Now what?"

"Let's warm up," she said, and was up and off down the deck in one
spring. Jerry pursued. She raced around the whole deck twice, then
waited for him to catch up with her.

"Puffing, Jerry? You're getting fat!" she jeered.

"You impudent little beggar. I'd like to shake you."

"Try it."

This was the opening mistake in what proved to be a perfect succession
of diplomatic errors on the part of Jerry Paxton. It was as if the lid
had popped off the cricket. She followed at Jerry's heels every minute.
She sang, she talked, she whistled, she played tricks. She was the
great, original pest, which no one could subdue, and Jerry laughed at
her. Mrs. Brendon ordered her off when Jerry was working at the studies,
but for the rest of the time she preyed upon them all.

Her father rowed her in public, one day, and lost his temper.

"Don't be a brat!" said he.

"It amuses me to be a brat," she retorted. "It amuses Jerry, too."

"It amuses nobody," said her mother.

"Jerry, _a moi_; _au secours_! Take your dying pet away before she's
stepped on. The Wallys are hungry for cricket blood!" she cried,
dragging Jerry up from a seat where Althea had him safely cornered.

"Look here, kid, you've got to behave or they'll send you home," he
said, marching her off forward.

"You're handsome when you're cross, Jerry. I adore you cross."

"Do you _want_ to go home?"

"You're only cross because I made you ridiculous by dragging you away.
You ought to be glad I saved you from Althea, the beautiful wax doll.
Has she any works, Jerry? When I punch her she says 'Papa! Mama!' just
like the other dolls."

"That will do. We will not discuss the other guests in this party,"
sternly.

"Don't expect me to have manners. I hate them."

"You rather bore me this morning," he remarked, and left her. She sulked
the rest of the day, and waited her chance. The night was perfect, warm,
with a full moon. Mrs. Brendon managed to get Althea and Jerry on the
upper deck alone, while she guarded the others elsewhere. Isabelle had
gone to bed with a headache, to every one's delight.

"Isn't this wonderful?" said Jerry.

"Yes," with a sigh.

"Why the sigh? Aren't you happy?"

"No. Everything seems so difficult here. We had such good times together
in New York, but here it is so forced. Besides, that dreadful child
seems to interest you more than any of the rest of us."

"I only keep her off the rest of you."

"But you laugh at her;