“Don’t—­don’t ask such questions, child!” Debby bent over her needle-work.

“Why not?” persisted Esther.  “If I only had a young man when I grew up, I should be proud of him.  Yes, you’re trying to turn your head away.  I’m sure you had.  Was he nice like Lord Eversmonde or Captain Andrew Sinclair?  Why you’re crying, Debby!”

“Don’t be a little fool, Esther!  A tiny fly has just flown into my eye—­poor little thing!  He hurts me and does himself no good.”

“Let me see, Debby,” said Esther.  “Perhaps I shall be in time to save him.”

“No, don’t trouble.”

“Don’t be so cruel, Debby.  You’re as bad as Solomon, who pulls off flies’ wings to see if they can fly without them.”

“He’s dead now.  Go on with ‘Lady Ann’s Rival;’ we’ve been wasting the whole afternoon talking.  Take my advice, Esther, and don’t stuff your head with ideas about young men.  You’re too young.  Now, dear, I’m ready.  Go on.”

“Where was I?  Oh yes.  ’Lord Eversmonde folded the fair young form to his manly bosom and pressed kiss after kiss upon her ripe young lips, which responded passionately to his own.  At last she recovered herself and cried reproachfully, Oh Sigismund, why do you persist in coming here, when the Duke forbids it?’ Oh, do you know, Debby, father said the other day I oughtn’t to come here?”

“Oh no, you must,” cried Debby impulsively.  “I couldn’t part with you now.”

“Father says people say you are not good,” said Esther candidly.

Debby breathed painfully.  “Well!” she whispered.

“But I said people were liars.  You are good!”

“Oh, Esther, Esther!” sobbed Debby, kissing the earnest little face with a vehemence that surprised the child.

“I think father only said that,” Esther went on, “because he fancies I neglect Sarah and Isaac when he’s at Shool and they quarrel so about their birthdays when they’re together.  But they don’t slap one another hard.  I’ll tell you what!  Suppose I bring Sarah down here!”

“Well, but won’t she cry and be miserable here, if you read, and with no Isaac to play with?”

“Oh no,” said Esther confidently.  “She’ll keep Bobby company.”

Bobby took kindly to little Sarah also.  He knew no other dogs and in such circumstances a sensible animal falls back on human beings.  He had first met Debby herself quite casually and the two lonely beings took to each other.  Before that meeting Dutch Debby was subject to wild temptations.  Once she half starved herself and put aside ninepence a week for almost three months and purchased one-eighth of a lottery ticket from Sugarman the Shadchan, who recognized her existence for the occasion.  The fortune did not come off.

Debby saw less and less of Esther as the months crept on again towards winter, for the little girl feared her hostess might feel constrained to offer her food, and the children required more soothing.  Esther would say very little about her home life, though Debby got to know a great deal about her school-mates and her teacher.