"A great deal more than I should be willing to pay for the knowledge," returned her hostess between a smile and a tear. "You poor young thing! What a fearful time you must have had!"
Rupert's appearance had undergone quite as great an improvement as Juanita's, and they exchanged many admiring glances during the meal.
Afterward, when they found themselves alone together for a moment, "How lovely you are this morning, my darling!" exclaimed Rupert, catching Juanita in his arms and giving her a rapturous embrace.
"You too," she said, laying one small hand on each of his broad shoulders and gazing fondly up into his face.
"It's the clothes—altogether the clothes in my case, I fear," he returned, half laughingly; "savage attire is none too becoming to me."
"Nor to me," she responded; "it's the change of dress with me as well as with you. But oh, my Rupert, I have always thought you the handsomest of men, even in savage attire!"
"Little flatterer!" he said, laughing and pinching her cheek, yet evidently not ill pleased with the compliment. "That dress is extremely becoming; really you are positively bewitching in it."
"Ah, who is the flatterer now?" she cried, clapping her hands and laughing gleefully.
Ralph looked in at the door. "Mr. Keith, father says would you like to come and look at some of our fine cattle, if you are not too tired?"