tanding on a
ledge of a rock, and fragments of broken dishes scattered about, and
entered with all her heart into an adventure so suddenly recalling the
vanished scenes of her gypsy childhood. The eyes of the boy glistened
with delight as he perceived the unmistakable evidences of her
enjoyment.

"And so this is your secret!" she exclaimed.

"Not by a good deal!" he answered, "Thee is not to know the real secret
until we have had our dinner. I will build the fire and clean the fish,
and if thee knows how, thee can cook them."

"Oh, you need not think I don't know anything--just because I cannot
skip stones and bait hooks," Pepeeta said gaily, and with that they both
bustled about and before long the smoke was curling up into the still
air, and the fragrant odor of coffee was perfuming the wilderness.

While they were waiting for the fish to fry, Pepeeta regaled her
enchanted listener with such fragments of the story of her gypsy life as
she could piece together out of the wrecks of that time. He was
overpowered with astonishment, and the idea that he was sitting opposite
to a real gypsy, at the mouth of a cave, filled up the measure of his
romantic fancy and perfected his happiness. He hung upon her words and
kept her talking until the last crust had been devoured and she had
repeated again and again the most trivial remembrances of those far off
days.

The boy's bliss had reached its utmost limit, and yet had not surpassed
the woman's. The vigorous walk through the woods; the silent
ministrations of nature; the simple food; the sweet imaginative
associations with David; but above all that most recreative force in
nature,--the presence and prattle of a child,--filled her sad heart
with a happiness of which she had believed herself forever incapable.

They sat for a few moments in silence, after Pepeeta had finished one of
her most charming reminiscences, and then Steven, springing to his feet,
exclaimed:

"Why, Pepeeta, we have forgotten the secret! Come and I will show it to
thee."

She took his proffered hand and was led into the depths of the cavern.

"Thee must shut thy eyes," he said.

"Oh! but I am so frightened," she answered, pretending to shudder and
draw back.

"Thee need not be afraid. I will protect thee," he said, reassuringly.

She obeyed him, and they moved forward.

"Are thy eyes shut tight? How many fingers do I hold up?" he asked,
raising his hand.

"Six," she answered.

"All right