thing certain: I will tell the Professor the truth in the morning."

All that Irene did, however, during the long hours of that summer's
night was to lie fast asleep with Rosamund's arm round her. But just
before she fell into slumber, Rosamund said:

"Aren't you cold, Irene? Surely you are not accustomed, even in the
middle of summer, to wear so little clothing at night."

"Bless you!" said Irene, "half the nights of my life I sleep in the
boat. I go out just as night falls, and none of them can ever catch me;
and there I sleep, curled up in the bottom of the boat. Oh! it is
splendid to wake in the early morning and to hear the birds singing, and
to feel the fresh, fresh air on my face. I was never meant for
civilization. When you come to live with me we will do the same, both of
us. We'll be an uncivilized pair of terrors--that is what we will be. If
you come to me, Rosamund, will you promise to be quite naughty? You
won't turn awfully goody-goody, just to make me goody-goody?"

"I can promise nothing at present," said Rosamund. "You did exceedingly
wrong to come, and I did worse to yield to you, and to get out of the
window, and to spend the night with you, as I have done. I don't know
what will happen in the morning--I really don't--and my friend so very
ill, too."

"Oh, bother your friend!" said Irene; and then she dropped off asleep,
and Rosamund sat and thought things out.

At first the night-air was delightful; but as the hours went by poor
Rosamund, who had not brought any extra wrap with her in her hasty
flight, felt chilled and tired. She woke Irene when the sun was high in
the heavens.

"Come," she said, "I have broken my word of honor, and for you; but I am
going now to take you back as far as The Follies. What will happen
afterwards I do not know, and you mustn't ask me. If you don't come
quietly at once I will never have anything more to do with you as long
as I live. Get up! come along!"

"Why, you are quite cross; but you look very handsome, and I admire your
ways," said Irene. "Dear, dear! Wasn't it lovely sleeping in your arms?
We will sleep together in a cosy bed at The Follies, won't we, darling?"

"I can't make any promises. I don't know what is going to happen. Come
quickly. I want to be in the house and up in my own room before any one
discovers that I spent the night out."

There seemed reason in this to Irene, and she suffered her friend to
walk with her along the road. It was a gl