Part 51 (1/2)

”I can't walk much more,” she said.

”Then do let's go home now,” Horace said.

She stood looking round her, searching the Park with her eyes.

”I suppose we must,” she said slowly. Then she added, ”We can come here again to-morrow.”

Horace was puzzled.

”What for? Why should we?” he asked.

But his mother made no reply, and they walked home.

Next day she insisted on going again to the same place, and again she was obviously on the look-out. Horace grew more and more puzzled by her demeanour. And when the third day came, and once more Mrs. Errington called him to set forth to the Serpentine, he said to her, with a boy's bluntness----

”D'you want to meet someone there?”

Mrs. Errington looked at him strangely.

”Yes,” she said, after a minute's silence.

”Why, who is it?”

”That beggar I wouldn't let you give money to.”

Horace turned scarlet with the shock of surprise and the knowledge--which he absurdly felt as guilty knowledge--that the man was dead, perhaps even buried by now.

”Oh, nonsense, Mater!” he began, stammering. ”He won't come there again.

Besides, you never give to beggars.”

”I mean to give this man something.”

Horace was more and more surprised.

”Why?” he exclaimed. ”Why now? You wouldn't when I wanted you to, and now--now it's too late. What do you wish to give to him for now?”

But all she would say was, ”I feel that I should like to, that--that his perhaps really was a deserving case. Come, Horace, let us go and try to find him.”

And the boy, bound by his word to Captain Hindford, was forced to go out in search of a dead man. He felt the horror of this quest. To-day Mrs.

Errington carried her purse in her hand, and looked eagerly out for the beggar. Once she fancied she saw him in the distance.

”There he is!” she cried to Horace. ”Run and fetch him.”

The boy turned pale, and stared.

”Where, Mater?”

”Among those trees.”