"Yes, dear," stammered Mollie, with the air of a culprit discovered in a fault; "but I did not expect him--I told you so. I was on my knees darning the stair-carpets, because father caught his foot in a hole that very morning; and when Ann opened the door, there he was, and, of course, he saw me." "Oh, of course, there is nothing wrong with Sir Reynard's eyes," muttered Waveney. "They are very good eyes, I should say." But this remark seemed to puzzle Mollie. "Why do you call him Reynard, Waveney? He is not sly, not a bit of it. He was so funny. He wanted to help me with the stair-carpet--he said he was a good hand at darning; but I would not hear of such a thing, and, of course, I took him into the study." "Well, child, what then?" and Waveney seated herself on Grumps, and patted the sofa gently as an invitation for Mollie to do the same. "And then Sir Reynard presented his grapes." Mollie stamped her little foot. "I will not have it, Waveney. You shall not call our nice little Monsieur Blackie by such a horrid name. Yes, he offered the grapes with such a droll little speech; but I can't remember exactly what he said, only that a friend of his had a splendid vinery, and he always sent him such quantities of grapes, and it would be a charity to help him to eat them, and so on." "Yes, and so on. And you said, 'Thank you, my dear Black Prince. You are very generous to poor little Cinderella.'" "Waveney, if you talk such nonsense I won't love you a bit. Of course I thanked him--and I must have done it nicely, for he looked pleased, almost as though he were relieved. 'That's right,' he said, heartily. 'What a sensible young lady you are, Miss Mollie! You take things naturally and as you ought--and I wanted to please you. You know I always want to please you.'" Waveney caught her breath, and there was almost a look of fear in her eyes. "Did he say those very words, Mollie?" "Yes, dear," in a tranquil tone. "And I am sure he meant it, too. He did look so very kind. 'Do you know I wanted to please you the very first day I saw you,' he went on, 'and it has been the same every day since. I am such a lonely sort of fellow since Gwen left me. Gwen is my sister, you know.'" "And that fetched you, of course?" But Waveney did not speak in her usual tone. And how she watched the bright, speaking face beside her.