ave talked nonsense enough for one while, and it's growing lighter
every minute. Are you coming on? Or would you sooner sit there in
peace while I push up to the top?"

The suggestion brought him to his feet.

"No, by no means. When I set out to do a thing, I go through with it."

"Rally your forces, then, for one more spurt of climbing. Time is
precious. Can you really manage this formidable boulder, or would you
like a hand up?"

She laughingly flung out her free left hand; and the mockery in her
clear voice fired the man to make good his opportunity. He took prompt
possession of the proffered hand, crushing it in his with unnecessary
force, but made no attempt to scale the rock; while she, instantly
perceiving his manoeuvre, sprang down to his side and freed herself
with imperious decision. Then she turned upon him, her head held high,
a spark of genuine scorn in her eyes; and he realised that he was
dealing with no mere coquette, whose elusiveness might be taken as an
inverted form of encouragement, but with a woman of character and
spirit.

"Major Garth," she said in a tone of quietness more cutting than anger,
"when I pay a man the compliment of going out alone with him, I take it
for granted that he is in the habit of behaving like a gentleman. I
should be sorry to find myself mistaken in your case."

Without giving him time to answer, she leapt lightly on to her deserted
rock, leaving him to follow, if he chose.

And he did choose. For her scorn, while it stung his vanity to the
quick, fired his lukewarm blood with a lust of conquest far removed
from his usual cool-headed assurance at the critical moment. He seemed
destined to experience more than one new sensation this morning; and
new sensations rarely came amiss to this epicure of the emotions.

Being quite incapable of emulating his companion's chamois method of
cutting corners, and striking out a direct line for the summit, he did
not succeed in coming up with her till the arduous feat was
accomplished,--the Pisgah height attained. Here he found her
established on a slab of granite, hands loosely clasped over her knee,
helmet tilted a little backward, forming a halo round her head and
face. He arrived in a very unheroic state of breathlessness, and she
greeted him with a frankly forgiving smile.

"That last bit came rather hard on you, I'm afraid. But surely all
this makes ample amends."

She included in a wide sweep of her arm the