"Oh! thank you, Miss Mary, thank you," replied Marten most gratefully to
the kind little girl, "thank you, I am so much obliged to you."

But Marten spoke aloud, and thus drew Reuben's attention to the fact
that he was going to be left with strangers, and once more he raised a
cry as much of passion as of fear. So Marten, to soothe him, made a step
towards the lawn with the child, though Mary still held his hand,
giving a private sign to Marten that he might slip away on the first
opportunity.

"Your tribute, your tribute," exclaimed Jane Roscoe: "not one step upon
the grass, Master Mortimer, without giving up your cap as a sign you own
us 'The ladies of the lawn.' Give it up, I command, or stay where you
are."

"Will you give it me again in a minute or two, as I come back," asked
Marten?

"Ask Frank Farleigh there if he has got his," said Jane. "You shall have
yours when he has found his, that is if we can hide it as securely."

"Then you may get it as you can," retorted Marten rudely, stepping upon
the grass, and on Jane's springing after him setting off on a race as
fast as he could across the lawn, in utter defiance of the young girls.
A cry was raised instantly, and all the children left their sports to
pursue the boy, who had thus boldly defied their power; and lucky was
it for him that he was agile and could twist and turn in his course as
rapidly as a hare. But when there is at least twelve to one and a clear
space, the raced has little chance, and thus it came about that the boy