Natalie turned a wide and questioning look on him.
"No," she said in a tone he had never heard from her before,
Lewis sank back upon one elbow. He had been on the point of telling her that good-by was only two days off. Her tone stopped him. "Do you remember the night of the sunset?" he asked, instead.
Natalie nodded.
"I said I was going to sail to the biggest island. You said you were, too, and I said you couldn't because you were littlest. Do you remember?"
Natalie sank her head slowly in assent. Her lower lip trembled. Suddenly she laughed and sprang to her feet.
"Come on," she cried, "or we'll be late for supper. I'll beat you to the fence." She was off with a rush, but Lewis got to the fence first. He helped her over with mock ceremony. When they came to a wall farther on he helped her over again. This helping Natalie over obstacles was something new. It gave him faint twinges of pleasure.
They came to the foot of the pasture at the back of the house and to the last wall of all. "Come on," said Lewis, smiling and holding out his hand.
"Not this time, silly," said Natalie. "Don't you see the bars are down?"
"Yes, I see," said Lewis, springing into the open gap in the wall, "but you're not coming through here. You're going over."