“You've been crying,” said the newcomer, grimly regarding her through spectacles. “And pray who are these exceedingly dirty little boys?” “Friends of mine, aunt,” said Medea, promptly, with forced cheerfulness. “I--I've known them a long time. I asked them to come.” The aunt sniffed suspiciously. “You must come indoors, dear,” she said, “and lie down. The sun will give you a headache. And you little boys had better run away home to your tea. Remember, you should not come to pay visits without your nursemaid.” Harold had been tugging nervously at my jacket for some time, and I only waited till Medea turned and kissed a white hand to us as she was led away. Then I ran. We gained the boat in safety; and “What an old dragon!” said Harold. “Wasn't she a beast!” I replied. “Fancy the sun giving any one a headache! But Medea was a real brick. Couldn't we carry her off?” “We could if Edward was here,” said Harold, confidently. The question was, What had become of that defaulting hero? We were not left long in doubt. First, there came down the lane the shrill and wrathful clamour of a female tongue, then Edward, running his best, and then an excited woman hard on his heel. Edward tumbled into the bottom of the boat, gasping, “Shove her off!” And shove her off we did, mightily, while the dame abused us from the bank in the self same accents in which Alfred hurled defiance at the marauding Dane. “That was just like a bit out of Westward Ho!” I remarked approvingly, as we sculled down the stream. “But what had you been doing to her?” “Hadn't been doing anything,” panted Edward, still breathless. “I went up into the village and explored, and it was a very nice one, and the people were very polite. And there was a blacksmith's forge there, and they were shoeing horses, and the hoofs fizzled and smoked, and smelt so jolly! I stayed there quite a long time. Then I got thirsty, so I asked that old woman for some water, and while she was getting it her cat came out of the cottage, and looked at me in a nasty sort of way, and said something I didn't like. So I went up to it just to--to teach it manners, and somehow or other, next minute it was up an apple-tree, spitting, and I was running down the lane with that old thing after me.”