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“Good morning, uncle!” cried Caroline. “Aunt Courtlandt,
how well you look after all the worry yesterday.
I'm as glad to see you as if I had been away for a month
instead of one night. I just got my riding dress, and
rode over as the morning was so fine!”

“What a nice dress;” said Doctor Courtlandt, “ah,
the young ladies of the present day are quite different
from those of the old time. Silk is now the rule, then
linsey was decidedly more fashionable.”

“You speak as if you were as old as Methuselah.”

“I'm past forty, Carry,” replied the Doctor, “I am
getting old.”

“You shall not grow old; I will keep you young, uncle.”

“How will you accomplish that?”

“By laughing at you.”

“Laughing at me, indeed.”

“You know then you will laugh back at me; and as
long as people laugh they do not look old.”

“Well, take off that riding skirt; that at least is no
laughing matter.”

“Certainly; where is my agreeable cousin Max?”

“Ah! there is the cat out of the bag. You did not
come to see me—but Max.”

“Fie! uncle; a young lady visit a gentleman! Indeed!”

And the young girl's pretty lip curled scornfully.

“Come, come,” said the Doctor, “I foresee you will
spend your indignation on the unfortunate Max—a kiss
will make us good friends again.”

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“Who could quarrel with you, you nice old man!”
cried Caroline, running to him.

“Take care! your skirt will trip you!” cried Mrs.
Courtlandt.

The caution came too late;—Caroline, full of life and
merriment—a merriment which reddened her cheeks
and danced in her sparkling eyes, sprang forward so
quickly, that the long skirt she wore got beneath her feet,
and she fell forward—not into the arms of the nice old
man, her uncle, but into those of Max, who at that moment
entered with the foils and masks.

The Doctor burst into laughter.

“Bravo!” he cried, “there is a nice present Miss Caroline
makes you, Max; thank her.”

“Of herself, sir?” said the young man, with a pleasant
laugh, “then I accept unconditionally.”

Caroline laughed, and quickly extricated herself from
her cousin's embrace.

“Thank you,” she said; “it is Leap Year, but I have
no intention of presenting myself to any body.”

“Especially to such a dull fellow as myself,” said Max.

“You are not dull, cousin: how could you be? a traveled
gentleman, full of accomplishments, elegant graces;
and then your bow—that is nonpareil.”

“What a tongue, you little witch!” said the Doctor.

“And now you are about to exhibit your fencing graces,
I suppose,” said Caroline; “come, begin!”

Max smiled, and took his foil, without paying any attention
to his cousin's raillery. The Doctor put on his
mask, and bent his foil on the toe of his boot.

“Two to one on uncle!” cried Caroline, laughing and
retreating from the glittering steel, which the Doctor, with
the ease of a practiced swordsman, whirled around him—
going through the motions of engaging and disengaging.

“Two to one—say you?” replied her uncle; “that
were too much, unless you won.”

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“I declare, uncle, you are the smartest old gallant I
have ever seen! Well, I'll bet cousin Max that you throw
his sword out of his hand in half a minute.”

“Take the bet, Max,” said the Doctor.

“I am afraid you will, sir,” Max replied, laughing.

“Bet—bet, nevertheless.”

“What shall the bet be, cousin Carry?” asked the
young man.

“Your hat against my riding-cap. You will look very
nice riding back with me without your hat.”

“Done,” said Max, putting on his mask.

“En garde!” said Doctor Courtlandt; and Max placed
himself in position.

“All fair now, uncle,” said the young girl, laughing.

“I pledge you my honor I will try to make him lose.
So take care of your weapon, Max.”

Max grasped his foil with an experienced hand, and,
throwing back his hair, fixed his eyes upon those of his
father, and crossed his weapon. The two swords clashed,
and half a dozen rapid passes ensued, in which neither
were marked.

“I need not have chalked the button, sir,” said the
young man; “I can not touch you.”

“Try again,” said Caroline.

The weapons were again crossed; and after a rapid
passage, in which the foils writhed around each other
like glittering serpents, the young man was struck upon
the breast.

