Page:George Weston--The apple-tree girl.djvu/98

 remarked in the cold tone of formality: "How do you do, Neil?"

"Just happened to be passing," he said. "And, of course, I couldn't help stopping."

Festooned around the edge of the pit were the Seven Faithful Ones, their fourteen eyes gravely watching, their fourteen ears gravely listening. Charlotte went on trying her difficult shots, and a naughty, yes, a wicked thought gradually took shape in her mind, as wicked thoughts have taken shape since time immemorial.

"I practiced how to make people like me," she thought, "because that was my First Sum. And I'm practising this because of my Second Sum. But there's one thing I've never practiced yet"

She checked her thoughts and blushed tremendously, those fourteen eyes regarding her gravely from the edge of the pit. "I don't care," she thought, flying to her own defense; "he's got no right