"If I should feel the witchery of her playing in that romantic spot a few times," he said to himself, "I should fall in love with her, and couldn't help it." But temptations of that nature are hard to resist, and like sweet potations, once tested, we desire to sip again. So it came about that one morning Winn said to her: "Mona, I am going to treat myself to a half day away from the quarry, and if your mother is willing, I want you to visit the gorge with me this afternoon and bring your violin. I would rather you asked her consent," he added pointedly, "I shall enjoy it better." As this perfect June afternoon and its enjoyment had much to do with shaping the heart histories of these two young people, considerable space can well be devoted to it, and especially to their exchange of ideas and feelings. "I will let you carry the violin now," said Winn, when they had left the village out of sight, "I want to gather a few wild roses to decorate your trysting place. I have odd fancies about such things and believe, as the Greeks did, that every cave and grotto is inhabited by some nymph or gnome. From the way your playing there has affected me each time, I am sure it is some beautiful nymph who has chosen the Devil's Oven for her abode, so I am going to present her with a nosegay." "I have read about fairies," responded Mona, artlessly, "but I do not believe such creatures ever existed." "But they do," asserted Winn, smiling, as he gathered his roses, "and if your imagination is strong enough, you can feel their presence many times. I made sure there was one hid somewhere, that day I first heard you playing." "And did you think so when you hid behind the rock and scared me half to death?" she queried. "No," he responded, "I knew it was a real flesh and blood fairy then, for I had seen you come out of the gorge." "And so you came back to scare me," she said playfully, "that wasn't nice. If you wanted to know who it was, why didn't you ask Uncle Jess? He would have told you." "Yes, and spoiled all the romance of it," answered Winn. "It's like detecting the presence of nymphs and fairies. If you go to a grotto or cave alone and listen for them, you will feel or hear them always, in some way." "If I believed that," replied Mona, seriously, "I would never go to the cave alone again. I should feel it to be haunted." "But you admit you can play better there, and feel more of the spirit of your music," asserted Winn; "tell me why that is." "Because I am alone, and feel myself to be so," she answered firmly. "I do not believe it is due to any unseen creature." "But you played with wondrous feeling the day I came there with you," he replied, "you weren't alone then." "I am glad you think so," she answered, turning away, "I tried to, but was so afraid of you, I trembled." Winn smiled at her candor. "You don't know how to flirt, do you, Mona?" he asked pointedly, "you utter the truth always."