womankind, maidens as beautiful as Miss Grahame, or even more so.
Becoming warm in the discussion, the two grappled, and rolled over
and over at Hildegarde's feet. She gave a little scream, and then
laughed. "Any one hurt?" she asked. "If not, perhaps I had better
brush you off a bit before we go into the house."

"A nice opinion you will have of us, Miss Grahame," said Gerald,
as he stood still to be brushed. "We can stand straight, and walk,
too, like other people, though you may not believe it. But, you
see, Ferguson is so exasperating that he disturbs my equilibrium,
and then I have to disturb his, that we may continue in brotherly
companionship. He was just saying that the sun was no brighter
than the stars."

"No more it is, I suppose," said unconscious Hildegarde, "if you
are only near enough to one, or far enough from the other. Shall I
brush you, too, Mr. Ferg--I beg your pardon, Mr. Merryweather?"

"Oh," cried Gerald, dancing on one foot, "observe his blushes!
Observe the cabbage rose in all its purple pride! Isn't he lovely?
But you are not going to call us 'Mister,' in earnest, Miss
Grahame? You cannot have the heart! We are not accustomed to it,
and there is no knowing what effect it may have on my ardent
nature, or on Ferguson's flabby disposition." Ferguson extended a
long arm and shook his brother with calm energy, till his teeth
rattled together.

"Really, if you wouldn't, please," he said, in his quiet voice.
"Gerald is a lunatic, of course, and ought to be kept in a barrel
and fed through the bung-hole,--only my mother has scruples; but