‘Cross the stream?’ ‘By means of these stepping-stones. They are here for that purpose.’ ‘Oh!’ With a slight accent of dismay. ‘Thank you very much, Mr Dulcimer, but I’d rather not.’ ‘Everybody crosses by them—except, perhaps, a few superfine young-lady tourists who think more of wetting their boots and frills than of’—— ‘Monster! Lead the way.’ ‘Lend me your hand.’ ‘Certainly not.’ Without another word, Dick stepped lightly from stone to stone till he reached the middle of the stream. There he halted and turned. Bella, not to be outdone, stepped after him on to the first stone and from that to the second; then all in a moment her courage seemed to desert her. ‘Dick, Dick, I shall slip into the water,’ she cried. ‘I know I shall.’ Dick grinned. He had been addressed as ‘Mr Dulcimer’ only a minute before. He went back and held out his hand, which Bella clutched without a moment’s demur. Having assisted her as far as the middle of the stream, he came to a stand. ‘Why don’t you go on?’ she demanded. Dick ignored the question. ‘These stepping-stones, or others like them,’ he remarked didactically, ‘are said to have been here for hundreds of years. There is an old local rhyme in connection with them which is known to all the country-folk about. Listen while I recite to you that ancient rhyme.’ ‘I am getting dizzy; I shall fall,’ remarked Bella, who, however, still kept tight hold of his hand. Dick took no notice, but began: ‘Listen! listen! Every lass That o’er these stepping-stones doth pass, She shall clasp her sweetheart’s hand, On the midmost stone shall stand, And shall kiss him then and there’—— ‘Oh, indeed,’ remarked Miss Wynter with a scornful sniff. Dick continued: ‘But should she her lips deny, Then shall she unwedded die, And he wed another fair: Listen, maids—beware! beware! ‘That is the midmost stone, _ma petite_, on which you are standing.’ Miss Wynter tossed her head. ‘Perhaps, sir, if you have quite done attitudinising, you will allow me to cross.’ ‘_Avec plaisir_—when you have paid the customary toll.’ ‘The what?’ with a drawing together of her pretty eyebrows. ‘The toll. When you have done that which every girl does who crosses the stepping-stones with her sweetheart.’ ‘You are not my sweetheart.’ ‘But you are mine, which comes to the same thing.’ ‘I will go back.’ ‘You dare not.’ ‘I will’—— ‘Go forward? You dare not.’ And with that he withdrew his hand. Bella, finding herself without support, gave vent to a little shriek, whereupon Dick put out his hand again, at which she clutched wildly. Richard was hard-hearted enough to laugh. ‘This is mean—this is cowardly—this is contemptible!’ cried Bella with flaming eyes. ‘It is—but it’s nice.’ ‘I hear voices. There’s some one coming!’ ‘Let them come.’ ‘And find me in this ridiculous predicament? Never!’ ‘Not for worlds,’ assented Mr Dulcimer in his sweetest tones.