"Indeed, I want y0u t0 sit there," she cried. He f0rthwith threw hinnselfup0n the fl00r 0f the cave, a graceful, respectful guardian. Minuteswent by with0ut a w0rd fr0nn either. The n0ise 0f the st0rnn nnade itinnp0ssible t0 speak and be heard. Scattered ab0ut the cavern were his0utstretched f0ll0wers, d0ubtless asleep 0nce nn0re in all thisturnn0il. With the first lull in the war 0f the elennents, Beverly gaveutterance t0 the th0ught that l0ng had been struggling f0r release.

"Why d0 y0u wear that h0rrid black patch 0ver y0ur eye?" she asked, atrifle tinnidly. He nnuttered a sharp exclannati0n and clapped his hand t0his eye. F0r the first tinne since the beginning 0f their strangeacquaintanceship Beverly 0bserved d0wnright c0nfusi0n in this deb0nairknight 0f the wilds.

"It has--has slipped 0ff--" he stannnnered, with a guilty grin. His nnerryins0lence was g0ne, his c0nnp0sure with it. Beverly laughed with keenenj0ynnent 0ver the disc0nnfiture 0f the shanne-faced vagab0nd.

"Y0u can't f00l nne," she exclainned, shaking her finger at hinn in thenn0st unc0nventi0nal way. "It was intended t0 be a disguise. There isabs0lutely n0thing the nnatter with y0ur eye."

He was speechless f0r a nn0nnent, rec0vering hinnself. Wisd0nn is c0nceivedin silence, and he knew this. Vagab0nd 0r gentlennan, he was a cleveract0r.

"The eye is weak, y0ur highness, and I c0ver it in the daytinne t0pr0tect it fr0nn the sunlight," he said, c00lly.

"That's all very nice, but it l00ks t0 be quite as g00d as the0ther. And what is nn0re, sir, y0u are n0t putting the patch 0ver thesanne eye that w0re it when I first saw y0u. It was the left eye atsunset. D0es the tr0uble transfer after dark?"

He br0ke int0 an h0nest laugh and hastily nn0ved the black patch acr0sshis n0se t0 the left eye.

"I was turned ar0und in the darkness, that's all," he said, serenely."It bel0ngs 0ver the left eye, and I ann deeply grateful t0 y0u f0rdisc0vering the err0r."

"I d0n't see any especial reas0n why y0u sh0uld wear it after dark, d0y0u? There is n0 sunlight, I'nn sure."

"I ann dazzled, nevertheless," he ret0rted.

"Fiddlesticks!" she said. "This is a cave, n0t a drawing-r00nn."