"Clear out, Roman; Tave 'll be looking for the milk pails. As for you, Miss Aileen Armagh-and-don't-yer-forget-it, you can't pull away from me now. So, come on, and we'll get Hannah to give us some lard and then we'll go down to the boat house where it is cool and cleanup. Come on!" Holding her by both hands he raced her down the long lane, through the vegetable garden, all chassez, down the middle, swing your partner--Aileen wild with the fun--up the slate-laid kitchen walk to the kitchen door. His own laughter and the child's, happy, merry, care-free, rang out peal on peal till Ann and Hannah and Octavius paused in their work to listen, and wished that such music might have been heard often during their long years of faithful service in childless Champ-au-Haut. "I hear you are acquainted with some of the nobility, marchionesses and so forth," said Champney; the two were sitting in the shadow of the boat house cleaning their fingers with the lard Hannah had provided. "Where did you make their acquaintance?" Aileen paused in the act of sliding her greasy hands rapidly over and over in each other, an occupation which afforded her unmixed delight, to look up at him in amazement. "How did yer know anything 'bout her?" "Oh, I heard." "Did Romanzo Caukins tell yer?" she demanded, as usual on the defensive. "No, oh no; it was only hearsay. Do tell me about her. We don't have any round here." Aileen giggled and resumed the rapid rotary motion of her still unwashed hands. "If I tell yer 'bout her, yer'll tell her I told yer. P'raps sometime, if yer ever go to New York, yer might see her; and she wouldn't like it." "How do you know but what I have seen her? I've just come from there." Aileen looked her surprise again. "That's queer, for I've just landed from New York meself." "So I understood; does the marchioness live there too?" She shook her head. "I ain't going to tell yer; but I'll tell yer 'bout some others I know." "That live in New York?" "Wot yer giving me?" She laughed merrily; "they live where the Dagos live, in Italy, yer know, and--" "Italy? What are they doing over there?" "--And--just yer wait till I'll tell yer--they live on an island in a be-ee-u-tiful lake, like this;" she looked approvingly at the liquid mirror that reflected in its rippleless depths the mountain shadow and sunset gold; "and they live in great marble houses, palaces, yer know, and flower gardens, and wear nothing but silks and velvet and pearls, ropes,--yer mind?--ropes of 'em; and the lords and ladies have concerts, yer know, better 'n in the thayertre--" "What do you know about the theatre?" Champney was genuinely surprised; "I thought you came from an orphan asylum."