But Nettie, who had been gazing kindly and admiringly at the speaker, now suddenly thrust out her little hand, and, emphatically striking it into the broad, open palm of Magnus, exclaimed cordially: “Yes! Let us be friends! I’ll be friends! I like you!” There was no resisting that sparkling, cordial smile—that earnest, confiding manner, and Magnus closed his hand upon the child’s hand, pressing it kindly. “Godfather, why don’t you ask the good-looking gentleman to sit down, and why don’t you ring the bell and have wine brought for him like you did for Mr. Judge Jacky? Sit down, gentleman, in that armchair, and I will go and ring the bell,” she said, jumping down and running to the bell-rope, which she pulled vigorously. “Will you be seated, sir?” said General Garnet ironically. “Will you first take my hand, General Garnet?” “No, sir! To forbear is the utmost limit of my self-control. I cannot go further, and forgive. Yet you are in my house—standing by my fireside. While you bestow upon us your presence, I beg you be seated.” Magnus waved his hand in rejection of this invitation and turned to go, but Nettie, returning from her vociferous bell-ringing, stopped him by seizing both his hands and leaning up against him as she exclaimed: “No! you mustn’t go till you get something—I hear a boy coming now.” And at this moment, indeed, the door was opened, and a waiter appeared in answer to the noisy summons. “Get some good wine and some sort o’ witches—you make with bread and butter and ham—sandwitches, and bring up here for this gentleman. And make haste, you hear, because he is in a hurry,” said Nettie to the waiter. The man looked with surprise and perplexity from the self-constituted little mistress to the master. And General Garnet, in some perversity of mood, exclaimed fiercely: “Well, sir! Why do you pause? Did you hear Miss Seabright’s order?” “Yes, sir, but——” “Go and obey it, then. Do you wait for me to tell you that her commands here are only second to my own?” “Yes, why don’t you go along when I tell you that the good-looking gentleman is in a great hurry? What makes you look so queer?” exclaimed Nettie, stamping with impatience, but not with ill-humor. The man bowed and withdrew. Again Dr. Hardcastle sought to free himself from his loving little captor, but Nettie clung to him like a very nettle, or an opossum to a tree, exclaiming: “No, sir, you mustn’t go; you shan’t go, till the wine comes.” And before he could get away the wine and sandwiches arrived. As the waiter walked straight up the room and set the refreshments upon the table, General Garnet turned coldly to Dr. Hardcastle, saying: “My little daughter invites you to take something. Will you do so, sir?” Dr. Hardcastle, who had been released by Nettie, declined the invitation, and retired, followed into the hall by Nettie, who sought to recapture and detain him. He raised the child, kissed her, and left the house at once.