'Have you not been forbidden to shoot in the direction of any person?'

'Nor I didn't!' said Wilfred. 'I only shot the crocodile. I never
tried to hit her. She is quite big enough to miss.'

'And she did look such a nice Croat, mamma,' added Valetta. 'We were
scouts out of the Thorn Fortress, Willie and I, and it was such a jolly
dodge to steal upon one of the enemy.'

'You should have warned her.'

Then it would not have been a surprise,' said Val, seriously.

'Was she not at play with you?'

'No, mamma,' said Mysie. 'We asked her, and she would not. I say,'
pausing in consternation, 'Dolores, was it you that came and called at
the door of the Wolf's passage?'

'Of course. I wanted to show Gillian how Wilfred behaved to me.'

I thought it was Fergus come home to be the enemy.'

'Didn't you know her voice?' asked the mother

'We were all making such a noise ourselves in the dark,' said
Gillian, 'that there was no hearing any one; and Primrose was rather
frightened, so that Hal was attending to her. Indeed, Dolores, I am
very sorry. If we had guessed that it was you, we would have opened