"Oh, you are young Mr.
Evesham!--I beg your pardon--you are Mr.Evesham! I thought I must have seen you before!" He stopped with a laugh.

"I am commonly called 'Master Piers' in this neighbourhood.

They won't let me grow up.

Rather a shame, what?
I'm nearly twenty-five, and the head-keeper still refers to me in private as 'that dratted boy.'" She laughed for the first time.

Possibly he had angled for that laugh.
"Yes, it is a shame!" she agreed.