At this moment the squire came over with Lizzie leaning on his arm.
"Hallo! Guardy, how are you? How did you like the opera?" exclaimed Gipsy, in the same tone she would have used had she parted from him an hour before.
"Oh, Gipsy! you little wretch you! I never thought it would come to this," groaned the squire.
"No, you thought I wasn't clever enough! Just see how easy it is to be deceived! Didn't I dance beautifully, though, and ain't I credit to you now? I'll leave it to Archie here. Aunt Lizzie, I'll speak to you as soon as I get time. Here comes old Barnes, the manager, to know what's the matter."
"Oh, Gipsy, you'll come home with us, my love, you really must," exclaimed Lizzie.
"Couldn't, aunty, by no manner of means," replied Gipsy, shaking her head.
"But I'll be shot if you don't, though," shouted the squire, "so no more about it. Do you think I'm going to let a ward of mine go with a gang of strolling players any longer?"
"I'm no ward of yours, Squire Erliston; I'm my own mistress, thanks be to goodness, free and independent, and so I mean to stay," exclaimed Gipsy, with sparkling eyes.
"But, oh, my dear! my dear Gipsy, do come home with us to-night," pleaded Lizzie, taking her hand.
"You will, Gipsy, just for to-night," coaxed Louis. And: "Ah, Gipsy, won't you now?" pleaded Archie, looking up in her saucy little face, with something very like tears shining in his usually merry blue eyes.