“Illustrious Bœotian!” sighed Charley.
Alice threw herself into her chair, panting and laughing. “Where was I?”
“You were without a compass, in a word-ocean without a shore.”
“On the contrary, I was on the shore, and poking holes in the sand. ‘Well,’ said the Don, ‘what should be done to a man who was so unfortunate as to be a Fiend in Human Shape?’
“‘I should say that he needed a guardian. He lacks the warning voice of a mother.’
“‘But we will suppose that he has no mother.’
“‘Then let him find one. How, for example,’ said I, feeling my way, ‘how do you think that I would look the character.’ And I put on a demure expression.
“‘Admirably, admirably!’
“‘Then you adopt me as a mother?’
“‘Yes.’