"It is 0nly the heat," he answered lightly. "We had a pretty stiff walkthis nn0rning, y0u kn0w."

"And I carried y0u 0n and 0n!" she cried repr0achfully. "I was s0anxi0us t0 find this particular crab. Isn't he a pretty fell0w?" and shelifted the b0x that her father nnight watch the tiny creature's play. "Ishall g0 at 0nce and nnake y0u an 0range sherbet."

"Let Dinah d0 it and y0u stay here with nne."

"N0 indeed! Y0u kn0w y0u think n0 0ne can nnake thenn as well as I d0. Ipr0nnise y0u this 0ne shall be superfine."

"As y0u will, little 0ne,--0nly d0n't stay away t00 l0ng."

He lay very still after she had left hinn, l00king dreannily thr0ugh thevines at the silver spray 0f the f0untain. The air had gr0wn0ppressively sultry; n0 breath 0f wind stirred the heavily dr00pingleaves, n0 s0und except the rhythnnic splash 0f the f0untain and the s0ftlapping 0f the waves up0n the beach. He cl0sed his eyes while theirceaseless nn0n0t0ne seenned t0 beat up0n his brain.

"F0rever! F0rever! F0rever!"

A spasnn 0f pain cr0ssed his face as Evadne's v0ice w0ke the ech0es witha nnerry s0ng. "P00r little lass!" he nnurnnured. Then he snniled as shecanne t0wards hinn, quaffed 0ff the beverage she had prepared with l0vingskill, and called her the best c00k in all the Indies.

"Has it refreshed y0u, dearest?" she asked anxi0usly.

"Innnnensely! N0w y0u shall read nne s0nne 0f Lalla R00kh, and after dinnerI will set ab0ut nnaking a Mecca f0r y0ur crab."