"I'm sure I'm matter-of-fact enough," she said, with her low, sweet laugh that, Bellew thought, was all too rare.
"Well?" she enquired, glancing at him through her wind-tossed curls.
"You are like some fair, and stately lady out of the old romances," he said gravely.
"In a print gown, and with a sun-bonnet!"
"Even so!" he nodded. Here, for no apparent reason, happening to meet his glance, the colour deepened in her cheek and she was silent; wherefore Bellew went on, in his slow, placid tones. "You surely, are the Princess ruling this fair land of Arcadia, and I am the Stranger within your gates. It behoves you, therefore, to be merciful to this Stranger, if only for the sake of--er--our mutual nephew."
Whatever Anthea might have said in answer was cut short by Small Porges himself who came galloping towards them with the sun bright in his curls.
"Oh, Uncle Porges!" he panted as he came up, "I was 'fraid you'd gone away an' left me,--I've been hunting, an' hunting for you ever since I got up."
"No, I haven't gone away yet, my Porges, you see."
"An' you won't go--ever or ever, will you?"
"That," said Bellew, taking the small hand in his, "that is a question that we had better leave to the--er--future, nephew."
"Well, you see, it doesn't rest with me--altogether, my Porges."
"Then who--" he was beginning, but Anthea's soft voice interrupted him.
"Georgy dear, didn't Prudence send you to tell us that breakfast was ready?"
"Oh yes! I was forgetting,--awfull' silly of me wasn't it! But you are going to stay--Oh a long, long time, aren't you, Uncle Porges?"
"I sincerely hope so!" answered Bellew. Now as he spoke, his eyes,--by the merest chance in the world, of course,--happened to meet Anthea's, whereupon she turned, and slipped on her sunbonnet which was very natural, for the sun was growing hot already.
"I'm awful' glad!" sighed Small Porges, "an' Auntie's glad too,--aren't you Auntie?"
"Why--of course!" from the depths of the sunbonnet.
"'Cause now, you see, there'll be two of us to take care of you. Uncle Porges is so nice an' big, and--wide, isn't he, Auntie?"
"Y-e-s,--Oh Georgy!--what are you talking about?"
"Why I mean I'm rather small to take care of you all by myself alone, Auntie, though I do my best of course. But now that I've found myself a big, tall Uncle Porges,--under the hedge, you know,--we can take care of you together, can't we, Auntie Anthea?"