Mrs. Dolman began to run after her, which fact excited the little girl very much. She instantly raced away, and the stout lady had to follow her, panting and puffing.
"Diana, you are a dreadfully naughty little girl; if I catch you up, won't I punish you!" panted Mrs. Dolman.
"I don't care," called back Diana. "You can't catch me up; you is fat; you can't wun. See, let's have a wace—let's find out who'll be at the end of the walk first. Now then, one, two, three, and away! Go it, Aunt Jane! Now, then, k'ick, Aunt Jane; k'ick!"
Mrs. Dolman's rage at this great impertinence made her almost speechless. She flew after Diana, but would have had little or no chance of catching her, if the child had not suddenly tripped up against a stone and measured her full length on the ground. Before she could rise again Mrs. Dolman had caught her by the shoulder, and, as a preliminary measure, began to shake her violently.
"You are a bad little thing," she said. "Why didn't you come to me when I called you?"
"'Cos I didn't want to, Aunt Jane."
"But do you know that you have got to obey me, miss? What would your mother say?"
"You isn't to dare to talk of mother to me," answered Diana.
"Highty-tighty! I'm not to dare. Do you suppose, Diana, that I will allow a little child like you to defy me in my own house?"
"What's defy?" asked Diana.