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anything about it； an' we can think our clothes is silk an' satin
an' velwet； all covered with dimuns an' precious stones； jus' as
well as not。'
〃'Jus' as well；' says he。
〃'An' then；' I went on； 'we can go an' have chi…VAL…rous
adventures；or make believe we're havin' 'em；an' build up a
atmosphere of romanticness aroun' us that'll carry us back'
〃'To ole Virginny；' says he。
〃'No；' says I； 'for thousands of years； or at least enough back for
the times of tournaments and chi…VAL…ry。'
〃'An' so your idea is that we make believe all these things； an'
don't pay for none of 'em； is it？' says he。
〃'Yes；' says I； 'an' you； Miguel'
〃'Jiguel；' says he。
〃'Can ask me； if you don't know what chi…VAL…ric or romantic thing
you ought to do or to say so as to feel yourself truly an' reely a
earl； for I've read a lot about these people； an' know jus' what
ought to be did。'
〃Well； he set himself down an' thought a while； an' then he says；
'All right。 We'll do that； an' we'll begin to…morrow mornin'； for
I've got a little business to do in the city which wouldn't be
exactly the right thing for me to stoop to after I'm a earl； so
I'll go in an' do it while I'm a common person； an' come back this
afternoon； an you can walk about an' look at the dry falls； an'
amuse yourself gen'rally； till I come back。'
〃'All right；' says I； an' off he goes。
〃He come back afore dark； an' the nex' mornin' we got ready to
start off。
〃'Have you any particular place to go？' says he。
〃'No；' says I； 'one place is as likely to be as good as another for
our style o' thing。 If it don't suit； we can imagine it does。'
〃'That'll do；' says he； an' we had our trunk sent to the station；
and walked ourselves。 When we got there； he says to me；
〃Which number will you have； five or seven？'
〃'Either one will suit me； Earl Miguel；' says I。
〃'Jiguel；' says he； 'an' we'll make it seven。 An' now I'll go an'
look at the time…table； an' we'll buy tickets for the seventh
station from here。 The seventh station；' says he； comin' back； 'is
Pokus。 We'll go to Pokus。'
〃So when the train come we got in； an' got out at Pokus。 It was a
pretty sort of a place； out in the country； with the houses
scattered a long ways apart； like stingy chicken…feed。
〃'Let's walk down this road；' says he； 'till we come to a good
house for a castle； an' then we can ask 'em to take us to board；
an' if they wont do it we'll go to the next； an' so on。'
〃'All right；' says I； glad enough to see how pat he entered into
the thing。
〃We walked a good ways； an' passed some little houses that neither
of us thought would do； without more imaginin' than would pay； till
we came to a pretty big house near the river； which struck our
fancy in a minute。 It was a stone house； an' it had trees aroun'
it； there was a garden with a wall； an' things seemed to suit
first…rate； so we made up our minds right off that we'd try this
place。
〃'You wait here under this tree；' says he； 'an' I'll go an' ask 'em
if they'll take us to board for a while。'
〃So I waits； an' he goes up to the gate； an' pretty soon he comes
out an' says； 'All right； they'll take us； an' they'll send a man
with a wheelbarrer to the station for our trunk。' So in we goes。
The man was a country…like lookin' man； an' his wife was a very
pleasant woman。 The house wasn't furnished very fine； but we
didn't care for that； an' they gave us a big room that had rafters
instid of a ceilin'； an' a big fire…place； an' that； I said； was
jus' exac'ly what we wanted。 The room was almos' like a donjon
itself； which he said he reckoned had once been a kitchin； but I
told him that a earl hadn't nothin' to do with kitchins； an' that
this was a tapestry chamber； an' I'd tell him all about the strange
figgers on the embroidered hangin's； when the shadders begun to
fall。
〃It rained a little that afternoon； an' we stayed in our room； an'
hung our clothes an' things about on nails an' hooks； an' made
believe they was armor an' ancient trophies an' portraits of a long
line of ancesters。 I did most of the make…believin' but he agreed
to ev'rything。 The man who kep' the house's wife brought us our
supper about dark； because she said she thought we might like to
have it together cozy； an' so we did； an' was glad enough of it；
an' after supper we sat before the fire…place； where we made…
believe the flames was a…roarin' an' cracklin' an' a…lightin' up
the bright places on the armor a…hangin' aroun'； while the storm
which we made…believewas a…ragin' an' whirlin' outside。 I told
him a long story about a lord an' a lady； which was two or three
stories I had read； run together； an' we had a splendid time。 It
all seemed real real to me。〃
CHAPTER XV。
IN WHICH TWO NEW FRIENDS DISPORT THEMSELVES。
〃The nex' mornin' was fine an' nice；〃 continued Pomona； 〃an' after
our breakfast had been brought to us； we went out in the grounds to
take a walk。 There was lots of trees back of the house； with walks
among 'em； an' altogether it was so ole…timey an' castleish that I
was as happy as a lark。
〃'Come along； Earl Miguel；' I says； 'let us tread a measure 'neath
these mantlin' trees。'
〃'All right；' says he。 'Your Jiguel attends you。 An' what might
our noble second name be？ What is we earl an' earl…ess of？'
〃'Oh； anything；' says I。 'Let's take any name at random。'
〃'All right；' says he。 'Let it be random。 Earl an' Earl…ess
Random。 Come along。'
〃So we walks about； I feelin' mighty noble an' springy； an' afore
long we sees another couple a…walkin' about under the trees。
〃'Who's them？' says I。
〃'Don't know；' says he； 'but I expect they're some o' the other
boarders。 The man said he had other boarders when I spoke to him
about takin' us。'
〃'Let's make…believe they're a count an' count says I。 'Count an'
Countess of'
〃'Milwaukee；' says he。
〃I didn't think much of this for a noble name； but still it would
do well enough； an' so we called 'em the Count an' Countess of
Milwaukee； an' we kep' on a meanderin'。 Pretty soon he gets tired
an' says he was agoin' back to the house to have a smoke because he
thought it was time to have a little fun which weren't all
imaginations； an' I says to him to go along； but it would be the
hardest thing in this world for me to imagine any fun in smokin'。
He laughed an' went back； while I walked on； a…makin'…believe a
page； in blue puffed breeches； was a…holdin' up my train； which was
of light…green velvet trimmed with silver lace。 Pretty soon；
turnin' a little corner； I meets the Count and Countess of
Milwaukee。 She was a small lady； dressed in black； an' he was a
big fat man about fifty years old； with a grayish beard。 They both
wore little straw hats； exac'ly alike； an' had on green carpet…
slippers。
〃They stops when they sees me； an' the lady she bows and says
'good…mornin'；' an' then she smiles； very pleasant； an' asks if I
was a…livin' here； an' when I said I was； she says she was too； for
the present； an' what was my name。 I had half a mind to say the
Earl…ess Random； but she was so pleasant and sociable that I didn't
like to seem to be makin' fun； an' so I said I was