"Old friends to love!" said Jocko, opening one yellow eye, and ruffling his feathers knowingly.
"Jocko knows how I dare!" said Will Jaquith. "Dear old friend, I will tell you what it means. It means that I have brought you another Golden Lily in place of the one you said I spoiled. You can only have her to look at, though, for she is mine, mine and my mother's, and we cannot give her up, even to you."
"I didn't exactly break my promise, Lily!" cried the old lady; her hands trembled on her stick, but her cap was erect, immovable. "I didn't tell him, but I never promised not to tell James Stedman, you know I never did."
The lovely, dark-eyed girl bent over her and kissed the withered cheek again.
"My dear! my naughty, wicked, delightful dear," she murmured, "how shall I ever forgive you—or thank you?"
CHAPTER XIII.
LIFE IN DEATH
"Drive to Miss Dane's!" said Mrs. Tree.
"Drive where?" asked old Anthony, pausing with one foot on the step of the ancient carryall.
"To Miss Dane's!"