, Sim, or Tim, or Jim, or
whatever you are, take away the horses, and as you value your tip, mind
you don't have any more dogs around the next time I want you."

Gerald turned away without another word, gathering up her dress as she
best could, and went into the house. Olly, who had witnessed the whole
proceeding enchantedly from the window, ran to meet her. "I say, let's
see him. My, ain't he dirty! Is he dead? just as dead as he can be?"

"Yes," answered his sister, very gently; "the poor thing is quite dead.
Come and help me bury him decently somewhere. No, Phebe, stay there. I
wish it. Don't let us have any more fuss about it, please."

De Forest lifted his hat and turned to leave as Gerald disappeared. "Pray
don't let me detain you from the interesting ceremony, Miss Lane," he
said, with his most cynical and mocking voice; "Miss Vernor as
high-priestess will be worth a full audience. Good-morning."

"Gerald wouldn't like it if I went to her when she said not; I must
stay here," said Phebe turning her distressed face to Halloway, who had
stood a silent spectator of it all. "Oh, I'm so sorry it happened!
Isn't it too bad?"

"It certainly is,--for the dog."

"She won't get over it for ever so long, and it wasn't really her fault.
She was only in fun when she turned her horse that way. Gerald is very
tender-hearted."

"I see she is,--toward dogs."

"Mr. Halloway, you don't like her!"

"Miss Phebe, I am madly in love with her."

"Don't laugh at me, please. Isn't she handsome?"

"Well, I couldn't judge of the length of her hair."

"Nonsense, tell me what you really think of her."

Denham pondered a moment. "I think all sorts of things," he answered
presently, with an amused laugh. "She is so contradictory she'll fit
almost any opinion, and the worst I can say of her is that she'll never
concern herself in the least to find out what my opinion may be."

"Ah," said Phebe, softly, "just wait. You don't either of you know each
other yet!"

CHAPTER VI.

THE PICNIC.

Gerald's and Olly's visit was quite an event in the quiet Lane household.
Olly flagrantly broke every existing custom in it with the sublime
autocracy of childhood, and regained his health at the cost of the peace
of mind of every individual with whom he came in contact, from nervous
Miss Lydia down to the protesting servants; while Gerald was one of those
intense personalities whose influence seems to recreate the entire
atmosphere a