"A tremendous lot, I know that," Thaine replied quickly, and Jo dropped her eyes and began to chatter of other things. In the afternoon the cool grove was inviting, and Thaine and Jo loitered about in careless enjoyment of woodland shadows and wind-dimpled waters and Sabbath quiet and one another. "I want father to have a little boathouse over by the lily corner and make a picnic place here sometime," Thaine said as they sat by the lake in the late afternoon. "Such a nice place for you to come in the summer. Aren't you glad you don't just have to stay in the country?" Jo asked. "Would you never be satisfied in the country, Jo?" Thaine queried. "Not if you had a home there?" Jo blushed and her face was exquisite in its rich coloring. "Would you be?" she asked. "Oh, I'd like to do something worth while," Thaine replied. "Father doesn't say much, but he wants me here, I know." "He will get over it, I'm sure," Jo insisted. "Why should the first generation here weight us all down here, too? I hope you'll not give up to your father. I wouldn't," Jo said defiantly. "Did you ever give up to him?" Thaine asked. "No, he gives up to me." The words were too sweetly said to seem harsh. "I don't blame him," Thaine added. "I don't believe any of our crowd will stay here like the old folks have done, except Todd Stewart and, of course, Leigh," Jo declared. "Say, Jo, my folks don't look old to me. Mummie is younger and good-lookinger than anybody, except--" "Leigh Shirley," Jo broke in. Thaine looked at his watch without replying. "Is it late? You must take me home, now," Jo said. "You'll be over tonight, won't you? We will have some company from Careyville who want to meet you." "I'm sorry, but I promised Leigh up here at church that I'd go over to Cloverdale for a little while tonight." Thaine could not tell Jo of Leigh's affairs, and he felt that the Shirleys' intimacy with his father's family and his own expressed admiration and attention to Jo were sufficient to protect him from jealousy. Jo stiffened visibly. "Thaine Aydelot, what's the reason for your actions--Oh, I don't care. Go to Shirley's, by all means. Everybody to his likes," she cried angrily. "Well, that's my rathers for tonight, and I can't help it," Thaine answered hotly. "Of course you can't. Let's go home quick so you can get off early," Jo said in an angered tone. "I'll go as slowly as I can. You can't get rid of me so." Thaine was getting control of himself again. "Say, Thaine, tell me why you go away from our company tonight," Jo pleaded softly, putting her hand on her companion's arm. "Don't you care to come to our house any more?"