She turned to John Wendell, who rode beside her, and gave him a more generous smile than it had been his lot to receive while Sydney was the possessor of those agreeable anticipations of the early afternoon. "You like it? All this?" She waved her hand comprehensively. "I love it," he answered, promptly, looking at her clear-cut face with its frame of red hair under her sailor hat, and at the well-made linen habit. "It must be novel to you." "Not very." He pulled his moustache to conceal an amused smile. "It depends upon where new ends and old begins, you see. Now, I came down here in April, so my feeling is not 'the last cry.'" "But at that time of year you didn't see--oh, how foolish you are!" she cried, and touched Johnny with her spur. His response brought him near the phaeton, which seemed a focal point for a general movement. "They're going to have the gander-pulling now," exclaimed Bob, who had come with Susy to join the group. "The best view will be from this side." "Are you going to ride, Mr. Morgan?" asked Katrina. "Yes, I think so." "Bob never can resist any game that's played with a horse," said Sydney, laughing. "You know you'd like right well to try it yourself," he retorted. Baron von Rittenheim gave his seat beside Mrs. Schuyler to Miss McRae, and went to Sydney's side. "At last the sun begins to shine," he said, in a low voice, smiling up at her and patting Johnny's neck. "Your universe has many suns, I'm afraid," responded Sydney, a trifle pettishly, yet swiftly, scanning his face for signs of returning health. She was not unobservant, either, of his new white summer clothes. Friedrich glanced across the horse to Mrs. Schuyler. "I find agr-reeable the light of the lesser planets," he said, "but--there is only one Sun." Looking up at her, he laughed again, so heartily and with such genuine pleasure at seeing her that Sydney melted. "You look so _well_," she cried. "It is a delight to see you. But it's not a compliment to our care that you grow better so fast when you leave us." "R-rather is it a tr-ribute to your so admirable nursing that has pr-repared me to r-recover with speed, even though I have it no longer." "Will you ride, Baron?" asked Bob. "You're welcome to Gray Eagle if you will." "I thank you, gr-reatly, but I dare not. The eye of my care-taker is upon me, and your Herr Father is here somewhere. No, decidedly, I am afraid," and he leaned with every appearance of contentment against Johnny's shoulder. "How about you, Mr. Wendell?" "I think I will, if Miss Sydney will trust me with the horse." "Of course; and I'll give you a lovely prize if you bring me the head." "It's yours," cried John, while Friedrich bit his lip, in annoyance, and thought on the _Ewigweibliche_. "Can you find me something, Mr. Morgan?" cried Schuyler. "I really can't stand here and see you fellows having this fun without me."