Down, down, the skis hissing in the splendid snow, the keen air bringing hot blood to their cheeks, the speed surpassing dreams of flight—so toward the woods which would hide them again, and permit them to forget that towns and hamlets, to say nothing of the inhabitants thereof, existed. Both were gasping for breath as they sailed down the last of the steeps and swung to the left at the bottom. Both were too sensible of the obvious fitness of things to utter one complaint when Miss Nellie tripped and fell right into Master Bob’s arms upon the very verge of the wood. Is not the left an unlucky turn to make at any time? But who believes in luck when a pretty girl tumbles headlong into his arms and refuses to budge an inch? "I say, Nellie, I wish you’d do that every day. Now, don’t get angry—you know you rather like it." She sat up and tried to push him from her. "Whatever do you mean, Bob? It was your fault; you pushed me down." "Of course I did. Let’s lie here a month, just as we are—only I should like your arms a little closer round my neck. Never mind about your skis—I’ll take them off." He was as good as his word, unbuckling the straps and regretted that the monstrous boots forbade him to admire her pretty ankles. When he had removed his own impedimenta, he coolly put his arms about her waist, and lifted her from the deep snow. "Let’s sit down a bit and talk over things," he said. "There’s a grand view from here, Nellie—I could see Brigue, if it wasn’t for the cloud." "Do you want to see Brigue, Bob?" "Do I want to see Brigue?—when I can look at you! I say, Nellie, how silky your hair is—and I do believe your lips are cold. Well, that ought to warm them anyway! Shall I do it again? I will if you like!" She shook her head; but her colour was high, and her heart beat fast. "Why do you treat me like this, Bob?" "Because I love you, Nellie." "Do you mean it—every word of it?" "I’ll swear a thousand oaths if you like." "And you’ll never love anyone else?" She put both her hands upon his shoulders, and looked straight into his eyes. Bob admitted in confidence to his friend Dick, whom he met presently, that it was the look which did it. "I’ll never love anybody else, if I live to two hundred, Nellie. You’ll just be my little girl, and when we’re married—" He paused abruptly, wondering what he had said. Nellie, however, sealed the compact instantly. She gave him a smacking kiss on his lips, and held him so tightly that he could not utter a single word. "I’ll have to tell mother, Bob—I’ll have to tell her when we get back. I’m sure she’ll be kind about it. I know she likes you. Wasn’t it lucky we came up here to-day? Wouldn’t it have been dreadful to have gone with all those people? Oh, why didn’t we bring our lunch—I’m sure I ought to have thought of it. Now, I suppose, we’ll have to go down."