e, all right. I'd wasted four evenings
hanging about, so I felt pretty murderous that night. Pretty good
sport, though, to see you bolt into that doctor's place. How I _did_
laugh! By the way, did you take the physic he ordered?"

Lessing gave him a steely glance.

"And the message, the telegram from Blakeney? You sent that, of
course, and arranged with that car."

"Just so. Ye-es. That was, as you might say, my _tour de force_!"
said Terence, smirking. "Cost me a lot of fag, that did, to say
nothing about coin of the realm. Thought you were fairly caught that
time, didn't you? What about `The Thrill' when you heard the sound of
the key in the lock? Eh, what?"

Lessing gave him a murderous glance.

"How would you have felt if I had injured myself for life, climbing
down from that window?"

"Oh, shucks!" Terence shrugged with easy assurance. "Any juggins
could have got down over that ivy, easy as walking downstairs. And
you have done a bit of climbing in your day. Did you get very much
stung by the nettles lying down by that wall?"

Lessing's jaw fell; the blood buzzed in his ears. An intolerable
humiliation encompassed him. Had he been _seen_?

Terence burst into a great roar of laughter.

"Oh, bless you, yes! He saw you right enough. It was Jeffries, you
know. G.P. Jeffries, sharpest fellow we have at hospital. He said he
had the time of his life, sitting upon that wall, watching you quaking
among those nettles. By the way, the bag's all right. I've got it
locked away in my cupboard. I suppose you wouldn't be willing, as a
slight acknowledgment of my trouble, and in gratitude for an
uncommonly useful lesson, to regard the outlay on that day's
expedition as a--er, fee?"

Lessing stared, glared, opened his lips to pour out heated words,
stopped short, and expanded his chest in a long, deep breath.
Suddenly, overpoweringly, the consciousness of safety rushed through
his being, and swept before it all petty considerations for his own
dignity and self-esteem. He was free, he was safe; his life was
unthreatened, he was free to plan ahead, to take upon himself new
claims, new responsibilities. He felt again the touch of Delia's
arms, and knew an irresistible impatience to continue the interrupted
scene.

He rose from his seat, and addressed a few dignified words to the lad
by his side.

"Another time, Te