Valeria shook her head. But there was a new light in the hollow eyes. Little by little she was seen to be in reality feverishly bent on availing herself of her mother's late concession. Mrs. Gano was as good as her word. She put no further obstacle in the way, and, though it was the depth of winter, took the long journey with her daughter, arriving at her son's house much exhausted, to find Mrs. John ill in bed, a mutiny among the servants, and a scene of inexpressible confusion and disorder, in the midst of which stood Val, turbulent and triumphant. Nor did she budge upon the usually subduing apparition of Mrs. Gano. Dirty and neglected, an impudent little face with bold gray eyes looking out from a wild swirl of tawny hair, there she stood in the middle of the untidy dining-room, aided and abetted in some unspeakable enormity by the mere presence of her faithful ally, a huge St. Bernard dog.
"My patience!" exclaimed Mrs. Gano, surveying the scene.
"Why, it's my dear little namesake," said Aunt Valeria, with a kind of gentle incredulity, as she moved forward.
Her dear little namesake retreated, dragging the great dog back with her by the collar.
Mrs. Gano spoke with mixed emotion, and hurriedly put on her spectacles.
"My darling," said Aunt Valeria, watching the dog with the tail of her eye, "come and kiss me."
The child stared solemnly without moving a muscle.
"Come, my dear, and speak to your grandmother."
Mrs. Gano advanced with majesty till she was arrested by a low growl from the St. Bernard.
"Don't be afraid of us," urged Aunt Valeria, somewhat superfluously. "I've brought you a pretty toy in my trunk. Come, darling."
The child kept a suspicious eye on the ingratiating stranger.
"She has very pretty hair," pursued Aunt Valeria, amiably.
"She hasn't pretty manners," retorted Mrs. Gano.
"Oh, she's shy. Don't be afraid of us"--she ventured a step nearer. "Come here, my sweet little one."
Never taking her eyes off her gentle aunt, the sweet little one said, with a charming childish lisp:
"Ef yer don't be thtil, I'll thick my dawg on yer."
"Turn that great animal out of doors," said Mrs. Gano, in awful tones, to the cook. But Katie O'Flynn shrank visibly from availing herself of this kind permission.