human
I think you 're real mean, said Betty, as he slowly recovered himself;
gpt
I don't like folks to laugh at me, now!
human
I 'm not laughing at you _now_, explained the humble-bee, gravely;
gpt
I was laughing at you _then_. Do you object to that?
human
Tut, tut, child! Don't be so touchy! A body can laugh, can't he, and no harm done? You 'd better be good-tempered and jolly, and then I 'll tell you where I 'm going,--which, I believe, was what you wished to know in the first place, was n't it?
gpt
Oho! said the humble-bee, rising and preparing to take his departure. And now Betty discovered, on seeing him more closely, that he was not a humble-bee at all, but just a very corpulent old gentleman dressed in quite an antique fashion, with black knee-breeches, black silk stockings, black patent-leather pumps with large buckles, a most elaborate black velvet waistcoat with yellow and orange stripes across, and a coat of black velvet to correspond with the breeches; while in his hand he carried a very elegant three-cornered hat, which, out of respect to her, he had removed from his head at the first moment of their meeting.
human
So we are sulky? he went on.
gpt
Dear, dear! That is a very disagreeable condition to allow one's self to relapse into. H'm, h'm! very unpleasant, very! Under the circumstances I think I 'd better be going; for if you 'll believe me, I 'm pressed for time, and have none to waste, and only came back to converse with you because you addressed a civil question to me, which, being a gentleman, I was bound to answer. Good--
human
but Betty sprang to her feet and cried:
gpt
Please don't leave me. I 'll be good and pleasant, only please don't go. _Please_ tell me where you 're going, and if--if you would be so good, I 'd like ever and ever so much to go along. Don't--do--may I?
human
You may not be aware of it, but you are extremely incautious. What would you do if I were to whisk you off and never bring you back, eh?
gpt
You don't look like a kidnapper, sir,
human
A what?
gpt
A kidnapper,
human
What's that?
gpt
Oh, a person who steals little children. Don't you know?
human
But why _kidnapper_?
gpt
I suppose because he naps kids. My uncle Will calls Roger and me 'kids.' It is n't very nice of him, is it?
human
Child-stealer would be more to the point, I think, or infant-abductor,