afraid I shall live," replies her companion. "Oh, how I
loathe the summer!"

"You are not so far gone as I feared: you can still use bad language.
Now, tell me what sweet thought has held you in thrall so long."

"If I must confess it, I have been thinking of how untold a luxury at
this moment would be an iced bath."

"'An iced bath'!" With as much contempt as she can summon. "How
prosaic! And I quite flattered myself you were thinking of me." She
says this as calmly as though she had supposed him thinking of his
dinner.

Tedcastle's lips part in a faint smile, a mere glimmer,--a _laugh_
is beyond him,--and he turns his head just so far round as will permit
his eyes to fall full upon her face.

"I fancied such thoughts on my part tabooed," he says. "And besides,
would they be of any advantage to you?"

"No material advantage, but they would have been only fair. _I_
was thinking of _you_."

"Were you? Really!" With such overpowering interest as induces him to
raise himself on his elbow, the better to see her. "You were
thinking--that----"

"Don't excite yourself. I was wondering whether, when you were a baby,
your nose--in proportion, of course--was as lengthy and solemn as it is
now."

"Pshaw!" mutters Mr. Luttrell, angrily, and goes back to his original
position.

"If it was," pursues Molly, with a ruthless and amused laugh, "you must
have been an awfully funny baby to look at." She appears to find
infinite amusement in this idea for a full minute, after which follows
a disgusted silence that might have lasted until dinner-hour but for
the sound of approaching footsteps.

Looking up simultaneously, they perceive Letitia coming toward them,
with Sarah behind, carrying a tray, on which are cups, and small round
cakes, and plates of strawberries.

"I have brought you your tea at last," cries Letitia, looking like some
great fair goddess, with her large figure and stately walk and benign
expression, as she bears down upon them. She is still a long way off,
yet her voice comes to them clear and distinct, without any suspicion
of shouting. She is smiling benevolently, and has a delicious pink
color in her cheeks.

"We thought you had forgotten us," says Molly, springing to her feet
with a sudden return of animation. "But you have come in excellent
time, as we were on the very brink of a quarrel that would have
disgraced the Kilkenny cats. And what have you brought us? Tea, and
strawberries, and dear littl