“The lady lion-tamer mustn’t mind a scratch or two, especially in the beginning, before the animals learn how to behave nicely.” He mocked, but the light in his eyes was tender.
Annoyed and amused, Anne laughed in spite of herself.
“Touchée,” she admitted gaily, “I see the cub is developing teeth and a mane, and I’d better look out for myself.”
Alexis tightened her arm against his side. He emitted a low, but ferocious growl. With a laugh and a delicate shiver, she freed herself deftly and ran up the cottage steps.
“Why, lunch isn’t ready after all——” she commenced, and then stopped short, for finger on lips, like a sibyl, Regina stood in the doorway and pointed mysteriously towards the end of the porch.
Astonished and amused, Anne’s eyes followed the melodramatic finger. At the end of the verandah sat a small limp figure. What a bore, who could it possibly be? She had not given her address to a soul, and not even her mail was being forwarded. Couldn’t people ever leave one alone?
But she moved forward graciously as usual.
The small figure rose at her approach. A pale face, a pair of enormous haunted eyes, confronted Anne. An inexplicable spasm contracted Anne’s heart. She concealed sudden apprehension beneath a formal nod, and waited for the other to speak.
The girl commenced timidly.
“Is this Mrs. Schuyler?” she inquired in a low, uneven voice. The soft brown eyes met Anne’s. “I came to——” then she stopped short, with a breathless gasp. Her glance had swept beyond Anne and lighted upon Alexis, just as he stepped on to the porch.