Part 25 (1/2)

He told us that he had just received letters by a er who had ridden out frootiations, which would render it necessary for him to leave as soon as possible; in fact, that very afternoon if it could possibly be ht hoh we should all ain soon--in fact, quite soon, he hoped

I don't knohether I did, and that for obvious reasons However, it was manifest that he wanted to have a talk with Beryl, and he should have it, so far as I was concerned; to which end I started in on a battle of chaff with Iris, which kept her busy for a few minutes, then craftily manoeuvred her further down the kloof to look at and talk over a couple of bees' nests we had been planning to take out This was all right enough, but what does the little fiend do next but splutter out--

”Can you keep a secret, Kenrick? Because if so I'll tell you one

Pentridge is awfully se if I was a little girl,” I forrin ”Well, is that the secret?

because if so I haven't said I could keep one yet”

”_Ach_! Well, you won't say I said so, hey?”

”I won't say anything at all about it, Iris,” I answered htn't to think about such things”

She opened her big blue eyes wide at the reproof Then detecting the mirth--such as it was--depicted on my own face, she bestowed such a whole-souled pinch uponout and staet at those bees' nests You deserve to be jolly well stung”

She pranced round et for co the solemn old school-baas over me,” she crowed Then--”There, there You're not _kwaat_ with ue As if she didn't know she could have done anything she liked to me!

We did not take out the bees' nests that day My one before, and I listened to the sunny child's chatter, fearful lest her precocious eyes should see through , too, whether her interruption of us had been for good or the reverse

She had interrupted us at a critical juncture What had Beryl been on the point of saying toeven then to that other?

Had I let slip an opportunity? And yet--and yet I if so, how could I have seized such opportunity under the circumstances? Of course I could not

But what she had or had not said to that other seeood of what he had said to her, for neither by word or hint did Beryl let fall any inkling of the s seemed to shake down as usual, but for , idyllic happiness of the last few h beyond an iron door

One day when Septi moved h I had hardly done so than I felt it was aof my boats He was very concerned, and said so

”Don't lose heart, though, Kenrick,” he said ”Many aWhen do you say you will know beyond all doubt whether things are--as bad as you think?”

”Oh, in a ain then But--don't lose heart And remember this, Kenrick You are as one of ourselves now, and if the worst co as you like tothat was an to talk about other things He was rather put out because his plans on George's account had fallen through The schools he had been negotiating with delicately but fir round to the conclusion that there's no necessity to send hi has been settled and is now a thing of the past I believe he's as safe as you or I”

To this what answer could Iif not a ment? Yet even the soundest of such may fall into an error--and then!

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

”THERE WERE TWO LIVES”

”They are late--very late They ought to be here by now,” murmured Beryl, more to herself than to me, as she ca the splendid e, who had ridden over to Trask's early in the afternoon about so to be home by supper-tin of them