ek. Unwittingly Darsie
had hit upon the most scathing of all indictments. To be an object of
_amusement_ to others! What could be more lacerating to the dignity of
nineteen years. "I had no idea that I was being so funny. Will you
have the goodness to point out what you found so amusing?"

"Your airs," replied Darsie bluntly. "And graces! You asked me, you
know, so I'm bound to tell you. It's so odd to see a boy like that.
But you needn't be cross. I'm speaking only for myself. Those other
girls liked it very much... You could see that for yourself."

"Just so. We are talking of _your_ opinion at the moment, however, not
of theirs. What sort of--er--_boys_ are you accustomed to meet, if one
may ask?"

The strong accent thrown on the word "boys" showed a fresh ground of
complaint. Darsie felt a twinge of compunction, remembering the episode
of the punt and her own great cause for gratitude. The answer came with
startling earnestness.

"Not a bit braver than you, nor quicker and cleverer in an emergency.
Perhaps not so good. If you'd hesitated one moment I mightn't have been
here to criticise. But, just big, simple boys, not an ounce of
affectation between them. Of course, they are not handsome. That makes
a difference..."

But Ralph was not to be mollified by a compliment on his good looks. He
was irritated, and considered that he had good reason for being so.
Darsie Garnett was an unusually pretty and attractive girl, and having
saved her from a perilous position but a fortnight earlier, it had been
an agreeable delusion to imagine himself ensconced for life in her
estimation as a gallant young rescuer, the object of her undying
gratitude and admiration--a delusion indeed, since the criticism of
those mocking eyes was more than equalled by the explicitness of her
explanations!

Ralph looked injured and melancholy, and Darsie, with characteristic
softness of heart, was instantly seized with compunction. She was
finding out for herself what every one who came in contact with Ralph
Percival discovered sooner or later--that it was exceedingly difficult
to keep up a feeling of offence against any one who showed his
displeasure in so interesting and attractive a fashion.

He was so handsome, so graceful in movement, he had the art of
concealing the most ordinary emotions behind a cloak of baffling
superiority. To-day, as he paced the garden paths by Darsie's side,
Ralph wore the air of a lovelor