"And now shall I call up the folks for the dance to-night?" "Oh, yes, do!" begged Marjorie, who had slept as much as she wanted to and felt ready for anything in the world. She lay on in the khaki hammock in a happy drowsiness. The wind and sunshine alone were enough to make her happy. And there was going to be a dance to-night, and she could wear a little pink dress she remembered . . . and pretty soon there would be luncheon, and after that she was going off on a gorgeous expedition with Francis, where there was a fire, and rabbits and maybe a nice but perfectly harmless little green snake that would look at her affectionately . . . but everybody looked at you affectionately, once you were married . . . it was very warming and comforting. . . . She was asleep again before she knew it. It was only Francis's quick step on the porch that woke her--Francis, very alert and flushed, and exceedingly hungry. "Yes, yes, Mr. Francis, the food's been waitin' you this long time," said Mrs. O'Mara, evidently in answer to a soul-cry of Francis's, for he had not had time to say anything aloud. "Bring yer wife an' come along an' eat." So they went in without further word spoken, and after all Marjorie found herself the possessor of as good an appetite as she'd had for breakfast. "Be sure to get back in time to dress for the dance," Peggy warned them as they started off in the motor-cycle. "It's to be a really fine dance, with the girls in muslin dresses, not brogans and shirtwaists!" "The girls?" asked Marjorie of Francis wonderingly. "I think she means that the men aren't to wear brogans, or the girls shirtwaists," he explained, as they whizzed down what seemed invisible tracks in a trackless forest. "Smell the pines--aren't they good?" Marjorie looked up, beaming. "Stunning!" she said. "I don't see how you ever wanted to come to New York, after you'd had this." "After a long time of this New York is pleasant again," he said. "But I hope you won't tire of this, my dear." "Oh, no!" she said fervently. "I'm crazy to go on, and see the cabins you told me about. I can amuse myself there the whole afternoon, if you have other things you want to do." "You dear!" said Francis. After that they were quiet, and rode on together, enjoying the glorious afternoon. "Here we are," said Francis after about two hours on the motor-cycle. He slipped off and held the machine for her to get out. "Oh," said Marjorie, "it's like something out of a fairy-book!" CHAPTER VI