"Do you like fantails?" asked Ralph, looking full at his little cousin.
"Do you mean those darling white birds in the cage?" answered Maggie, her cheeks crimsoning.
"I CAUGHT HIM MY OWN SELF."—[Page 21.]
"Yes; I've got some pouters at home, but I only brought the fantails here. I hope you've got a nice pigeon-cote at Tower Hill. Oh, my rabbits, my bunnies! Help me, Maggie; one of them has got loose; help me, Maggie, to catch him."
Before either Sir John or Lady Ascot could interfere, the two children had disappeared into a crowd of porters, passengers, and luggage. Lady Ascot uttered a scream of dismay, but Sir John said coolly:
"Let them be. The little lad has got his head screwed on the right way; and if I don't mistake, my pretty maid can hold her own with anybody. Don't agitate yourself, Bee; they'll be back all right in a moment."
So they were, Maggie holding a huge white rabbit clasped against her beautiful embroidered frock. The rabbit scratched and struggled, but Maggie held him without flinching, although her face was very red.
"I caught him my own self," she screamed. "Ralph couldn't, 'cause his hands were too full."