d I thought they might
be of interest to you. Did you ever know me strike a foul blow, Carette?" I
asked hotly.

"No, never! I was wrong, Phil. Let us ride again and forget the heads
tumbling into the baskets and those horrid women knitting and singing."

So we climbed the rocky way, and then I got Gray Robin alongside a rock,
and we mounted without much loss and went our way down the lanes in
somewhat better case. For I was still somewhat warm at her thinking so ill
of me, and she, perceiving it, did her best to make me forget it all.

And now we began to meet other merry riders, and their outspoken, but
mistaken, congratulations testified plainly to the Island feeling in favour
of Island maids mating with Island men, and perhaps made Carette regret her
Solomon-like decision of the night before. It made me feel somewhat foolish
also, at thought of what they would say when they saw her riding back with
young Torode.

A cleverer man would, no doubt, have turned it all to account, but I could
not. All I could do was to carry it off as coolly as possible to save
Carette annoyance, and to affect a lightness and joviality which were
really not in me.

And some of these meetings were full of surprise for Carette, but mostly
they only confirmed her expectations. For girls have sharp eyes in such
matters and generally know how things are going, and I have no doubt she
and Aunt Jeanne talked them over together. And there was not much went on
in Sercq without Aunt Jeanne knowing all about it.

And so it would be--

"Who is this, then? Elie Guerin and--ma fe--Judith Drillot! Now that's odd,
for I always thought--"

"Perhaps they're Only pretending," I murmured, and Carette kicked her
little heels into Gray Robin's ribs so hard that she nearly fell off at his
astonished jump.

"B'jou, Judi! B'jou, Elie! Good luck to you!" she cried, as they drew rein
alongside, their faces radiant with smiles both for themselves and for us.

"Now, mon Gyu, but I am glad to see you again, Phil Carre, and to see you
two together!" said Elie, with the overflowing heartiness of a
fully-satisfied man.

"Oh, we're only just taking a ride to see how other folks are getting on,"
I said. "Carette exchanges me for Monsieur Torode later on. You see I only
got home last night and he had asked her already."

"Mon Gyu!" gasped Judi, and we waved our hands and rode on, leaving them
gaping.

Then it would be--

"Mon Gyu! _That's_ all right! Here