hen
help me settle a grave question of state!"

"I think they'll be coming to-day, and----"

"Oh, I hope so!" she clasped her hands.

"As for the state question," I continued, "I'll settle it quickly, if
you'll let me."

"No, I'm afraid you can't! No, Chancellor," she gave a little laugh,
"you can't be trusted to settle that, at all!" Then firmly, almost
severely, putting back into its place a wave of hair that had been
coquetting with the breeze, she asked: "Is the fire ready?"

"Ready to light," I answered. "I came to find you."

"Then let's go, for it isn't good to ponder over questions of state
before breakfast."

"What is it?" I asked, as we turned back. "Why won't you trust me to
settle it?"

Another laugh, more full of pathos, was my answer; nor would she speak
again--because of some mischief in her mind, I believed--until,
preparing the ambrosial corncakes, she rather abruptly exclaimed:

"I wonder if you deserve any breakfast this morning?"

"Why?" I cried, in feigned alarm.

"Because of your impoliteness."

"My impoliteness was doubtless the need of breakfast. But when was I
impolite? I don't remember, honest!"

"Of course, you don't; how could you," she went on rather indifferently.
"Were you not such a capable Chancellor I might be more offended. I am
tryingly stupid at times, but to be in the very middle of a sentence and
discover that the man I'm talking to is fast asleep, is humiliating, to
say the least."

Did she think there was a chance of putting over that atrocious yarn on
me--of bluffing me into an admission that I had been the first to fall
asleep?

"You may be right," I said, with the utmost gravity, "but I did it only
in justice to you. You were talking, true enough, but in _your_ sleep;
saying things that--well, no gentleman could have remained awake, in the
circumstances."

"I didn't," she cried, darting me a look of uncertainty. "Echochee says
I never do!"

"Echochee wasn't here last night," I casually replied, poking the coals
of her fire closer. "I hope you understand that I didn't listen
intentionally; for, of course, you'd never have told me all those
things----"

"Stop it," she commanded; and, when I had stopped, there was an ominous
silence.

But I would not look at her and indifferently pretended to be busy. I
confess that I was deriving a purely masculine enjoyment out of this,
and intended to push my counter bluff so vigorously that she would be
driven to a