“You are dead,” said Doctor Courtlandt; “see, Max,
on your heart! The mark is perfectly plain. You are a
dead man!”

“I never felt better in my life,” replied Max, laughing.

“Now for the bet,” said Caroline.

“Ah! I forgot,” said the Doctor, taking his place.

The weapons crossed a third time; and after a dozen
rapid passes the young man, by a quick turn of the wrist,

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sent Doctor Courtlandt's foil flying to the other side of
the room.

“Oh, how nice!” cried Caroline.

“Faith!” said Doctor Courtlandt, rubbing his arm,
“you have a good wrist, Max.”

“And I have won your cap, cousin Caroline,” the young
man said.

“But you would not be so ungallant as to take it?”

“Indeed I will: I would have had great success in
pleading for my hat, had you won.”

“Well, there it is, sir; I take back all I said about
your gallantry and accomplishments.”

“I appeal from Miss Courtlandt out of humor to Miss
Courtlandt pleased,” said Max, laughing, and taking the
little cap with its black feather.

“That is right, Max,” said the Doctor; “compel her
to comply with the conditions of the bet.”

“Will you try another pass, sir?”

“No, thank you; by no means; I have enough. My
arm is still stunned to the very elbow. I should have
killed you, but you have, in reality, disabled me. You
profited by La Force's teaching, faith.”

“Fencing was my only amusement, sir, you know.”

“Yes, yes—you have, however, turned your science to
some profit. A nice cap you have lost, Carry, by your
betting mania.”

“Dear old man! I do not regret it—for it was for
your sake. Now I must go back; I just galloped over,
and had no idea I should be so much amused.”

“Max, do you go over this morning?” asked Doctor
Courtlandt.

“Yes, sir; I have just ordered my horse, and whenever
cousin Carry is ready, I am.”

“I am ready now; but poor me, what am I to do without
my cap?”

“The best you can.”

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“Well, Mr. Uncourtly, come; I don't care for any.
My curls are not so unbecoming, and the sun is not
hot enough to freckle my face. Good-by, dear uncle—
and you, aunt, come over as soon as you can.”

And with these words the young girl, holding up her
long skirt, went out, followed by Max, who bore in his
hand the riding-cap.

“Please give it to me,” said Caroline, as she took her
seat in the saddle.

“That depends upon your behavior, cousin Caroline,”
said Max.

“What! on the ride?”

“Yes; so take care!”

“Keep it then!” cried the young girl, shaking back
her long curls, and rapidly setting forward toward the
Parsonage. Max followed, and took his place at her
side in excellent spirits, and anticipating a delightful
visit.

A quarter of a mile from the house, they met Mr.
Robert Emberton, riding very languidly toward Doctor
Courtlandt's. He saluted the young lady with negligent
politeness, and drew up.

“Where are you going?” asked Caroline.

“To Doctor Courtlandt's—then to the Parsonage, to
see Miss Alice,” said Mr. Emberton, laconically.

“What, pray, takes you to uncle's?”

“My horse,” said Mr. Emberton; “and in addition to
that execrable animal, a note from that amiable sister of
mine, Josephine.”

And Mr. Emberton was about to pass on.

“Stop,” said Caroline, “there is one of the Lock servants
going home; he will take it.”

Mr. Emberton hesitated.

“I had promised myself a pleasant talk with Doctor
Courtlandt—most entertaining gentleman I have ever
known—” he said, “but he is probably busy to-day.

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Therefore,” added Mr. Emberton quickly, lest Max should
have an opportunity of assuring him that his father was
at leisure, “I will continue on my way to the Parsonage.
Don't let me stop you.”

Caroline, after some hesitation, agreed to laugh at this
speech; and Mr. Emberton delivered the note to the
servant who was passing on a wagon horse.

“You may join us if you choose,” said Caroline, “or
ride alone.”

“Well, I'll go with you,” said Mr. Emberton.

And they all continued their way to the Parsonage.

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