e hot cakes! Oh, Letty, how I love you!"

"So do I," says Luttrell. "Mrs. Massereene, may I sit beside you?"

"For protection?" asks she, with a laugh.

In the meantime Molly has arranged the tray before herself, and is
busily engaged placing all the worst strawberries and the smallest cake
on one plate.

"Before you go any further," says Luttrell, "I won't have that plate.
Nothing shall induce me. So you may spare your trouble."

"Then you may go without any, as I myself intend eating all the
others."

"Mrs. Massereene, you are my only friend. I appeal to you; is it fair?
Just look at all she is keeping for herself. If I die for it, I will
get my rights," exclaims Tedcastle, goaded into activity, and springing
from his recumbent position, makes straight for the tray. There is a
short but decisive battle; and then, victory being decided in favor of
Luttrell, he makes a successful raid upon the fruit, and retires
covered with glory and a good deal of juice.

"Coward, thief! won't I pay you for this?" cries Molly, viciously.

"I wouldn't use school-boy slang if I were you," returns Luttrell, with
provoking coolness, and an evident irritating appreciation of the
fruit.

Fortunately for all parties, at this moment John appears upon the
scene.

"It _is_ warm," says he, sinking on the grass, under the weak
impression that he is imparting information.

"I think there is thunder in the air," says Letitia, with a mischievous
glance at the late combatants, at which they laugh in spite of
themselves.

"Not at all, my dear; you are romancing," says ignorant John. "Well,
Molly Bawn, where is my tea? Have you kept me any?"

"As if I would forget _you_! Is it not an extraordinary thing,
Letty, that Sarah cannot be induced to bring us a tea-pot? Now, I want
more, and must only wait her pleasure."

"Remonstrate with her," says John.

"I am tired of doing so. Only yesterday I had a very lengthy argument
with her on the subject, to the effect that as it was I who was having
the tea, and not she, surely I might be allowed to have it the way I
wished. When I had exhausted my eloquence, and was nearly on the verge
of tears, I discovered that she was still at the very point from which
we started. 'But the tea is far more genteeler, Miss Molly, when
brought up without the tea-pot. It spoils the look of the tray.' I said
'Yes, the _want_ of it does,' with much indignation; but I might
as well have kept my temper."

"Much _