‘Well, I don’t care! He did once, all round the gooseberry bushes; and I threw a spade at him, and it hit him on the head, and I thought I had killed him. I’—with another glance at Crosby, now from between Bonnie’s curls—‘was dreadfully frightened then. But now I almost wish I had. Any way, he never tried to—he never, I mean’—confusedly—‘hunted me again.’ ‘I begin to feel sincerely sorry for James,’ says Crosby. ‘He seems to me to have led but a sorry life before he started for the Soudan. When he comes home next year, what will you do? He may be quite’—he looks at her and smiles—‘a mighty hunter by that time.’ Susan laughs. ‘Like you,’ says she. Crosby looks at her. It is a ready answer, and with another might convey a certain meaning, but with Susan never. ‘Ah, I’m afraid of gooseberry bushes,’ says he. ‘They have thorns in them. James, you see, surpasses me in valour. Talking of valour reminds me of those you have left behind you, and who have sent me here as their plenipotentiary, to extract from you a promise of peace. They are all very sorry they annoyed you so much about the redoubtable James; and they desired me to say so. I was afraid to come by myself, so I brought Bonnie with me. Bonnie, tell her to come back with me now, and say: “Peace is restored with honour.” Say it for her, Bonnie.’ ‘“Peace is restored with honour,”’ repeats Bonnie sweetly. ‘There, that settles it,’ says Crosby. ‘He knows his lesson. So do you; come back and forgive us all.’ ‘Oh, I can’t,’ says Susan. ‘They would know I had been crying. Look at my eyes; they are quite red.’ ‘They are not, indeed,’ says Mr. Crosby, after an exhaustive examination. ‘They are quite blue.’ ‘Oh yes, that, of course’—impatiently. ‘But, well—really, how are they?’ She leans towards him, and gazes at him out of the blue eyes with an extraordinary calm. ‘Would they know I had been crying?’ ‘They would not,’ says Crosby. ‘It is I alone who am in that secret. And, by the way, Susan’—stopping her as they both rise—‘that is the second secret we have between us; we are becoming quite fashionable—we are growing into a society, you and I.’ ‘I wish you would forget that first secret,’ says Susan, blushing a little. ‘And, anyhow, I hope you won’t tell the others that you found me—you know—crying.’ ‘Ah, that makes me remember our first secret,’ says Crosby. ‘You know that on that never-to-be-forgotten memorable occasion you said you trusted me.’ ‘Did I?’ Susan is blushing furiously now. ‘How can I recollect all the silly things I said then? I have forgotten them all—and I’m sure you have, too.’ ‘Not one of them,’ says Crosby. ‘They are now classed with my most priceless memories. “Go and steal no more,” you said—and I haven’t up to this.’ Susan laughs in spite of herself. ‘Well, at all events I can trust you, then, not to betray me to them.’ She points to the late temple of her tears. ‘You can trust me for that or anything else in the wide world,’ says Crosby.