you hungry?"

"Oh!" she cried, crimson-cheeked, "have you begun already? And am I--am
I to say that, too?"

"Not unless you--you want to."

"I dare not, Carus."

"It is not hard," I said; "it slipped from my lips, following my
thoughts. Truly, Elsin, I love you dearly--see how easily I say it! I
love you in one kind of way already. One of these days, before we know
what we're doing, we'll be married, and Sir Peter will be the happiest
man in New York."

"Sir Peter! Sir Peter!" she repeated impatiently; a frown gathered on
her brow. She swung toward me, leaning from her saddle, face
outstretched.

"Carus," she said, "kiss me! Now do it again, on the lips. Now again!
There! Now that you do it of your own accord you are advanced so far.
Oh, this is dreadful, dreadful! We have but a week, and we are that
backward in love that I must command you to kiss me! Where shall we be
this day week--how far advanced, if you think only of courting me to
please Sir Peter?"

"Elsin," I said, after a moment's deliberation, "I'm ready to kiss you
again."

"For Sir Peter's sake?"

"Partly."

"No, sir!" she said, turning her head; "that advances us nothing."

After a silence I said again:

"Elsin!"

"Yes, Carus."

"I'm ready."

"For Sir Peter's sake?"

"No, for my own."

"Ah," she said gaily, turning a bright face to me, "we are advancing!
Now, it is best that I refuse you--unless you force me and take what
you desire. I accord no more--nothing more from this moment--until I
give myself! and I give not that, either, until you take it!" she
added, and cast her horse forward at a gallop, I after her, leaning
wide from my saddle, until our horses closed in, bounding on in perfect
stride together. Now was my chance.

"Carus! I beg of you--" Her voice was stifled, for I had put my arm
around her neck and pressed her half-opened lips to mine. "You advance
too quickly!" she said, flushed and furious. "Do you think to win a
maid by mauling whether she will or no? I took no pleasure in that
kiss, and it is a shame when both are not made happy. Besides, you hurt
me with your roughness. I pray you keep your distance!"

I did so, perplexed, and a trifle sulky, and for a while we jogged on
in silence.

Suddenly she reined in, turning her face over her shoulder.

"Look, Carus," she whispered, "there are horsemen coming!"

A moment later a Continental dragoon trotted into sight around the
curve of the road, then another an