“And did you go inside the grounds and into the house?” demanded Laura, excitedly. “Do tell me all about it, for it is such a romantic looking place that I always feel as if there were some mysterious story connected with it. And then that old Mr. Dexter never goes out anywhere, and nobody seems to know anything about him. My nurse, the one who lived with us for twenty-five years, told me once that Mr. Dexter and papa used to be great friends, but they had some kind of a quarrel. I asked her what they quarreled about and she wouldn’t tell me, although I am sure she knows all about it.” The young girl’s words of course made a deep impression on Bruce, who was now more curious than ever to learn the history of the kindly old gentleman who lived all by himself in the big, square stone house behind the thick hedge. “Go on and tell me all about what you saw there,” said Laura eagerly. “I am sure there’s some mystery about the place like the ones we read about in the story books. When I was a little bit of a girl, I used to imagine there was a sleeping beauty hidden away behind those dark trees and I expected that some day a prince would come and wake her up and that then there’d be a grand party for everybody around here to go to.” “Well, there is a mystery about it, and it’s one I’d like very much to solve,” said Bruce quietly. “A mystery!” exclaimed Laura, “Now you must tell me everything about it before you leave this summer-house,” and she spoke in the tones of a young girl who expected to have her own way. “I don’t know whether I ought to say anything to you about it or not,” began the boy in a doubtful voice, “and besides you might not be interested in the mystery because after all it only concerns myself.” “Go right on and tell me this very minute!” cried the girl imperiously. “You’ll promise never to tell as long as you live and breathe?” “Hope to die, if I do,” rejoined Laura fervently, “Now, go on.” Thus adjured, Bruce told her the story of his visit to Mr. Dexter’s house and the strangely familiar look that the place had worn; and he told her, too, of the conversation that he had had with Charley Weyman and of the advice that the latter had given him. Laura listened to his words with the deepest attention, and when he had finished, she drew a long breath and said, “that’s the most interesting, romantic thing I ever heard about in all my life. And you don’t really know who your folks are? Why you might be almost anybody in the world, and maybe you’re the prince who will come and waken up the princess with a kiss, the same as in the story book. But how are you going to work to find out what it all means? You must tell me everything you do about it for I’ll never be able to sleep at night until you’re restored to your rights.” [Illustration: Bruce tells Laura the story of his visit to Mr. Dexter’s house.—_Page 72._]