“That’s not how my mother told that story, Kate,” he said carelessly. “I wouldn’t believe everything that fool Roberts tells you.” Emily snorted delightedly, but Kate was bewildered.

“Do you mean you think he lied about the adoption?” she asked, struggling along by the horse’s side.

“Oh, no. That’s the only thing I do believe, but what a thing to tell you. Poor Kate!” he teased. “I don’t think Roberts likes you at all.”

If he calls me Kate one more time, thought Kate, I’ll do some thing horrible. Then she thought about the several horrible things she had already done that evening and subsided into misery again.

“We don’t like him, either,” confided Emily heatedly. “He’s just hateful, with his long words, and his hallow hill, and his hollow hill, and his linguistic persistence of ignorance.”

“What?” The rider seemed highly amused. “He’s been explaining everything for you, has he? Tell me, what did he say about the Hill?” Emily went into a somewhat confused rendition of their cousin’s speech on the place-names, and this time Marak laughed at all the right places.

“Well, Letter M,” he announced, “almost every bit of that is wrong. Completely and thoroughly wrong. Pigheaded. Would you like to know why it’s really called Hollow Lake?”

“Yes!” exclaimed Emily.

“It’s called Hollow Lake—because it’s hollow.” There was a momentary pause.

“Now, what does that mean?” Emily burst out.

“It’s just hollow, that’s all.”

“How is it supposed to be hollow?” demanded Emily. “You’re just being silly!”

“No,” the man replied pleasantly, “I assure you I never lie. Now, that’s a funny thing, lying. If you notice, M, most humans can’t do without it. They consider it an essential component of—how shall I call it?—polite society.” Kate felt the sting in his words and set her teeth. She wondered when this interminable journey would end.