When breakfast was over, Gentiliska said to Sybil:
"You must not suppose that I live entirely under ground, like a mole! No, indeed; every day when it is fine, I go to the surface. I get out on the roof. I walk on the mountain heights, 'where never foot fell,' except my own! I went out yesterday, and would have taken you; but that you were so dead asleep. Will you climb with me to-day?"
"With great pleasure," said Sybil.
"And while we go, we will take little baskets and some luncheon, and we will gather some nuts—there are so many on the mountain—walnuts, chestnuts, hickory-nuts, hazle-nuts, and chinkapins," added the young hostess, as they walked back to the sleeping cavern, where they began to prepare for their ramble.
"There, take that, and wrap yourself up warm. I wish it was nicer, but I haven't a choice of garments here, you know."
Sybil picked up the articles thrown her by her hostess, and saw, to her astonishment, that it was a priceless India shawl, belonging to her friend Miss Pendleton.
"This! this!" she exclaimed, indignantly; "do you know what this is?"
"It is an old shawl," replied the girl, contemptuously.
"Yes, it is an 'old shawl,' a rare old camel's hair shawl, worth thousands upon thousands of dollars, an heir loom of the Pendleton family, that has descended from generation to generation, until now it is the property of Miss Beatrix Pendleton. Oh, I am so sorry she has lost it."
"What, that old thing? I'm blessed if I didn't think it was a most uncommon coarse, thick, heavy old broche."