“A piece of broken crockery,� mocked Diana; “you will have it mended when I marry some one else.�
“On the contrary,� he retorted, unmoved, “to quote the romancer: ‘Je vais me fich’ à l’eau.’�
“What?� she questioned, with lifted brows.
“It’s French,� he explained.
“So I supposed,� replied Diana, “but not as I learned it.�
“Nevertheless it is forcible,� said Jacob; “it means, inelegantly, that I will pitch myself into the river.�
“Inelegant and untruthful then,� said she.
“I got it from a book,� he said, “a recent one, and famous. I am quoting the modern novelists.�
They had reached the crest of a low ridge, and through a growth of red cedars could see the flash and leap of the river. Diana drew rein and turned her face fully toward her companion.
“Jacob,� she said abruptly, “why did you give all that money to Juniper?