ered well how he daren't touch a
blossom under pain of a good whipping. And the forget-me-nots on the
bank of the stream, which flowed past the end of the garden, and the
May bells were ringing in a chorus, to which no one listened.

Everything was just as it had been, only grown. The trees had such
long branches that they were entangled with those on the opposite
shore.

He laid himself down in the green grass, all dotted over with yellow
cowslips. No one could beat him now. He might waste his time and drink
his fill of lazy enjoyment. Fame, the chatter of the newspapers over
his sudden disappearance, the ladies who would regret him--what were
they all in comparison with this? In a hiding-place on the river-bank
he sought for the little flute he had secretly made in those old days.
To his great joy it was there, just as he had left it.

Arpad took from his pocket a newspaper full of his Parisian triumphs,
an announcement of his next appearance. Where is Paris now? Out of the
sheet he made a large boat with sails, that it might take a cargo on
board. He pulled a bunch of the cherry blossom; he set the tiny vessel
on the water, and while it danced over the little bubbles in the
stream he laid down again among the forget-me-nots and played upon his
flute the national air, "Repuelj fecskem."

At the sound of the flute another child appeared. She came from the
house opposite: a young girl about fifteen. She had a round, fair,
laughing face and beautiful blue eyes. Timidly, like a frightened
fawn, she made a few steps, then stopped and listened. By-and-by she
drew nearer, then stood still again. She did not see the flute-player;
she noticed nothing but his flute and his boat with the cherry
blossoms.

The girl had come quite close to the bank without Arpad having seen
her approach. He was made aware of her presence by hearing her laugh.
The laugh of a child is as clear as a bell. Arpad looked up,
surprised.

"Ah, is that you, Sophie? How pretty you have grown! I beg you will
send me back my boat."

Sophie did not want to be asked twice. She held up her frock with one
hand, tucked it between her knees, and after she had replaced the red
cherry blossoms by some white flowers, she gave the little boat such a
hearty shove that it came back to the opposite side. Then the game
began again. It was so amusing!

Madame Belenyi saw the pair from the window. She didn't disturb them,
but let them amuse themselves until the su