“Forgive my not doing at once what you wish, but really I cannot. This will be a sweet little innocent romance to me, and before you I shall appear in my very best light, leaving all the vices and evils of my real nature behind me for the time. Ah no! don’t deprive me of such a harmless joy. If you knew what a lonely uncared for life is mine, your tender heart would be touched.” Her heart was touched by the quiver in his deep voice, as he intended it should be, and Olive did not press her point any further. They rode on together talking about a hundred subjects, and she found him the most agreeable of men. She happened to mention a great novel just then coming out in Harper’s, the scene of which was laid in Florence, and he said musingly: “Ah yes! Florence is a lovely city, nestling among the blue hills.” “Have you ever seen it then?” asked Olive much surprised. “Yes, long ago, when I was a young fellow.” She gazed at him. “You are a most incomprehensible person,” she said, “living here on this prairie and yet you have seen Florence.” “You forget Perseus travels easily with his winged feet, from here to Florence would be a bagatelle to him.” “I begin to think there must be something uncanny about you.” “Now don’t go and change me into any other personality. Remember you are all-powerful, and by your word alone have made me Perseus. Your word is mighty, and you can cast me down into hell and make me a devil by a breath,” said he half banteringly. “What odd language!” said Olive, looking a little frightened. “How you must astonish the natives when you talk in that way!” “Do you fancy I talk to anyone as I do to you? Don’t you understand that I am Perseus to you, but to nobody else in the world?” Olive laughed, and put her horse to a canter in order to snap the thread of talk which was becoming too difficult for her. Mr. Perseus remained in her company while she was driving home the cattle, but they had no further particular conversation, as the exigencies of driving the herd occupied their attention most of the time. On parting from her about a mile from her home, he promised to come some day to see her, and Olive added, “I do hope Ezra will be in, for I should so like you two to talk together. I am sure you have much in common.” “We have one point in common, at all events,” thought Mr. Perseus as he rode away back towards the Big Cotton Wood Creek, “but I doubt very much if that would at all add to the harmony of our relations.” Olive was full of her meeting with Mr. Perseus, an account of which she retailed to Ezra at supper. “And just fancy his oddity! He wouldn’t tell me his real name after my unlucky slip, so he is Mr. Perseus to the end of the chapter, I suppose. He thought it such a joke.” “So he saw the application,” remarked Ezra. “He must be a man of education.”