on any shabby clothes you happen to have. If you are going
to be a counter-jumper you must have got some very shabby things."

"Why do you speak to me in that tone?" said Hughie.

"Oh, I don't know. I didn't mean anything. You can put on anything you
like, and you needn't come if you don't want to; but I thought you were
a plucky sort of chap."

"You may be quite sure I am. Of course I will come with you. Let us run
down to the boat-house. Perhaps," continued Hughie, struggling with the
promise he had made to Rosamund, "the storm may go off in another
direction, and we sha'n't have it."

"I see you are awfully afraid of it, and it mayn't come here at all,"
said Irene, who knew perfectly well that it would, for the cloud was
coming more and more in the direction of the house each moment.

In a very short time the two children were in the boat, Irene taking
both the oars, and giving Hughie simple directions to steer straight for
the stream in the middle of the lake.

"Now I will give him a real rousing fright," she said to herself. "After
that perhaps he will be my slave, the same as Carter was. Anyhow, I have
a crow to pluck with him; and the storm, and my knowledge of the water,
and his absolute ignorance will enable me to win the day."

Aloud, she said in a gentle voice, "Perhaps you'd like to take the
oars?"

"I will if you like," said Hughie; "but the fact is, I'm not very good
at rowing. I have never been much in a boat."

"Ah! I thought as much. But I can teach you. Come and sit here."

They had just entered the stream, which made the lake dangerous even on
a calm day. Hughie stumbled to his feet; Irene sat in the stern, took
the ropes, and skillfully guided the boat into the centre of the stream.
It began to rock tremendously.

"Now pull! Pull hard!" she said to the boy.

Just then a blinding flash of lightning came across their faces.

"Oh!" said Hughie, "the storm is on us. It will rain in a few minutes.
Hadn't we better get back?"

"What a coward you are!" said Irene. "It is the most awful fun to be out
on the lake in a storm like this. Ah! do you hear that growl?"

"But I can't manage the boat a bit."

"I thought all boys could manage boats. You don't expect a girl to do
it--a girl out in the midst of a storm of this sort? Besides, I must put
up my umbrella or I shall be soaked."

"But I told you it would rain. You shouldn't have come out," said
Hughie, who felt more annoyed, distressed, a