"Pray, Miss Boldero, am I to have no tea? Take care, what you are about." For, strange to say, he had been unperceived, and Sue, flurried by the sudden demand, and in haste to meet it, contrived to catch the handle of the cream jug in her wide lace sleeve, with the result that her father's caution came too late; the jug overturned, and cream flowed apace. Had it been milk it would have spread faster and farther, but even as it was, there was a mess displeasing to the eye, and the offender in her endeavours to remedy it, made matters worse. The wet lace swished hither and thither. "Ugh!" cried the general, retreating with a glance at his trousers. "Ring the bell--no, here"--and he produced a clean pocket-handkerchief, and unfolded it. "Well done, father!" piped a clear voice at his side, and a small hand whipped the handkerchief from him, and deftly used it. "It's you, is it?" quoth the general, actually laughing. Do what he would, he could not escape from Leo that day. Here she was back at his elbow, and he was not even allowed to hector Sue for her awkwardness and abuse her sleeves, he was withdrawn so swiftly from the scene of action. "We'll have this little table between us," quoth Leo, planting it handy for him, "and we'll enjoy ourselves, and they can talk to their rector,"--with gleeful assumption of having secured a superior attraction. "He is just their sort, but he isn't mine,"--and she peeped slily from under her eyelashes. "You mischievous puss!" But as she patted the sofa, and he finally sat down, General Boldero felt in a curious way young, and attracted against his will. Could it really be his own daughter who was thus exerting herself for his entertainment, and his alone? Hitherto, he had never given Leo a thought in the way of desiring her company, and certainly would not have done so now, if let alone,--but since he was not let alone, but was plied with a perfect cross-fire of questions, comments, and what not, while all the time the speaker gave him the whole of her attention, and the full play of her saucy eyes, he was bound to own himself amused. He was so well amused that he never once glanced towards the rest of the party, nor would Leo do so, lest he should follow suit. She was, however, nimble-witted, and could contrive for her own purposes. She could stoop to pick up a fallen glove: she could search the carpet for something else which was not there. By these means she learnt that there was no longer a quartet assembled in a central part of the room; that Maud and Sybil had resumed occupations in distant corners, leaving the visitor to Sue; and that Sue--she longed to look at Sue, but refrained. Sue sat on in her large armchair, with her back to the light. Her companion's hand rested on the back of the chair.