s prepare long and in secret, without
visible indication. Then swiftly they take place. The qualities of the
soul unfold silently their splendid wings.

After a moment the boys ran whooping through the woods from one
direction demanding food; the two men came shouting from the other
carrying a pail of water and an open basket of magnificent peaches.
Bobby shivered slightly, and looked about him, half dazed, as though he
had just awakened. Then quietly he crept to a tree near the table and
sat down. For perhaps a minute he remained there; then with a rush came
the reaction. Bobby was wildly and reprehensibly naughty.

Once in a while, and after meals, Mrs. Orde allowed him a single piece
of sponge-cake; no more. But now, Bobby, catching the eye of Celia upon
him, grimaced, pantomimed to call attention, and deliberately _broke_
off a big chunk of Mrs. Owen's frosted work of art and proceeded to
devour it. Celia's eyes widened with horror; which to Bobby's depraved
state of mind was reward enough. Then Mrs. Orde uttered a cry of
astonishment; Mrs. Owen a dignified but outraged snort; and Bobby was
yanked into space.

After the storm had cleared, he found himself, somewhat dishevelled,
aboard the _Robert O_, entrusted to Captain Marsh, provided with three
bread-and-butter sandwiches, and promised a hair-brush spanking for the
morrow.

Mrs. Orde was not only mortified, but shocked to the very depths of her
faith.

"I don't know how to explain it!" she said again and again. "Bobby is
always so good about such things! I've brought him up--and
_deliberately_. My dear Mrs. Owen, such a beautiful frosting, and to
have it ruined like that!"

But Mrs. Fuller, fat, placid, perhaps slightly stupid, here rose to the
heights of what her husband always admiringly called "horse sense."

"Now, Carroll," she said, "stop your worrying about it. You'll get
yourself all worked up and spoil your lunch and ours, all for nothing.
Children will be naughty sometimes. I was naughty myself. So were you,
probably. That's human nature. Just don't worry about it and spoil the
good time."

Mrs. Orde thereupon fell silent, for she was a sensible woman and could
see the point as to lessening the other's enjoyment. Little by little
she cooled off, until at last she was able to join in the fun; although
always in the background of her mind persisted the necessity of knowing
a _reason_ for such an outbreak.

The flurry over, Welton insisted that