'Little hints of how I have lived,—and with what atmosphere and influences. Specimens of the soil wherein Wych Hazel grew to be "all hat and bushes." ' 'And when did she abdicate?' said Rollo, bringing both arms round her now. 'O—the precise day does not matter,' said the girl, as a very 'precise' day last winter came full into view. 'Dates are useless things.' 'Tell me!' said he softly. 'When did you abdicate?' 'You mean—' she said, hesitating, with her eyes on the ground. 'What you mean.' 'But Olaf—' Hazel left her protestation unfinished. 'I suppose, really, it was a year ago,' she said, not looking at him. 'Only that week before Christmas I was worried—and of course I was full of freaks. And so—I felt as if I was doing every thing for the last time.' Hazel hung her head, leaving the 'freaks' to their fate. 'How 'for the last time'?' said Rollo, with provoking apparent obtuseness. 'Ah!—' Hazel exclaimed,—then again submitting to circumstances,—'My will had been the law of the house—and the people—and of myself.—Do you understand, sir?' 'Where were your guardians?' said Rollo with cool self-command. 'In my way just often enough to give zest to all other times and places.' 'And what is your opinion of the one guardian you have left? just as a curiosity, I should like to hear it.' 'He gave so fine a comparative description of himself beforehand,' said Hazel with the laugh in her voice. 'It would be quite presuming to suppose he does not mean to act up to it.' Dane was silent, perhaps considering how he should answer her; for loosening one hand, he stood pushing back the thick curls from her face, looking down at it thoughtfully. Then in the same tone he had used before, he asked, "if she had not learned love's liberty yet?" 'In what sense?' she said, after a moment's hesitation. 'In the sense of being rather more a free and independent sovereign than at any previous time of your life.' Hazel shook her head. 'If you make me go into that,' she said, 'I shall surely say something you will not understand. I have been as full of freaks this winter as ever in all my life before.' 'I am moved with curiosity to hear what you can say that I shall not understand.' 'I will not gratify you this time, if I can help it,' said Hazel laughing a little. 'Somebody must be head—that is plain, isn't it? and if it is you, it is not I. And before Christmas just that last part got hold of me,—and since Christmas—' 'Finish it! Since Christmas—?' 'Since Christmas I have taken the first part into consideration,' Hazel said demurely. Perhaps Dane thought illogical treatment was the best, or his patience gave out; for he answered with passionate kisses all over Hazel's face. 'My little Wych!' said he—'do you think you are less head at Chickaree than you used to be?' She answered shyly, arching her brows. 'Yes. Of course.' 'Don't you like it?' said he audaciously.