"How dare you! Be off! Go to your mistress. Don't pester me, woman."
"Didn't know it were pestering you, sir, to ask for my rights. Two
years doo, and it's time it was paid."
"Ask your mistress, I tell you. Here, Julia."
A dark-haired, thoughtful-looking child of about six years old loosened
her grasp of Thisbe King's dress, and crossed the room slowly towards
where Robert Hallam sat, newspaper in hand, by his half-finished
breakfast.
"Here, Julia!" was uttered with no unkindly intent; but the call was
like a command--an imperious command, such as would be given to a dog.
The child was nearly close to him when he gave the paper a sharp rustle,
and she sprang back.
"Pish!" he exclaimed, laughing unpleasantly, "what a silly little girl
you are! Did you think I was going to strike you?"
"N-no, papa," said the child nervously.
"Then why did you flinch away? Are you afraid of me?"
The child looked at him intently for a few moments, and then said
softly:
"I don't know."
"Here, Thisbe," said Hallam, frowning, "I'll see to that. You can go
now. Leave Miss Julia here."
"Mayn't I go with Thisbe, papa?" said the child eagerly.
"No; stay with me. I want to talk to you. Come here."
The child's countenance fell, and she sidled towards Hallam, looking
wistfully the while at Thisbe, who left the room reluctantly and closed
the door.
As soon as they were alone Hallam threw down the paper, and drew the
child upon his knee, stroking her beautiful, long, dark hair, and held
his face towards her.
"Well," he said sharply, "haven't you a kiss for papa?"
The child kissed him on both cheeks quickly, and then sat still and
watched him.
"That's better," he said smiling. "Little girls always get rewards when
they are good. Now I shall buy you a new doll for that."
The child's eyes brightened.
"Have you got plenty of money, papa?" she said quickly.
"Well, I don't know about plenty," he said with a curious laugh, as he
glanced round the handsomely-furnished room, "but enough for that."
"Will you give me some?"
"Money is not good for little girls," said Hallam, smiling.
"But _I'm_ not little now," said the child quietly. "Mamma says I'm
quite a companion to her, and she doesn't know what she would do without
me."
"Indeed!" said Hallam sarcastically. "Well, suppose I give you some
money, what shall you buy--a doll?"
She shook her head. "I've got five dolls now," she said, counting on
her little pink fingers, "mamma, papa, Thisbe, and me, and Mr Bayle."
Hallam ground out an ejaculation, making the child start from him in
alarm.
"Sit still, little one," he said hastily. "Why, what's the matter?
Here, what would you do with the money?"
"Give it to mamma to pay Thisbe. Mamma was crying about wanting some
money yesterday for grand-mamma."
"Did your grandmother come and ask mamma for money yesterday?"
"Yes; she said grandpapa was so ill and worried that she did not know
what to do."
Hallam rose from his seat, setting down the child, and began walking
quickly about the room, while the girl, after watching him for a few
moments in silence, began to edge her way slowly towards the door, as if
to escape.
She had nearly reached it when Hallam noticed her, and, catching her by
the wrist, led her back to his chair, and reseated himself.
"Look here, Julia," he said sharply, "I will not have you behave like
this. Does your mother teach you to keep away from me because I seem so
cross?" he added with a laugh that was not pleasant.
"No," said the child, shaking her head; "she said I was to be very fond
of you, because you were my dear papa."
"Well, and are you?"
"Yes," said the child, nodding, "I think so;" and she looked wistfully
in his face.
"That's right; and now be a good girl, and you shall have a pony to
ride, and everything you like to ask for."
"And money to give to poor mamma?"
"Silence!" cried Hallam harshly, and the child shrank away, and covered
her face with her hands. "Don't do that! Take down your hands. What
have you to cry for now?"
The child dropped her hands in a frightened manner, and looked at him
with her large dark eyes, that seemed to be watching for a blow, her
face twitching slightly, but there were no tears.
"Any one would think I was a regular brute to the child," he muttered,
scowling at her involuntarily, and then sitting very thoughtful and
quiet, holding her on his knee, while he thrust back the breakfast
things, and tapped the table. At last, turning to her with a smile,
"Have a cup of coffee, Julie?" he said.