come so
accustomed to dressing in that way that she was perfectly at her ease
in the costume, and even preferred it to her own proper garments.

"I beg your pardon," stammered poor Peveril, as he gazed in
bewilderment at the apparition thus presented. "I'm awfully ashamed to
have made such a stupid mistake, but really, you know--"

"Oh, it's all right," replied the other, "and you needn't apologize. I
have so often been taken for a girl that I am quite used to it. And
now may I ask who you are? why you are here? what you are doing down
there? how you propose to get away? and--"

"Hold on, my dear fellow!" interrupted Peveril. "Don't you think your
list of questions is already long enough without adding any more?"

"I suppose it is," laughed the other, assuming a seat in an expectant
attitude at the base of the stunted cedar.

The novelty of the situation, combined with its absolute safety, so
far as she was concerned, was fascinating to the lonely girl. "Now you
may begin," she added, "and tell me everything you know about
yourself."

"That would be altogether too long a story," replied Peveril, a little
nettled at what he mentally termed the cheek of the youth. "Besides,"
he continued, "I am too nearly starved to do much talking, seeing
that, for more days than I can remember, I have had nothing to eat but
a rat, and--"

"A rat!" cried the other, in a tone of horror. "You didn't really eat
a rat?"

"Indeed I did, and I would gladly eat another at this very minute, I
am so hungry. Don't you think you could get me one? Or if you had any
cold victuals that you could spare--"

At that moment Mary Darrell, without waiting to hear another word,
jumped up and disappeared, leaving Peveril to wonder what had struck
the young fellow, and hoping that he had gone for something in the
shape of food.

"I wish I'd got him to let down that rope again first," he said to
himself, as he paced back and forth across the ledge; "then I could
have pulled myself up and gone with him, thereby saving both time and
trouble. I would have sworn, though, that he was a girl. Never was so
deceived in my life. He must have a sister, and perhaps they are
twins, for it surely was a girl that I saw here the other time. All
the same, I'm rather glad she isn't on hand just now, for I should
hate to have any girl see me in my present disguise. My appearance
must be decidedly tough and tramp-like. Wonder if I can't do something
to improve it? T