"Hilda wants to thank you herself, don't you, Hilda? She had such a horrid time altogether; you were a sort of Perseus to her, and papa the sea monster!" Then Katherine, having, as it were, introduced and paved the way for her sister, went back across the room again, and stood by young Allan Hope while he talked to the beautiful Mrs. Odd. Hilda seemed really in no need of an introduction. She was not shy, though she evidently had not her sister's ready mastery of what to say, and how to say it. Odd was rather glad of this; he had found Katherine's _aplomb_ almost disconcerting. "I do thank you very much." She put her hand into Odd's as he spoke, and left it there; the confiding little action emphasized her childlikeness. "What did you think of as you went down?" he asked her. "In the river?" A shade of retrospective terror crossed her face. "No, no! we won't talk about the river, will we?" Odd said quickly. However funny Katherine's greater common sense had found the incident, it had not been funny to Hilda. "Have you lived here long?" he asked. Captain Archinard had joined Mrs. Odd, and with an admirer on either side, Alicia was enjoying herself. "I have never seen you before, you know." "We have lived here since my uncle died; about eight years ago, I think." "Yes, just about the time that I left Allersley." "Didn't you like Allersley?" Hilda asked, with some wonder. "Oh, very much; and my father was here, so I often came back; but I lived in London and Paris, where I could work at things that interested me." "I have been twice in London; I went to the National Gallery." "You liked that?" "Oh, very much." She was a quiet little girl, and spoke quietly, her wide gentle gaze on Odd. "And what else did you like in London?" Hilda smiled a little, as if conscious that she was being put through the proper routine of questions, but a trustful smile, quite willing to give all information asked for. "The Three Fates." "You mean the Elgin Marbles?" "Yes, with no heads; but one is rather glad they haven't." "Why?" asked Odd, as she paused. Hilda did not seem sure of her own reason. "Perhaps they would be _too_ beautiful with heads," she suggested. "Do you like dogs?" she added, suddenly turning the tables on him. "Yes, I love dogs," Odd replied, with sincere enthusiasm. "Three of our dogs are out there on the verandah, if you would care to know them?" "I should very much. Perhaps you'll show me the garden too; it looks very jolly." It was a pleasure to look at his extraordinarily pretty little Andromeda, and he was quite willing to spend the rest of his visit with her. They went out on the verandah, where, in the awning's shade, lay two very nice fox terriers. A dachshund sat gazing out upon the sunlit lawn in a dog's dignified reverie. "Jack and Vic," Hilda said, pointing out the two fox terriers. "They just belong to the whole family, you know. And this dear old fellow is Palamon; Arcite is somewhere about; they are mine."