Nothing would do but that Patty must explore the stream further along. “It is much more fun to stand on the very edge and send the petals on their mission,” she declared. “One somehow has a more intimate relation with the stream doing it that way.” Tomás followed her and the two were soon making merry over the fate of certain of their offerings. “Come on, Glad Lady,” called Doña Martina. “We are going.” “What did you call her?” inquired Mr. Lisle. “Oh, that was Tomás’s first comment upon my sister. He said she was a glad lady and we thought it very apt.” “She certainly is a merry creature, so much more spontaneous and frank than most one meets. I think candor and spontaneity are the charm of our Southern girls.” “I like you to say ‘our’; it sounds as if you still felt you belonged to Kentucky.” “Oh, but you know, I do feel so.” “Paulette has vivacity enough,” Doña Martina went on, “but it is of a different quality.” “Quite so. Miss Paulette is entertaining, but--she is French.” “I see you have the insular prejudice.” Mr. Lisle laughed. “I am afraid I have. Where do we go next?” “To the _fuente_. The young people of the village will have bedecked it by now.” “That is the fountain?” “Yes, or the spring, as you choose. It is the great gossiping place, as I suppose you have noticed, for one is sure to meet one’s neighbors there during some part of the day.” “It is singing the same little contented tune,” said Patty, as she and Tomás came up. “It does not change it even for feast days. Aren’t you all excited over to-morrow? I think there are so many pretty customs for the day of St. John. I like to think of the young men climbing to the windows of their lady loves to fasten flowers and boughs there. I am wondering if Don Felipe will climb to our window, Polly, to set a bough of blossoms thereby. I’d like to observe him in the act.” “Patty,” her sister spoke reprovingly. “But wouldn’t he look just like a monkey? Give him a red cap and coat and he might go with a hand organ.” “Patty, you forget you are speaking of a friend of ours,” said her sister with dignity. “Oh, but he is a friend of mine, too, and I may yet be making red coats and caps for him myself, who knows? At all events, I’d like to see him scrambling up to our balcony.” The flowering branch was indeed there by the window the next morning, but by whom it was placed, or for whom it was intended, no one could discover. However, there were two nosegays, one each side the casement, so there was no disputing a claim to these. The two girls were laughingly squabbling over the bough of blossoms when Doña Martina called to them, “Come down, come down and see what our young friends have been doing.”