to me--hush! Don't you hear it?"

But whatever it was it went its uncanny way in darkness and left them
listening, her small hand remaining loosely in his.

"What on earth is the matter now, Shiela?" he whispered, feeling her
trembling.

"Nothing. They say a snake won't strike you if you hold your breath. Its
nonsense, but I was trying it.... What is that ring I feel on your
hand?"

"A signet; my father's." He removed it from his little finger, tried it
on all of hers.

"Is it too large?"

"It's a little loose.... You don't wish me to wear it, do you?... Your
_father's_? I'd rather not.... Do you really wish it? Well, then--for a
day--if you ask me."

Her ringed hand settled unconsciously into his again; she leaned back
against the tree, and he rested his head beside hers.

"Are you afraid of wood-ticks, Mr. Hamil? I am, horribly. We're inviting
all kinds of disaster--but isn't it delicious! Look at that whitish
light above the trees. When the moon outlines the roosting-tree we'll
know whether our labour is lost. But I wouldn't have missed it for all
the mallard on Ruffle Lake. Would you? Are you contented?"

"Where you are is contentment, Shiela."

"How nice of you! But there is always that sweet, old-fashioned, boyish
streak in you which shows true colour when I test you. Do you know, at
times, you seem absurdly young to me."

"That's a pleasant thing to say."

Their shoulders were in contact; she was laughing without a sound.

"At times," she said, "you are almost what young girls call cunning!"

"By heavens!" he began indignantly, but she stilled his jerk of
resentment with a quick pressure.

"Lie still! For goodness' sake don't make the leaves rustle, silly! If
there's a flock of turkeys in any of those cypress tops, you may be sure
that every separate bird is now looking straight in our direction.... I
won't torment you any more; I dare not. Little Tiger turned around; did
you notice? He'd probably like to scalp us both."

But the Indian had resumed his motionless study of the darkness,
squatted on his haunches as immobile as a dead stump.

Hamil whispered: "Such a chance to make love to you! You dare not move.
And you deserve it for tormenting me."

"If you did such a thing--"

"Yes?"

"Such a thing as that--"

"Yes?"

"But you wouldn't."

"Why, Shiela, I'm doing it every minute of my life!"

"Now?"

"Of course. It goes on always. I couldn't prevent it any more than I
could sto