human
Goodness me! she exclaimed,
gpt
There's nothing a matter with the hotel, Mrs. Hickox, said Fairy, amiably;
human
You've brought your kitten! for the land sake what did you do that for? Don't you know this is my milk-room? The idea of a kitten in a milk-room! Well I _am_ surprised!
gpt
Oh, I think a milk-room is just the place for a kitten. Couldn't you give her a little drink of milk, she's awfully fond of it.
human
Why I s'pose I could give her a little. Such a mite of a cat wouldn't want much; but I do hate cats; they're such pestering creatures.
gpt
But this one doesn't pester, Mrs. Hickox, said Fairy, earnestly.
human
She's such a dear good little kitty. Her name is Mike.
gpt
What a ridiculous name! I'm surprised that you should call her that.
human
It isn't much of a name, said Fairy, apologetically.
gpt
But you see it's only temporaneous. I couldn't think of just the right name, so I just call her Mike, because that's short for my kitten.
human
Mike! short for my kitten! Well so it is, but I never thought of it before.
gpt
All our other animals have regular names, volunteered Fairy.
human
Our dog,--his name's Dare; our two rabbits are Gog and Magog,--Leicester named them; or at least he named one, and let Lilian name the other. They're twins you know,--the rabbits, I mean. Then we have a canary bird and he's named Bobab. That's a nice name, isn't it?
gpt
Nice name? It's heathenish! What a queer lot of children you are, anyway.
human
Yes, aren't we? said Fairy, agreeably.
gpt
We Dorrances are all queer. I guess we inheritated it from my grandpa's people, because my grandma isn't a bit queer.
human
Oh, isn't she? I think she's queer to let you children come up here, and do what you are doing.
gpt
Oh, that isn't queer. You only think my grandma queer because you don't know her. Why, I used to think you quite queer before I knew you as well as I do now.
human
You consider yourself well acquainted now, do you?
gpt
Oh, yes; when anybody visits anybody sociaberly, like I do you, they know each other quite well. But I think it's queer why you call this room a milk-room.