Naida’s dark curls mingled with the grass several times before Geraldine comprehended that her new companion was absurdly at her mercy; and then she seized her with all the desperation of first possession and kissed her hard.

“It’s ended,” breathed Geraldine tremulously, “and nobody gained the victory and—­you will love me, won’t you?”

“I don’t know—­I’m all dirt.”  She looked at Geraldine, bewildered by the passion of the lonely child’s caresses.  “Yes—­I do love you, Geraldine.  Oh, look at those boys!  How perfectly disgraceful!  They must stop—­make them stop, Geraldine!”

Hair on end, grass-stained, dishevelled, and unspeakably dirty, the boys were now sparring for breath.  Grime and perspiration streaked their countenances.  Duane Mallett wore a humorously tinted eye and a prehensile upper lip; Scott’s nose had again yielded to the coy persuasion of a left-handed jab and the proud blood of the Seagraves once more offended high heaven on that April day.

Geraldine, one arm imprisoning Naida’s waist, walked coolly in between them: 

“Don’t let’s fight any more.  The thing to do is to get Mrs. Bramton to give you enough for four to eat and bring it back here.  Scott, please shake hands with Duane.”

“I wasn’t licked,” muttered Scott.

“Neither was I,” said Duane.

“Nobody was licked by anybody,” announced Geraldine.  “Do get something to eat, Scott; Naida and I are starving!”

After some hesitation the boys touched gloves respectfully, and Scott shook off his mitts, and started for the kitchen.

And there, to his horror and surprise, he was confronted by Mrs. Severn, black hat, crape veil, and gloves still on, evidently that instant arrived from those occult and, as the children supposed, distant bournes of Staten Island, where the supreme mystery of all had been at work.

“Oh, Scott!” she exclaimed tremulously, “what on earth has happened?  What is all this that Mrs. Farren and Howker have been telling me?”

The boy stood petrified.  Then there surged over him the memory of his brief happiness in these new companions—­a happiness now to be snatched away ere scarcely tasted.  Into the child’s dirty, disfigured face came a hunted expression; he looked about for an avenue of escape, and Kathleen Severn caught him at the same instant and drew him to her.

“What is it, Scott?  Tell me, darling!”

“Nothing....  Yes, there is something.  I opened the front door and let a strange boy and girl in to play with us, and I’ve just been fighting with him, and we were having such good times—­I—­” his voice broke—­“I can’t bear to have them go—­so soon——­”

Kathleen looked at him for a moment, speechless with consternation.  Then: 

“Where are they, Scott?”

“In the—­the hedge.”

“Out there?”

“Yes.”

“Who are they?”