"_We_ are wanderers, lady."
"How romantic! Is this little Red Riding-Hood? How beautiful she is!
How my father would like to see her! Could you ride on my horse, dear,
and come to the Hall with me?"
"No, thank you," said Effie. "I would not ride without a habit."
"Quite right, dear," said the other lady, laughing.
"But," said Effie, afraid she had spoken unkindly, "if we come to the
Hall, we must all come."
"Delightful! And my brother shall paint you. Is this the wolf?"
"That is Ossian, my father's deerhound."
"What a noble fellow! Where does your father live, and what are your
names?"
Leonard lifted his hat again. "Pardon me, lady," he said, "for replying
instead of my sister. Father lives in London, at present. My name is
Incognitus, and my sister's name Incognita. My sister has already
introduced you to the dog, permit me to introduce you to the donkey.
His name is Don."
The young ladies pouted, and looked half-inclined to be cross, but
finally laughed such a pleasant, merry, ringing laugh, that Don pricked
up his ears, and joined in with such a terrible lion-like roar, that the
very hills rang for a mile around. It was not often that Don did give
way to a fit of merriment, but when he did nobody else was able to get
in a word until the strength of his lungs was quite exhausted.
He stopped presently, and helped himself to a fresh green thistle that
was growing handy.
Meanwhile Ossian jumped up and kissed one of the ladies, as much as to
say,--
"Don't be afraid, Don often makes that row. He is only an ass, you
know, but there isn't a bit of harm in the whole of his body."
"Come on then, my dears. Why, Lily, this is quite an adventure. What a
providence it was that we rode in this direction! I would not have
missed such an adventure for anything I can think of."
Book 1--CHAPTER SIX.