Within the next half-hour she was sure that she did regret it. There was something very fascinating in this pleasure-seeking life of these care-free Marylanders, who gave little thought for the morrow, and gathered their delights without any compunctions, and never questioned whether, for the sake of practising self-denial, it was a duty to stay at home from any entertainment which might offer. “No one will care whether I stay or not,” Rhoda told herself. “They will call me stiff and unsociable, and will be glad they are rid of me, perhaps; but--I needn’t have had much to say to James if I had gone, and indeed, I might have found a way to punish him.” She sighed, and sat with rather a melancholy expression, looking out upon the sparkling blue waters of the bay. Her revery was broken in upon by a voice saying cheerily, “Hurry up, Miss Rhoda, I’m afraid I’m late, but I had to go around by the mill.” Rhoda arose. “Didn’t Lettice tell you?” she asked in some confusion. “That you didn’t mean to go? Yes, but I knew you wouldn’t be so hard-hearted as to cheat me out of an evening’s pleasure, not but that it would be a very great pleasure to stay here with you.” “Why, what do you mean?” “If you don’t go, I shan’t, that’s all.” “Oh!” Rhoda looked at him, to see determination written on every feature, but withal a most tenderly pleading look in his eyes. “I’ll go,” she said faintly. CHAPTER IV. _The Barn Frolic._ If Rhoda doubted James’s chivalric attitude toward her, she had reason to change her mind before the day was over. Her escort was all attention, and when it became evident that Becky Lowe had lost her wager, Lettice cast a merry glance at Rhoda, giving her a nod of approval. In spite of the fact that Becky was a neighbor, Lettice felt that she must champion her uncle’s guest. As they stepped aboard the little vessel which was to take them on their short sail, she whispered to Patsey, “We must make Rhoda have a good time.” And Patsey gave a responsive smile. Patsey had been a little jealous of Rhoda on Joe’s account, but the evident devotion of his Cousin James rather relieved her feelings in that direction, and she confessed to herself that Joe had paid Rhoda only such attentions as were becoming that he should show to a visitor in his father’s house. “Now what are we going to do?” asked Becky, when they were all safely aboard the graceful sailboat which, with canvas set, was speeding toward Love Point. “We’re going to Kent Island, you know,” Lettice told her. “We are not going anywhere else first, are we, Birket?” She turned to address a very young gentleman at her side. “No, miss,” he returned, “so Joe Hopkins says. I was over at the Ringgold’s, and Joe asked me to come along.” “But you didn’t come without knowing where we were going, did you, Birket?” The young man murmured something unintelligible, and gave his attention to the jib-boom which threatened to annihilate Rhoda, who was not used to a sailing vessel.