He muttered something about coming to see Zeb.
“Zeb is well now,” she went on; “and Brian, she is one of my anxieties at present. What is to become of her? She refuses to go back to her parents. The mother has sent for her again and again. Zeb is not happy with me. She still loves me, but you have the chief place in her affections. She has worshiped you ever since that day you saved her from that man. I think I never saw such infatuation, and she is so quiet about it. You would scarcely have suspected it if I had not told you.”
“Scarcely.”
“I was talking to her this morning of God’s love for her, but she told me scornfully to stop. If God had loved her he would have made you her father instead of that man Gilberto.”
“Am I then as old as that?” asked Dr. Camperdown wistfully.
Stargarde laughed merrily. “Zeb is only ten, Brian.”
“I see you have some plan in your head,” he said. “What is it?”
“I wish you would adopt her,” said Stargarde with sweet audacity.
Camperdown burst into such a roar of laughter that Stargarde was obliged to take him into the pantry to continue their conversation, lest the cripples should be startled by his merriment.
“She is so odd,” said Stargarde pleadingly. “To-day she has gone off somewhere, because I had the cripples coming. She wants one person’s time and attention. Oh, Brian, save that little lamb for the dear Lord.”