"Ah, is it so?" he cried; but Panoria, not having before her eyes the fear of the Bonapartes' bugbear, "their uncle the canon," laughed loudly. "What funny people you all are!" she exclaimed. "One needs but to cry, 'Your uncle the canon,' and down you all tumble like a house of cards. What! is Saveria, too, afraid of him?" "No more than I am," said Napoleon stoutly. "No more than you!" laughed Panoria. "Why, Napoleon, you did not dare to even touch the pears of your uncle the canon." "Because I did not wish to, Panoria," replied Napoleon. "Did not dare to," corrected Panoria. "Did not wish to," insisted Napoleon. "Well, wish it! I dare you to wish it!" cried Panoria, while Eliza looked on horrified at her little friend's suggestion. By this time Saveria had led the children from the grotto, and, walking on ahead, was returning toward their home. She did not hear Panoria's "dare." "You may dare me," Napoleon replied to the challenge of Panoria; "but if I do not wish it, you gain nothing by daring me." "Ho! you are afraid, little boy!" cried Panoria. "I afraid?" and Napoleon turned his piercing glance upon the little girl, so that she quailed before it. But Panoria was an obstinate child, and she returned to the charge. "But if you did wish it, would you do it, Napoleon?" she asked. "Of course," the boy replied. "Oh, it is easy to brag," said Panoria; "but when your great man, your uncle the canon, is around, you are no braver, I'll be bound, than little Pauline, or even Eliza here." By this time Eliza, too, had grown brave; and she said stoutly to her friend, "What! I am not brave, you say? You shall see." Then as Saveria, turning, bade them hurry on, Eliza caught Panoria's hand, and ran toward the nurse; but as she did so, she said to Panoria, boastingly and rashly,-- "Come into our house! If I do not eat some of those very pears out of that very basket of our uncle the canon's, then you may call me a coward, Panoria!" "Would you then dare?" cried Panoria. "I'll not believe it unless I see you." Eliza was "in for it" now. "Then you shall see me!" she declared. "Come to my house. Mamma Letitia is away visiting, and I shall have the best chance. I promise you; you shall see." "Hurry, then," said Panoria. "It is better than braving the black elves, this that you are to do, Eliza. For truly I think your uncle the canon must be an ogre."