virtue shall be rewarded, and the knight shall be rescued by the lady.
Now, come with me part of the way and show me the short cuts. Why, I'm
as strong as a lion. You don't suppose a walk of a few miles tires me?
Come along, Kit, we are wasting time."

In reality, Kitty was charmed beyond words with any move which was to
bring Boris on the scene. The moment Boris seemed at all unattainable,
he became wonderfully precious in Kitty's eyes. She would, of course,
snub him in five minutes after he did arrive, but that really did not
matter. The fascination of Annie's secret mission also delighted her
much, and she skipped along now by the side of this beautiful lady in a
state of high good-humour.

"I'll show you a lovely short cut," she said. "It will take two miles
off the distance. There's a bog, and a sunken ditch, and a wire fence;
but you won't mind them, will you?"

"Not a bit," said Annie, laughter in her eyes.

"And there's farmer Granger's bull-dog, and perhaps the bull himself may
be in the four acre field; but you won't mind," continued Kitty.

"Not a bit, not a bit."

"Well, let's run down into this little dell. I'll start you from the
wicket gate at the end of the dell."

"It sounds quite Pilgrim's Progressy," said Annie.

"Annie," said Kitty, in an ecstatic whisper, "is it to be a secret?"

"Of course; if you dare to reveal it my knight shall execute vengeance
on you."

"Oh, Annie!" said Kitty, "I do love you; its so perfectly delicious to
have a secret."

"Well, see you keep this one faithfully. Now we have come to the wicket
gate. How shall I go? Can I see the bull from here?"

"No."

"Can I hear the bull-dog bark?"

"No."

"Kitty, you little wretch, you've been trying to frighten me with
imaginary dangers. Yes, I see my road. I follow the winding path
wherever it leads. Keep a bit of dinner for me, Kitty. I'll be back in a
couple of hours."

Kitty promised, and Annie started with great vigour on her long walk.

Kitty stood at the stile and watched her. Suddenly she raised a cry.

"Annie."

Annie turned.

"You'll find Nell at home, too, Annie."

"Is Nell another Lorrimer?"

"Yes; the ugly one of the family; the duckling, we call her most times."

"Well, the duckling shall come, too," shouted heedless Annie; and Kitty,
with the full weight and delirious importance of her secret radiating
all over her stout little person, slowly returned to the other members
of the picnic party