“Laurie, you shall not scold me for nothing!” she retorted petulantly, rolling her great blue eyes at him in displeasure. He did not notice her defiant words, save by a slight tightening of his lips as he turned his attention to the horses, and she pouted her rose-bud lips, and continued reproachfully: “Now, you are angry with me, and trying to spoil all the pleasure of my trip by unjust fault-finding. But if I were as mercenary as you say I am, there are other men richer than you, that I refused before you asked me--just because I loved you best!” At this artful plea Laurie looked down into his sweetheart’s face, and saw the great, blue-bell eyes moist with threatening tears. He slipped one arm about her waist, and coaxed her into good humor with a lover’s kiss. “Now smile again, my darling, for we will soon be at The Crags, and dear old Aunt Cy must not think we have been quarreling again, as when we were spoiled children. Look up and you will see the towers of the old mansion as we turn the bend in the road. And see, there’s some one on the verge of the highest cliff watching as if for the first glimpse of us. Aunt Cy has sent a boy, no doubt, to announce our arrival, so that she may have the whole household lined up on the front steps as usual, to do us honor,” he ended laughingly. “I don’t think it’s a boy, Laurie dear, it looks more like a girl in short skirts. Get out the field-glasses, and let us look and test.” Reining the bays in, he gave her the glasses out of the case, and presently she said: “I told you so, it’s a girl. An odd sort of girl in a bloomer suit, with long hair flying under her cap, a summer tourist, I suppose.” Laurie took his turn with the glasses, and answered: “You are right, Lelia, it is a girl, and a deuced pretty one, too, I fancy! Beautiful pose that, but dangerous. Might topple over into space any moment. Say, Lelia, I fancy we know her, too. It looks like Gipsy Darke.” “That girl! I thought you had forgotten her very existence, Laurie.” “I don’t see how I could forget her so easily, after seeing her so often at The Crags--from youth to age, one might say. Besides, somehow I couldn’t get her out of my mind, because I’ve an uneasy conscience over the dusky little midget!” he confessed. “I don’t understand,” the blue-eyed beauty returned, with lowering displeasure. “Don’t you, dearest? Oh, well, you know we treated the poor little thing worse than the dirt under our feet, Lelia, that’s the truth!” he said, adding: “Do you remember how the poor girlie followed us all about wanting to play with us, and we drove her away with angry words and even blows?” generously taking half the blame to himself, though Lelia had done it all. “She deserved all she got! We could not be expected to associate with a gipsy brat!” the beauty cried hotly.