, caressing his moustache, "ideals
and--ah--goose-berries,--though probably excellent things in themselves,
are apt to pall upon one, in time; personally, I find them equally
insipid,--"

"Of course it is all a matter of taste!" sighed Bellew.

"But," Mr. Cassilis went on, fairly turning his back upon him, "the
subject I wished to discuss with you, Miss Anthea, was the--er
--approaching sale."

"The sale!" she repeated, all the brightness dying out of her face.

"I wished," said Cassilis, leaning nearer to her, and lowering his voice
confidentially, "to try to convince you how--unnecessary it would
be--if--" and he paused, significantly.

Anthea turned quickly aside, as though to hide her mortification from
Bellew's keen eyes; whereupon he, seeing it all, became, straightway,
more dreamy than ever, and, laying a hand upon Small Porges' shoulder,
pointed with his pitch-fork to where at the other end of the "Five-acre"
the hay-makers worked away as merrily as ever:

"Come, my Porges," said he, "let us away and join yon happy throng,
and--er--

'With Daphnis, and Clo, and Blowsabel
We'll list to the--er--cuckoo in the dell.'"

So, hand in hand, the two Porges set off together. But when they had
gone some distance, Bellew looked back, and then he saw that Anthea
walked with her head averted, yet Cassilis walked close beside her, and
stooped, now and then, until the black moustache came very near the
curl--that curl of wanton witchery that peeped above her ear.

"Uncle Porges--why do you frown so?"

"Frown, my Porges,--did I? Well, I was thinking."

"Well, I'm thinking too, only I don't frown, you know, but I'm thinking
just the same."

"And what might you be thinking, nephew?"

"Why I was thinking that although you're so awful fond of goose-berries,
an' though there's lots of ripe ones on the bushes I've never seen you
eat a single one."

CHAPTER X

_How Bellew and Adam entered into a solemn league and covenant_

"Look at the moon to-night, Uncle Porges!"

"I see it."

"It's awfull' big, an' round, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's very big, and very round."

"An'--rather--yellow, isn't it?"

"Very yellow!"

"Just like a great, big golden sovereign, isn't it"

"Very much like a sovereign, my Porges."

"Well, do you know, I was wondering--if there was any chance that it was
a--Money Moon?"

They were leaning out at the lattice, Small Porges, and Big Porges.
Anthea and Miss Priscilla were busi