bly
frightened of him. He had a black moustache and whiskers and very black
eyes, and they looked blacker under his square white cook's cap, and the
first time Baby saw him through the kitchen window, the cook happened
to be standing with a large carving-knife in one hand, and a chicken
which he was holding up by the legs, in the other. Off flew Herr Baby. A
little way down the garden he ran against Denny, who was also busy
examining their new quarters.

"Oh, Denny, Denny!" he cried, "this is a dedful place--there's a' ogre,
a real tellable ogre in the house. Him's seen him in one of the windows
under the dimey-room. Oh, Denny, Denny, p'raps him'll eaten us up."

Denny for the first moment was, to tell the truth, a little bit
frightened herself. Common sense told her there _were_ no such things as
ogres, not now-a-days any way, at least not in England, their own
country. But a dreadful idea struck her that this was _not_ England;
this might be one of the countries where ogres, like wolves and bears,
were still occasionally to be found. There was no telling, certainly;
but not for a good deal would Miss Denise Aylmer, a young lady of nine
years old _past_, have owned to being frightened as long as she could
possibly help it.

She caught Baby by the hand.

"What sall we do?" he said; "sall we go and tell mother?"

Denny considered.

"We'd better go and see again," she said very bravely. "You must have
made a mistake, I think, Baby dear. I don't _think_ there can be any
ogres here."

Baby was much struck by Denny's courage. His hand slipped back a very
little out of hers.

"Will _you_ go and see, Denny?" he said. "Him will stay here till you
comes back."

"Oh, no, you'd better come with me," said Denny, who felt that even Baby
was better than nobody. "I shouldn't know where you saw the ogre," and
she kept tight hold of his hand. "Which window was it?"

"It were at a tiny window _really_ under the ground. Him was peeping to
see if there was f'owers 'side of the wall," said Baby. "Him'll show
you, Denny; him _are_ so glad you isn't f'ightened."

They set off down the path, making their way rather cautiously as they
got near the house. Suddenly Denny felt Baby squeeze her hand more
tightly, and with a sort of scream he turned round and hid his face
against her.

"There! There!" he cried. "Him sees the ogre coming."

[Illustration: Baby ventured to peep round. The little black-eyed,
white-capped man came