"You are such a baby," she said; "such a baby! Do ask me why and I'll tell
you half a dozen whys. I'd love to."
The path was the smoothest and shadiest of forest paths, the hour was the
sweetest and sunniest of summer hours, the moment was the brightest and
happiest of all the moments which they had known together--up to now.
"Do tell me," he said; "I'm wild to know."
He took her hand and laid it on his arm. For that little while she was
certainly his and his alone, and no man had a better claim to her. "Go on
and tell me," he repeated.
"There is one big reason and there are lots of little ones. Which will you
have first?"
"The little ones, please."
"Then, listen; you are like a baby because you are impatient, because you
are spoilt, because when you want anything you think that you must have
it, and because you like to be walked with."
"Are those the little reasons," he said when she paused; "and what's the
big one?"
"The big one," she said slowly; "Oh, I'm afraid that you won't like the
big one!"
"Perhaps it will be all the better for me if I don't," he laughed; "at any
rate I beg and pray and plead to know it."
"What a dear boy!" she laughed. "If you want to know as badly as that, I'd
have to tell you anyhow, whether I wanted to or not. It's because I'm so
much the oldest."
"Oh!" said Jack, much disappointed. "Is that why?"
"And then too," she continued, "you seem even younger because of your
being so unsophisticated.
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