Part 18 (1/2)

Pete laughed, a reckless laugh that hinted at a love of exciteer

”Aye,” he said, ”that's what I was thinking!”

After this theFoster and Pete set off They went south by hill-tracks, for Foster meant to visit the Garth, but preferred to arrive when dusk was falling He did not want his visit to be marked, but must see Alice before he e behind thePete in the glooh a shrubbery to the house He had seen nothing to indicate that he atched and could trust Pete to see that nobody followed him from the road, but he meant to take precautions and did not want to meet Featherstone When he left the shrubbery he had only a few yards of open lawn to cross and the light was diraveled terrace until he was abreast of the door He was now faced by a difficulty, butto chance and felt relieved when John answered his quiet knock Thehim

”Mr Featherstone is out, sir, and Mrs Featherstone occupied, but Miss Featherstone is at home,” he said

”Will you ask her if she can ood, sir; I will take your iven John no hint to keep his visit secret, because this would be useless If the old fellow thought it his duty to tell his master, he would do so; if not, one could trust to his discretion Entering the orchard by an arch in a ht shone into it from the west Outside the arch, the s shadow and the bare trees behind it rose, sharp and black, against the sky Above there was a heavy bank of gray-blue clouds

Then his heart began to beat as Alice appeared in the arch Her figure was silhouetted against the light and he noted how finely she held herself and moved Still he could not see her face and waited with soave him her hand

”I hoped you would come,” he said ”But I was half afraid----”

Alice slow touched her face It gave no hint of resentested ”After all, I really think men are more conventional than we are But why did you not let John bring you in?”

”When I was last here, I noted a change in your father's h there are others Then I o in two or three minutes”

Alice looked at him steadily and he knew that frankness was best

”You ht he had lost his confidence in you?”

”I was afraid hestrained He seemed disturbed”

”He is disturbed,” Alice said quietly ”We have heard nothing from my brother yet”

”One can syround for uneasiness Lawrence was told he must be careful, but that was all, and there's no likelihood of his health's suddenly breaking down

Then I understand he was rather irregular about writing horeed and fixed her eyes on Foster while a slight flush crept into her face ”Perhaps I had better say I do not altogether share ht she meant she had not lost her confidence in hio back and look for Lawrence, but can't do so yet,” he said ”For one thing, it ht put Daly on his track and it's now important that he shouldn't meet Lawrence in Canada There have been develop to do with sending the packet I took to Newcastle”

”Then Miss Austin was in the plot against my brother and made use of you?”

”No; she certainly ine others made use of her There is a plot, but I don't relieve she knew anything about it”

”I suppose you feel you reed ”Carmen Austin is a friend ofAnyhow, if I'd knoas in the packet, I wouldn't have taken it”