"Of course," cried Louis, without giving me time to reply. "And now, go if you wish and leave us in peace. Get out of the way!" Paula, who was seated on the lowest rung of the ladder, immediately stepped aside and soon Louis was on the wall. "Now, it's your turn," he called to me. I followed my brother as Paula slowly moved away up the garden walk. "I'm going back with Paula," I said to Louis. Then from the top of the wall, I saw her turn her head for one last look. "Oh, let her go!" said Louis. "She can find her own way. I'm afraid the little fool is going to become impossible. Now, do as I do. But be sure and don't break your nose, for Teresa will blame me." "You jump first," I said. "Getting afraid, are you? All right, see me jump. One, two, three!" and down he went, in the middle of a pansy-bed, Teresa's especial pride and the object of her particular care. "Oh, oh," I cried, viewing the ruin that Louis had made. "Now, won't Teresa be angry indeed!" "Well, why should I care?" said Louis. "Why did she have to put flowers alongside of a perfectly good wall like this? Now, hurry up and jump. We'll fix it up and water it, and she'll know nothing about what happened." "Oh, Louis, I'm afraid!"--Certainly the distance to the ground seemed enormous! "What are you afraid of? I'll catch you if you fall. Don't be a 'fraidcat!'" Just at that moment I would have done anything rather than jump. "I'm coming down by the ladder." "No, you'll do no such thing! Now, come on; don't be a coward!" Just at this moment we heard a voice calling, "Louis! Lisita!" Louis turned to see Paula calling us from the bottom of the garden. "And now what do you want?" cried Louis. "I thought you had gone home." I profited by this diversion to come rapidly down the ladder. "I was almost at the house," answered Paula, coming nearer, "but I didn't go in because I didn't want to meet Teresa." "Why not?" "Because I didn't know what to say to her, if she should ask me where you two were." "Well, wouldn't you have told her the truth?" "Of course, I would have had to tell her. That's why I've come back to look for you. I've run all the way. Oh, please, come now; won't you?" My brother seemed to hesitate. "You know I hated to disobey," added Paula, with tears in her eyes, "and at the same time, I don't like to be a 'tattle-tale.' Won't you please come home now with me?" Louis was a good-hearted lad in spite of his shortcomings. Therefore, seeing his young cousin beginning to cry, he said, "All right, let's go. Anyway, I can't play the way I want, especially with a pair of youngsters like you two. But, look here, Paula, you forgot the ladder. Take it away now, if you want us to play up to all your nonsense." Paula, grabbing the ladder, simply said, "Oh, thank you so much," as she dried her tears. I went meanwhile and filled the watering-pot while Louis tried to restore the crushed pansies as best he could.