I have always noted that when Miss Hemster was in extreme good humour she referred to the old gentleman as Poppa; on other occasions she called him Father. The project of giving away my adventures to the newspapers did not in the least commend itself to me.
“Good-morning, Miss Hemster,” I said, “I am extremely pleased to see you looking so well after a somewhat arduous day.”
“It was rather a trying time, wasn’t it?” she replied sweetly, “and if I look well it’s because of the dress, I think. How do you like it?” and she stepped back with a sweeping curtesy that would have done credit to an actress, and took up an attitude that displayed her drapery to the very best advantage.
“It is heavenly,” I said; “never in my life have I seen anything to compare with it,—or with the wearer,” I added.
“How sweet of you to say that!” she murmured, looking up at me archly, with a winning, bird-like movement. A glorified bird-of-paradise she seemed, and there was no denying it. With a touching pathetic note in her voice she continued,—very humbly, if one might judge,—“You haven’t been a bit nice to me lately. I have wondered why you were so unkind.”
“Believe me, Miss Hemster,” I said, “I have not intended to be unkind, and I am very sorry if I have appeared so. You must remember we have been thrown into very trying circumstances, and as I was probably better acquainted with the conditions than any one of our party I always endeavoured to give the best advice I could, which sometimes, alas, ran counter to your own wishes. It seemed to me now and then you did not quite appreciate the danger which threatened us, and you also appeared to have a distrust of me, which, I may tell you, was entirely unfounded.”
“Of course it was,” she cried contritely, “but nevertheless I always had the utmost confidence in you, although you see I’m so impulsive that I always say the first thing that comes into my head, and that gives people a wrong idea about me. You take everything so seriously and make no allowances. I think at heart you’re a very hard man.”
“Oh, I hope not.”
“Yes, you are. You have numerous little rules, and you measure everybody by them. I seem to feel that you are mentally sizing me up, and that makes me say horrid things.”