Arrived within five or six yards of Miss Elver’s hiding-place, Mr. Cardan halted. “Come now,” he said cajolingly, “what’s there so frightening about me? Take a good look at me. I don’t bite. I’m quite tame.” The leaves of the bushes shook; from behind them came a peal of shrill laughter. “I don’t even bark, like your stupid dog,” Mr. Cardan went on. “And if you tied a bunch of flowers on to my tail I should never have the bad manners to get rid of them in the first two minutes like that rude animal.” There was more laughter. “Won’t you come out?” There was no answer. “Oh, very well then,” said Mr. Cardan, in the tone of one who is deeply offended, “I shall go away. Good-bye.” He retraced his steps for a few yards, then turned off to the right along a little path that led to the garden gate. When he was about three-quarters of the way along it, he heard the sound of hurrying footsteps coming up behind him. He walked on, pretending to notice nothing. There was a touch on his arm. “Don’t go. Please.” Miss Elver’s voice spoke imploringly. He looked round, as though startled. “I won’t run away again. But you mustn’t look at me like that.” “Like what?” asked Mr. Cardan. Miss Elver put up a screening hand and turned away. “Like I don’t know what,” she said. Mr. Cardan thought he perfectly understood; he pursued the subject no further. “Well, if you promise not to run away,” he said, “I won’t go.” Miss Elver’s face shone with pleasure and gratitude. “Thank you,” she said. “Should we go and look at the chickens? They’re round at the back.” They went round to the back. Mr. Cardan admired the chickens. “You like animals?” he asked. “I should think so,” said Miss Elver rapturously, and nodded. “Have you ever had a parrot of your own?” “No.” “Or a monkey?” She shook her head. “Not even a Shetland pony?” asked Mr. Cardan on a note of astonishment. Miss Elver’s voice trembled as she again had to answer “No.” At the thought of all these enchanting things she had never possessed, the tears came into her eyes. “In my house,” said Mr. Cardan, conjuring up fairy palaces as easily as Aladdin, “there are hundreds of them. I’ll give you some when you come to stay with me.” Miss Elver’s face became bright again. “Will you?” she said. “Oh, that would be nice, that would be nice. And do you keep bears?” “One or two,” said Mr. Cardan modestly. “Well....” Miss Elver looked up at him, her blank bright eyes opened to their fullest extent. She paused, drew a deep breath and let it slowly out again. “It must be a nice house,” she added at last, turning away and nodding slowly at every word, “a nice house. That’s all I can say.” “You’d like to come and stay?” asked Mr. Cardan. “I should think I would,” Miss Elver replied decidedly, looking up at him again. Then suddenly she blushed, she put up her hands. “No, no, no,” she protested. “Why not?” asked Mr. Cardan. She shook her head. “I don’t know.” And she began to laugh.