He was wearing a new black and white checked fall suit, similar to the one the fateful stranger in the railroad train had worn. "You're entirely too elegant," Lilly joked. "I'd rather not be in your company to-day." "That would be a sin and a shame," he observed. "I had these trappings constructed extra for to-day." "Why for to-day?" "Because to-day's our festival." "How did that occur to you?" she faltered, startled that their thoughts had taken the same course. "Oh, a person gets notions," he replied, and smiled significantly. Under the same impulse they took the path leading to the beech grove which they had wandered through on the first evening of their renewed friendship. "How's Tommy?" Lilly asked, recollecting the third party to the alliance. "He bit away the flooring in my room and dug a hole for himself, where he snarls like an eagle-owl. I shouldn't advise you to stick your wedding-ring finger into his hole. You might suddenly lose your ring and your finger, too." "Why have you let him get so wild?" she asked reproachfully. "Why have I let myself get so wild?" he retorted. "Well, you're growing tame again," replied Lilly, caressing him with her eyes. His recent tameness was all her doing. "Do you think so?" he asked, and drew his brows together masterfully, as in his lieutenant days. "Haven't I your word of honour?" she exulted. "Pshaw!" Lilly basked in the superbness of her mission of salvation. "No matter how much you disdain my influence," she replied, "everybody sees that a change has taken place in you. Mr. Leichtweg says you're always the first to begin work now. You've borrowed that great book on agriculture from the colonel--it impressed him tremendously--and Miss von Schwertfeger said a little while ago you always look so appetizing now. Yes, Mr. von Prell, I take the credit for all this, and if things continue the same way we shall remain good friends." "Apropos of appetizing," he said, "your neck beginning back of your ears is all covered with tiny, silky hairs. Do you know from what that comes?" "Oh, nonsense," Lilly exclaimed, blushing. "Why? Do you know?" "A wise man has theories. For instance, observe this plot of grass." He pointed to a clearing below them, through which a rill trickled, and which was closely grown with tender, juicy grass of a vivid green. "From the way it looks you'd suppose it was still spring. Until late in the summer that plot stood under water, and the spots that least often or never get dry grow the finest down--that's nature." Lilly was on the point of taking his botany lesson in earnest when she chanced to notice the wicked grimace he was making. Then she understood the shameless allusion and had to laugh over it helplessly. "Listen, baronissima, how about playing tag? We owe it to the circulation of your excellency's blood."