Then Miss Letty’s eyes met Anne’s, and they both burst into a merry laugh that made them fast friends, while she shook hands heartily with Tommy instead of kissing his little pug nose as she wished, which would have offended him as being babyish.
“Certainly, I will play hide-and-seek if you will tell me precisely what you expected to find me, Miss Anne. I think that you look disappointed.”
“I’m not Miss, I’m only plain Anne, who used to be Tommy-Anne until six years ago, when Tommy came; at least I’m called Anne, because I don’t like my real name, Diana. You know so few people say it nicely, and Obi calls it Dinah, the same as the fat coloured woman’s name who lives up the road and launders our very best things.”
“Is your name really Diana?” cried Miss Letty, clapping her hands in delight. “It is the name of one of my dearest friends at school, whom I miss dreadfully, and who had dark hair and eyes like yours. I will call your name smoothly like this, Diane, the French way, for it is a pleasure to me, and then perhaps you will grow to like it; for a girl who loves horses and dogs could not be named better.”
“Yes, Miss Letty, I think I do like it already, and I might as well tell you that I thought you would be a girl like me, so that we could tramp about and do things together, and take pictures when I get my new camera, and I did think you might like to play hide-and-seek this morning with our dogs, and teach yours how, but of course—”
“Of course I shall be charmed to play hide-and-seek, and be your companion, even if I am very old,—quite eighteen. Come, we will begin now as soon as I take these flowers to my aunt,” and she gathered the iris into the skirt of her dainty gown upon which tiny violets formed stripes that matched the iris in colour.
“I shall call you ‘flower lady,’” said Tommy, decidedly, with a sturdy expression of face that quite settled the matter as far as he was concerned.
“Now I’m ready, but where is Hamlet?” said Letty, after she had given Miss Jule the flowers. “Ah, here he comes, and a chance also to try your French, Diane, for the only English word he knows is his name. Now for hide-and-seek.”
“But surely you aren’t going to wear your best gown and slippers to play hide-and-seek in the corn-field and woods for there are lots of old briers and prickly things,” expostulated Anne, glancing at Miss Jule; but as the latter went on arranging her flowers and said nothing, Anne feared she had been rude.