"Oh!" said Lisbeth.
"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 ball-room.
"Then come where I can."
"Impossible!"
"Not at all; you have only to descend these steps and we can talk
undisturbed.
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