Just as he was telling himself this, a door opened, and two people came through together--a tall, fair, smiling young man, and a quaint, slender figure, looking like a child rather than like a woman, whose pale, yet vivid little face was framed in thick, dark brown, bobbed hair, and whose large, bright eyes gleamed mischievously.
Bubbles had chosen to put on this afternoon a long, rose-red knitted jumper over a yellow skirt, and she looked as if she had stepped out from some ancient Spanish religious procession.
"Bubbles," called out her aunt, "this is Dr.Panton.Come and be introduced to him." Then something very odd happened.

Varick joined his new guest at the very same moment that the girl came forward with hand outstretched and a polite word of welcome on her lips; but, before she could speak, Span, who had been behaving with so sedate a dignity that the people present were scarcely conscious of his existence, gave a sudden loud and horrible howl.
His master, disregarding Bubbles' outstretched hand, seized the dog by the collar, rushed with him to the door giving on to the porch, and thrust him out into the cold and darkness.
Span remained quite quiet when on the wrong side of the door.

There might have been no dog there.
"I'm so sorry," said Panton apologetically, as he came again towards the tea-table.

"I can't think what's the matter with the poor brute.

He's almost perfect manners as a rule." He turned to Miss Brabazon, who laughingly exclaimed: "Yes, indeed! Span's such an old friend of mine that I feel quite hurt.