ANNE OF GREEN GABLES COUNTRY 163

”NO,” “When we start pedalling . ” “No! It’s so lovely here . . . Why go on?

Let’s just be lazy to—day, and swim, and eat, and lie in the sun, and eat again, and sleep. ”

“Eat what?” I inquired doubtfully, thinking of our depleted resources.

“We could buy our dinner somewhere. ”

The argument drifted on through rough water to a shoal of complete agreement. We would, as we decided finally, spend the day here in this lotus land which we had found, and sleep and swim and bathe in the sun. We were free to come and go as we chose, so why should we hurry? Why move at all, I mused, as an inquisitive fly sank his fangs into my tender extremities.

Jean was right. We fried our bacon lazily over the fire and then cooked our one remaining egg. From the farm house in the distance a hen cackled triumphantly, and we debated inwardly.

“She might be lying,” Jean wavered uncertainly. “ Pass the marmalade. "

“There isn’t any."

“Then pass the butter. ”

“That’s gone, too. ”

“Then pass me our pocket-book!”

She straightened up suddenly and, filled with noble intentions, was off in the general direction of the recent cackle. In the meantime, I mused, it would be a shame to let the rest of that bacon go to waste, especially as I was so hungry, and it would be cold anyway by the time she returned.

She was a long time coming back, very long. What on earth could be keeping her? Perhaps I'd

0. I.—12