er."

"I wouldn't have his temper for anything," cried Gilmore, angrily. "It
isn't English to go on like that."

"Oh, never mind," said Vane; "he'll soon cool down."

"Yes; but when he does, you feel as if it's only a crust," cried
Gilmore.

"And that the jam underneath isn't nice," added Macey. "Never mind.
It's nothing fresh. We always knew that our West India possessions were
rather hot. Come on, Vane. I don't know though. I don't want to go
now."

"Not want to come? Why?"

"Because I only wanted to keep you two from dogs delighting again."

"You behaved very well, Vane, old fellow," said Gilmore, ignoring
Macey's attempts to be facetious. "He thinks you're afraid of him, and
if he don't mind he'll someday find out that he has made a mistake."

"I hope not," said Vane quietly. "I hate fighting."

"You didn't seem to when you licked that gipsy chap last year."

Vane turned red.

"No: that's the worst of it. I always feel shrinky till I start; and
then, as soon as I get hurt, I begin to want to knock the other fellow's
head off--oh, I say, don't let us talk about that sort of thing; one has
got so much to do."

"You have, you mean," said Gilmore, clapping him on the shoulder.
"What's in the wind now, Weathercock?"

"He's making a balloon," said Macey, laughing.

Vane gave quite a start, as he recalled his thoughts about flight that
morning.

"Told you so," cried Macey merrily; "and he's going to coax pepper-pot
Distin to go up with him, and pitch him out when they reach the first
lake."

"No, he isn't," said Gilmore; "he's going to be on the look-out, for
Distie's sure to want to serve him out on the sly if he can."

"Coming with us?" said Vane.

"No, not this time, old chap," said Gilmore, smiling. "I'm going to be
merciful to your aunt and spare her."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll come when Aleck Macey stops away. He does eat at such a frightful
rate, that if two of us came your people would never have us in at the
Little Manor again."

Macey made an offer as if to throw something, but Gilmore did not see
it, for he had stepped close up to Vane and laid his hand upon his
shoulder.

"I'm going to stop with Distie. Don't take any notice of his temper.
I'm afraid he cannot help it. I'll stay and go about with him, as if
nothing had happened."

Vane nodded and went off with Macey, feeling as if he had never liked
Gilmore so much before; and then the little unpleasantry was forg