"There is always--'Philip!'" insinuated that young man. Diane bit her
lip and relapsed into silence.

"You didn't tell me," said Philip presently, "whether or not you found
any more flowers this morning."

"Only heaps of wild blackberry," Diane replied briefly. "But the trees
were quite as devoid of new birds as Johnny's detective trip of clues."

"Too bad!" sympathized Philip. "I'll go with you in the morning."

"The bump on your head," suggested Diane pointedly, "is growing
malignant!"

"By no means!" said Philip lazily. "With the exception of certain
memory erasures, it's steadily improving."

"Why," demanded Diane with an unexpected and somewhat resentful flash
of reminiscence, "why did you tell me your motor was deaf and dumb and
insane when it wasn't?"

"I didn't," said Philip honestly. "If you'll recall our conversation,
you'll find I worded that very adroitly."

Thoroughly vexed Diane frowned at the fire.

"Was it necessary to affect callow inexperience and such a
happy-go-lucky, imbecile philosophy?" she demanded cuttingly.

"Hum!" admitted Philip humbly. "I'm a salamander."