Mrs. Halfpenny always caused Dolores such extreme astonishment and awe that she obeyed her instantly, but to be turned about and tidied by an authoritative hand was extremely disagreeable to the independent young lady. Caroline had never treated her thus, being more willing to permit untidiness than to endure her temper. She only durst, after the pair were released, remonstrate with Mysie on being termed Miss Dollars. ‘They can’t make out your name,’ said Mysie. ‘I tried to teach Lois, but nurse said she had no notion of new-fangled nonsense names.’ ‘I’m sure Valetta and Primrose are worse.’ ‘Ah! but Val was born at Malta, and mamma had always loved the Grand Master La Valetta so much, and had written verses about him when she was only sixteen. And Primrose was named after the first primrose mamma had seen for twelve years--the first one Val and I had ever seen.’ ‘They called me Miss Mohun at home.’ ‘Yes, but we can’t here, because of Aunt Jane.’ All this was chattered forth on the stairs before the two girls reached the dining-room, where Mysie committed the feeding of her pets to Val, and received the note, with fresh injunctions to come home by eleven, and bring word whether Miss Hacket and Miss Constance would both come to luncheon. ‘Oh dear!’ sighed Gillian, and there was a general groan round the table. ‘It can’t be helped, my dear.’ ‘Oh no, I know it can’t,’ said Gillian, resignedly. ‘You see,’ said Mysie. ‘Yes, come along, Basto dear. You see Gill has to be--down, Basto, I say!--a young lady when.... Never mind him, Dolores, he won’t hurt. When Miss Constance Hacket and--leave her alone, Basto, I say!--and she is such a goose. Not you, Dolores, but Miss Constance.’ ‘Oh that dog! I wish you would not take him.’ ‘Not take dear old Basto! Why ‘tis such a treat for him to get a walk in the morning--the delight of his jolly old black heart. Isn’t he a dear old fellow? and he never hurt anybody in his life! It’s only setting off! He will quiet down in a minute; but I couldn’t disappoint him. Could I, my old man?’ Never having lived with animals nor entered into their feelings, Dolores could not understand how a dog’s pleasure could be preferred to her comfort, and felt a good deal hurt, though Basto’s antics subsided as soon as they were past the inner gate shutting in the garden from the paddock, which was let out to a farmer. Mysie, however, ran on as usual with her stream of information--