after the midday meal, the Duchess having gone to her own
room George took Honey-Bee by the hand. "Now come!" he said. "Where?"
"Hush!"

They crept down stairs and crossed the courtyard. After they had passed
the postern, Honey-Bee again asked where they were going.

"To the lake," George said resolutely. Honey-Bee opened her mouth wide
but remained speechless. To go so far without permission and in satin
shoes! For her shoes were of satin. There was no sense in it.

"We must go and there is no need to be sensible."

Such was George's proud reply. She had once humiliated him and now she
pretended to be astonished.

This time it was he who disdainfully sent her back to her dolls. Girls
always tempt one on to adventures and then run away. So mean! She could
remain. He'd go alone.

She clung to his arm; he pushed her away.

She hung about his neck.

"Little brother," she sobbed, "I will follow you."

He allowed himself to be moved by such touching repentance.

"Come then, but not through the town; we may be seen. We will follow the
ramparts and then we can reach the highway by a cross road."

And so they went hand in hand while George explained his plans.

"We will follow the road we took to the Hermitage and then we shall
be sure to see the lake, just as we did the other day, and then we can
cross the fields in a bee line."

"A bee line" is the pretty rustic way of saying a straight line; and
they both laughed because of the young girl's name which fitted in so
oddly.

Honey-Bee picked flowers along the ditches; she made a posy of
marshmallows, white mullein, asters and chrysanthemums; the flowers
faded in her little hands and it was pitiful to see them when Honey-Bee
crossed the old stone bridge. As she did not know what to do with them
she decided to throw them into the water to refresh them, but finally
she preferred to give them to the "Woman without a head."

She begged George to lift her in his arms so as to make her tall enough,
and she placed her armful of wild flowers between the folded hands of
the old stone figure.

After she was far away she looked back and saw a pigeon resting on the
shoulder of the statue.

When they had been walking some time, said Honey-bee, "I am thirsty."

"So am I," George replied, "but the river is far behind us, and I see
neither brook nor fountain."

"The sun is so hot that he has drunk them all up. What shall we do?"

So they talked and lamented when they s