"

"Indeed! But what of that? She's my aunt."

"And Robert van Buren is another friend, an intimate one. He has told me
about his cousin's motor-boat. He doesn't approve of the tour, as it is.
When he hears from me----"

"Oh, hang it all, why do you want to be such a spoilsport?" demanded the
poor wretch in torture. "Did _you_ never fall in love with a girl, and
feel you'd do anything to get her?"

This sudden change, this throwing himself upon my mercy, took me
somewhat aback. In threatening to tear the mote from his eye, what about
a certain obstruction in mine?

He was quick to see his advantage and follow it up.

"You say you heard everything. Then you must see why I thought of this
plan. I hoped at first Aunt Fleda might be prevailed on to come. When I
lost that hope I just couldn't give up the trip. I had to get an aunt to
chaperon those blessed girls, or it was good-by to them, for me. What
harm am I doing? The woman's respectable; the Consul has written me a
letter about her. If you know Aunt Fay--that's my name for her--you know
she would call this the best kind of a lark. I'll confess to her some
day. I'd have my head cut off sooner than injure Miss Rivers or Miss Van
Buren. Afterwards, when we've got to be great friends, they shall hear
the whole story, I promise; but of course, you can ruin me if you tell
them, or let your friend tell them, at this stage. _Do_ you think it's
fair to take advantage of what you overheard by accident, and spoil the
chance of my life? Oh, _say_ now, what can I do to make you keep still?"

"Well, I'm--_hanged_!" was all I could answer. And a good deal to my own
surprise, I heard myself suddenly burst into sardonic laughter.

Then he laughed, too, and we roared together. If any one noticed us,
they must have thought us friends of a lifetime; yet five minutes ago we
had been like dogs ready to fly at each other's throats, and there was
no earthly reason why we should not be of the same mind still.

"You _are_ going to let me alone, aren't you?" he continued to plead,
when he was calmer. "You are going to do unto me as you'd be done by,
and give my true love a chance to run smooth? If you refuse, I could
wish that fearful Flower back that I might set him at you."

My lips twitched. "I'm not sure," said I, "whether you ought to be in a
gaol or in the school-room."

"I ought to be on a motor-boat tour with the two most charming girls in
the world; and if I'm not to be ther