“Would spoil the whole thing!” exclaimed Claire Blackwood. “Oh, Doctor Varian, don’t propose anything like that! We Harborers love this place, just as it is, and we would defend it against any such innovations. I think there’s a law about defacing natural scenery.” “Don’t bother,” said Minna, carelessly; “we’ll never do anything of the sort. I won’t agree to it.” “That’s right,” said her sister-in-law. “This is no place to bring up Betty. The girl has no real society here, no advantages, no scope. She’ll become a savage——” “Not Betty,” Minna Varian laughed. “She’s outdoor-loving and all that, but she has nothing of the barbarian in her. I think she’d like to go to a far gayer resort. But her father——” “Where is her father?” asked Doctor Varian, impatiently. “It will be dark before we get to our picnic. Why don’t they come?” He gave a loud view-halloo, but only the echoes from the rocky heights answered him. “I knew it!” and Minna Varian began to wring her hands. “He and Betty are quarreling,—I am sure of it!” “What do you mean, Min? What’s this quarreling business about?” “They’ve always done it,—it’s nothing new. They adore each other, but they’re eternally disagreeing and fighting it out. They’re quite capable of forgetting all about us, and arguing out some foolish subject while we sit here waiting for them!” “I’ll go and stir them up,” the doctor said, starting in the direction of the house. “Oh, no, Herbert. It’s a hard climb, and you’ve enough walking ahead of you.” “I’ll go,” and Ted Landon looked inquiringly at Mrs Varian. “Oh, what’s the use?” she said; “they’ll surely appear in a minute.” So they all waited a few minutes longer and then Janet Varian spoke up. “I think it’s a shame to keep us here like this. Go on up to the house, Mr Landon, do. Tell those two foolish people that they must come on or the picnic will proceed without them.” “All right,” said Ted, and began sprinting over the rocks. “I’m going, too,” and Claire Blackwood followed Landon. “We may as well all go, and have our picnic on our own verandah,” said Minna, complainingly, and though Doctor Varian would have preferred that to any further exertions, he did not say so. “It’s always like this,” Minna’s querulous voice went on; “whenever we start to go anywhere, somebody has to go back for something and they’re so slow and so inconsiderate of other people’s feelings——” “There they go,” interrupted Doctor Varian as the two latest emissaries went up over the rocks. “Now the house will swallow them up!” “Oh, Herbert, don’t say such awful things,” wailed Minna; “you sound positively creepy! I have a feeling of fear of that house anyway,—I believe it would like to swallow people up!” “Ought we to intrude?” Claire Blackwood laughingly asked of Landon, as they neared the house; “if Betty and her father want to quarrel, they ought to be allowed to do so in peace.”