“Thank you, Vertumnus,” she said. “And now I must tell you what I came here to tell. You must know, sir, that I am not in the habit of sitting around on the grass in broad daylight dressed――as I was yesterday. If I did I should probably catch cold. Yesterday morning we――a friend and I――dressed up in costume and took each other’s pictures up there under the trees. Afterwards the fancy took me to come down here and――and ‘make believe.’ And then you popped on to the scene all of a sudden.” [Illustration] “I see. Very rude of me, I’m sure. Of course, as we are in Arcady, and you are a nymph and I a――a god, I don’t understand at all what you are talking about; but I _would_ like to see those pictures!” “I’m afraid you never will,” she laughed. “I’m not so sure,” he said thoughtfully. “Strange things happen in――Arcady.” “Weren’t you the least bit surprised when you saw me? And when I――acted so silly?” “I certainly was! Really, for a while――especially after you had gone――I was half inclined to think that I had been dreaming. You did it rather well, you know,” he added admiringly. “Did I?” She seemed pleased. “Didn’t it sound terribly foolish when I spouted that about Apollo?” “Not a bit! I――I half expected the sun to do something when you raised your hands to it; I don’t know just what; wink, perhaps, or have an eclipse.” “You’re making fun of me!” she said dolefully. “But I am not, truly! However, I don’t think you treated your audience very nicely. To get me sun-blind and then steal away wasn’t kind. When I looked around you had simply disappeared, as though by magic, and I――” he shivered uncomfortably――“I felt a bit funny for a moment.” “Really?” She positively beamed on him, and Ethan felt a sudden warmth at his heart. “I suppose every person has a sneaking desire to act,” she went on. “I know I have. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved to――to ‘make believe.’ That’s why I did it yesterday.” “Have you ever considered a stage career?” he asked gravely. She leaned her chin in one small palm and observed him doubtfully. “I never seem to know for certain,” she complained, “whether you are making fun of me or not. And I don’t like to be made fun of――especially by――――” “Strangers? I don’t blame you, Miss――Clytie. I wouldn’t like it myself.” She continued to study him perplexedly, a little frown above her somewhat impertinent nose. Ethan smiled composedly back. He enjoyed it immensely. The sunlight made strange little golden blurs in her eyes. They were very beautiful eyes; he realized it thoroughly; and he didn’t care how long she allowed him to look into them like this. Only, well, it was a bit disquieting to a chap. He could imagine that invisible wires led from those violet orbs of hers straight down to his heart. Otherwise how account for the tingling glow that was pervading the latter? Not that it was unpleasant; on the contrary―――― “I beg your pardon?” he stammered.