Pompous led his dog back to the kennels, saying to her in an apologetic tone: “I knows yo’s disapp’inted, po’ doag. I knows yo’ wanted to chaw dat willian. But I darsen’ lef’ yo’, Tige. De law is so onsartin. Ef I had lef’ yo’ chaw him it might ’a’ hung me.” He put the beast in with her pups and turned and walked leisurely toward the house. Pompous seldom compromised his dignity by hurrying; perhaps he could not, on account of his immense weight. “Now I gwine tell my youn’ mist’ess how I sca’ dat ’truder ’way,” he said to himself as he entered the presence of the lady, and bowed. “Well?” inquired Miss Fronde. “He done gone, miss.” “Very well.” “I done sca’ him ’way.” “Quite right. That will do. You may go.” “He—he lef’ a messidge fo’ yo’, miss.” “You need not deliver it.” “Yes, miss, but——” “You must not deliver it. I will hear no message from that person; and if he ever should dare to present himself here again you are to treat him just as you have to-day.” “Yes, miss, sartinly, des as yo’ say. Doag an all?” “Yes.” “Any mo’ o’ders, miss?” “None. You may go.” Pompous bowed stiffly and went out, somewhat disappointed at not having had an opportunity to tell his bragging story in detail. “And now what is it all about?” inquired Owlet as soon as the man had left the room. “Only, dear, that a very disagreeable person, whom I did not wish to see, tried to push himself into the house,” Roma replied. “Then if the person wanted to come where he was not welcome, he was not possessed of common sense! And, oh, dear me! How many people are not possessed of common sense! And they make most of the trouble in this world, too, that they do!” said Owlet in a tone of despair. Ducky Darling came up to her, put her arm around her neck, and kissed her, in silent sympathy with a complaint she could not understand. CHAPTER XV ANOTHER SHOCK Roma sank into deep and troubled thought. The appearance of Hanson in her neighborhood was annoying and embarrassing in the extreme. He had not the shadow of a shade of any sort of claim on her, she knew, yet he would pretend to one, and make himself very troublesome, now that her relatives had left her, and she was alone. What should she do? A very little reflection convinced her that her best and wisest course, indeed her only course, was to confide in her venerable pastor. This she determined to do without delay, as there was no time to be lost. She rang her hand bell, and brought Pompous once more to her presence. “Go,” she said, “and tell Puck to saddle a horse, and come around here to take a letter from me to Dr. Shaw.” Pompous bowed, and strutted off to do his errand. Roma sat down to her writing-desk and wrote a note to her old friend and pastor, asking him to come out and see her on the following morning, if convenient, as she was in imminent need of his counsel on a very pressing matter.