This last, as it began dimly to dawn upon her, that it was useless to deny the fact that even such listless and disdainful staring as she had vouchsafed to this make-believe city had located it, as it had not been located before, in her brain.

When she produced the flimsy question, “What difference does it make?” you can see at once the absurd mood that had gotten possession of her, and you lose all your desire to argue with any one who feels as foolish as that.  Neither had Ruth any desire to argue with herself; she was disgusted with her mind for insisting on keeping her up to a strain of thought.

“A lovely place to rest!” she said, aloud, and indignantly, giving a more emphatic poke with her parasol, and quite dislodging one of the buildings in Jerusalem.  “One’s brain is just kept at high pressure all the time.”

Now, why this young lady’s brain should have been in need of rest she did not take the trouble to explain, even to herself.  She sat herself down presently under one of the trees by the lake-side and gave herself up to plans.  She was tired of Chautauqua; of that she was certain.  It stirred her up, and the process was uncomfortable.  Her former composed life suited her taste better.  She must get away.  There was no earthly reason why she should not go at once to Saratoga.  A host of friends were already there, and certain other friends would be only too glad to follow as soon as ever they heard of her advent in that region.  Before she left that rustic settee under the trees she had the programme all arranged.

“We will get through to-morrow as we best can,” she said, sighing over the thought that to-morrow being the Sabbath would perforce be spent there, “and then on Monday morning Flossy and I will just run away to Saratoga and leave those two absurd girls to finish their absurd scheme in the best way they can.”

And having disposed of Flossy as though she were a bit of fashionable merchandise without any volition of her own, Ruth felt more composed and went at once to dinner.

There came an astonishing interference to this planning, from no other than Flossy herself.  To the utter amazement of each of the girls, she quietly refused to be taken to Saratoga; nor did she offer any other excuse for this astonishing piece of self-assertion than that she was having a good time and meant to finish it.  And to this she adhered with a pertinacity that was very bewildering, because it was so very new.  Marion laughed over her writing, to which she had returned the moment dinner was concluded.

“That is right, Flossy,” she said, “I’m glad to see Chautauqua is having an effect of some sort on one of us.  You are growing strong-minded; mind isn’t a bad thing to have; keep to yours.  Ruth, I am astonished at you; I shall have to confess that you are disappointing me, my child.  Now, I rather expected this dear little bit of lace and velvet to give up, conquered, in less than a week, but I said to myself, ’Ruth Erskine has pluck enough to carry her through a month of camp-life,’ and here you are quenched at the end of four days.”