"That were me!" he gleefully
proclaimed, in his own voice.
"She can indeed walk very well on the flat," I said. "And I think I
was the Flat."
By this time we were near the Hall. "This is where my friends live,"
I said. "Will you come in and have some tea with them?"
Bruno gave a little jump of joy: and Sylvie said "Yes, please.
You'd like some tea, Bruno, wouldn't you? He hasn't tasted tea,"
she explained to me, "since we left Outland."
"And that weren't good tea!" said Bruno. "It were so welly weak!"
CHAPTER 20.
LIGHT COME, LIGHT GO.
Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of
surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
I presented them in due form. "This is Sylvie, Lady Muriel. And this
is Bruno."
"Any surname?" she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.
"No," I said gravely. "No surname."
She laughed, evidently thinking I said it in fun; and stooped to kiss
the children a salute to which Bruno submitted with reluctance: Sylvie
returned it with interest.
While she and Arthur (who had arrived before me) supplied the children
with tea and cake, I tried to engage the Earl in conversation: but he
was restless and distrait, and we made little progress. At last, by a
sudden question, he betrayed the cause of his disquiet.
"Would you let me look at those flowers you have in your hand?"
"Willingly!" I said, handing him the bouquet. Botany was, I knew, a
favourite study of his: and these flowers were to me so entirely new
and mysterious, that I was really curious to see what a botanist would
say of them.
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