"It certainly is more pleasant out here!" he was saying.
Lisbeth came straight towards the cap--it was a moral impossibility that she could fail to see it--yet she sank into her chair without word or sign. Mr. Selwyn, on the contrary, stood with the empty ice plate in his hand, staring at it in wide-eyed astonishment.
"Most extraordinary!" said Mr. Selwyn, fixing his monocle and staring harder than ever; "I wonder where it can have got to?"
"Perhaps it melted!" Lisbeth suggested, "and I should so have loved an ice!" she sighed.
"Then, of course, I'll get you another, with pleasure," he said, and hurried off, eyeing the plate dubiously as he went.
No sooner was Lisbeth alone than she kicked aside the train of her dress and picked up the tell-tale cap.
"Imp!" she whispered, rising to her feet, "Imp, come here at once, sir!"
There was a moment's breathless pause, and then the Imp squirmed himself into view.
"Hallo, Auntie Lisbeth!" he said, with a cheerfulness wholly assumed.
"Oh!" she cried distressfully, "whatever does this mean; what are you doing here? Oh, you naughty boy!"
"Lisbeth," I said, as I rose in my turn and confronted her, "do not blame the child--the fault is mine--let me explain; by means of a ladder----"
"Not here," she whispered, glancing nervously towards the ballroom.
"Not at all; you have only to descend these steps and we can talk undisturbed."
"Ridiculous!" she said, stooping to replace the Imp's cap; but being thus temptingly within reach, she was next moment beside us in the shadows.
"You see, I had to explain," I answered very humbly; "I really couldn't allow this poor child to bear the blame of my fault----"
"I'm not a 'poor child,' Uncle Dick," expostulated the Imp; "I'm a gallant knight and----"
"--The blame of my fault, Lisbeth," I continued. "I alone must face your just resentment, for----"
"Hush!" she whispered, glancing hastily about.
"--For, by means of a ladder, Lisbeth, a common or garden ladder----"
"Oh, do be quiet!" she said, and laid her hand upon my lips, which I immediately imprisoned there, but for a moment only; the next it was snatched away as there came the unmistakable sound of someone approaching.
"Come along, Auntie Lisbeth," whispered the Imp; "fear not, we'll rescue you."
