“It do seem quite wonderful,” said the farmer. “Now, don’t it, wife?”
“A’most uncanny, I call it,” said Mrs. Miles.
“But before you let them loose I must introduce my sisters to them,” said Betty. “Sylvia, come here. Sylvia, kneel by me.”
The girl did so. The dogs were not quite so much excited over Sylvia as they were over Betty, but they also licked their hands and wagged their tails in great delight. Hester went through the same form of introduction; and then, somewhat against his will, the farmer gave the dogs their liberty. Betty said, in a commanding tone, “To heel, good boys, at once!” and the wild and savage dogs obeyed her.
She paced up and down the yard in a state of rapture at her conquest over these fierce animals. Then she whispered something to Sylvia, who in her turn whispered to Mrs. Miles, who in her turn whispered to Ben; the result of which was that three wicker chairs were brought from the house, Betty and her sisters seated themselves, and the dogs sprawled in ecstasy at their side.
“Oh, we are happy!” said Betty. “Mrs. Miles, was your heart ever very starvingly empty?”
“Times, maybe,” said Mrs. Miles, who had gone, like most of her sex, through a chequered career.
“And weren’t you glad when it got filled up to the brim again?”
“That I was,” said Mrs. Miles.
“My heart was a bit starved this morning,” said Betty; “but it feels full to the brim now. Please, dear, good Mrs. Miles, leave us five alone together. Go all of you away, and let us stay alone together.”