Miss Carrington drew herself up; she did not intend that this young person should find her amusing.
“One would infer from that remark your acquaintance with the Wilberforce family,” she said.
Again Anne laughed.
“Yes, I know the Wilberforces rather intimately; my mother was one of them. She and Edwin Wilberforce’s father were sister and brother,” she said.
“What!” cried Miss Carrington, half rising.
“Dear Miss Carrington, don’t mind! I don’t, and it will only amuse Ted. He and I have an indecorous sense of humour. Isn’t it funny, really? I see dear old Ted coming down the street this minute,” cried Anne.
Miss Carrington rose fully this time and positively ran away. She was not often placed, and by herself, at a disadvantage; she was not minded to face two pairs of dark eyes dancing with that “indecorous sense of humour.”
Ted Wilberforce ran up the steps as Miss Carrington drove away.
He gathered Anne into his arms, crying:
“Dear little white Nancy, what sort of mischief have you been up to? Poor kid! Hard luck all around to be so sweet a thing that everyone loves you! Don’t cry, little Coz! I won’t beat you if you have hit my best friend hard and broken him all up; you couldn’t help it, Anne, dear!”