He grimaced ruefully at this British taunt. "I fear I shall have to allow the damaging fact of my nationality," he said; "but I fail to understand how it is going to stand in the way of my thinking of you at intervals. If you knew more about Americans, Jane, you would see that it is mainly on that account I am bound to do it." "You'll be obliged to keep your thoughts to yourself then," she told him, "for as long as I am in Mrs. Belknap's employ I am, undeniably, her servant and, hence, nothing to you. Do you understand? Because if you do not, I shall be obliged to find another situation at once." "Oh, no; don't do that!" he protested. "Look here, Jane, I'm not quite such a duffer as you seem to think. I see your point, and I'll agree not to bother you after this. But I won't promise never to think of you again. On the contrary, I mean to think of you a great deal; may I, Jane?" Jane arose. "It is quite time to be going home," she said coldly. "I must ask you not to speak to me again, Mr. Everett, and please come home on another car." "But sometime, Jane, after this farce is played to its finis, don't you think----" She turned her back upon him deliberately and walked away toward the trolley station, leading Master Belknap by the hand, meek and unresisting. During all this time the little boy had been contentedly laboring in the removal of sand from a hole of wide dimensions; his eyes were heavy with fatigue when the girl set him gently in his place on the homeward bound car. "I yuve 'oo, Jane," he murmured sweetly, laying his curly head in her lap. "I'm doin' to build 'oo a--dreat, big house!" Five minutes later he was soundly asleep, and Jane, who had tried in vain to awaken him, was forced to lift his limp weight in her slender arms when the car finally stopped at her destination. "Give the boy to me, Jane," said an authoritative voice at her side. She looked up in real vexation. "I thought," she said reproachfully, "that you promised----" "I promised not to bother you, Jane; but I didn't say I would never offer to help you again. Did you suppose for an instant that I would allow you to carry that boy up this hill?" Jane crossed the street without a word, and speeding across lots, by way of a daisied meadow, reached the house first. She was met at the door by her mistress. "Why, Jane, where is Buster?" inquired Mrs. Belknap anxiously. "Master Buster went to sleep on the way home, ma'am," explained Jane, blushing guiltily, "and Mr. Everett, who chanced to be on the same car, kindly offered to bring him up the hill." "Oh!" said Mr. Everett's sister, rather blankly. CHAPTER XVI