naughty and would not move, and I was keeping him company. Allan
hardly heard me out before he had shouldered Dot, crutch and all, and
was walking off with him down the passage. "Wait for me a few
minutes, Esther," he whispered; and I betook myself to the window-seat
and looked over the dusky garden, where the tall white lilies
looked like ghostly flowers in the gloom.

It was a long time before Allan rejoined me. "That is a curious
little body," he said, half laughing, as he sat down beside me. "I
had quite a piece of work with him for carrying him off in that
fashion; he said 'I was a savage, a great uncivilized man, to take
such a mean advantage of him; If I were big I would fight you,' he
said, doubling his fists; he looked such a miserable little atom of a
chap as he said it."

"Was he really angry?" I asked, for Dot was so seldom out of temper.

"Angry, I believe you. He was in a towering rage; but he is all
right now, so you need not go to him. I stroked him down, and praised
him for his good intentions, and then I told him I was a doctor now,
and no one contradicted my orders, and that he must be a good boy and
let me help him to bed. Poor little fellow; he sobbed all the time he
was undressing, he is so fond of father. I am afraid it will go badly
with him if things turn out as I fear they will," and Allan's voice
was very grave.

We had a long talk after that, until Uncle Geoffrey came upstairs
and dislodged us, by carrying Allan off. It was such a comfort to
have him all to myself; we had been so much separated of late years.