did," muttered the man, behind his teeth. Aloud he
only laughed again, as he turned away.

David went on down the steps, dissatisfied vaguely with himself, with
Mr. Jack, and even with the Lady of the Roses.

CHAPTER XVI

DAVID'S CASTLE IN SPAIN

On his return from the House that Jack Built, David decided to count
his gold-pieces. He got them out at once from behind the books, and
stacked them up in little shining rows. As he had surmised, there were
a hundred of them. There were, indeed, a hundred and six. He was
pleased at that. One hundred and six were surely enough to give him a
"start."

A start! David closed his eyes and pictured it. To go on with his
violin, to hear good music, to be with people who understood what he
said when he played! That was what Mr. Jack had said a "start" was. And
this gold--these round shining bits of gold--could bring him this!
David swept the little piles into a jingling heap, and sprang to his
feet with both fists full of his suddenly beloved wealth. With boyish
glee he capered about the room, jingling the coins in his hands. Then,
very soberly, he sat down again, and began to gather the gold to put
away.

He would be wise--he would be sensible. He would watch his chance, and
when it came he would go away. First, however, he would tell Mr. Jack
and Joe, and the Lady of the Roses; yes, and the Hollys, too. Just now
there seemed to be work, real work that he could do to help Mr. Holly.
But later, possibly when September came and school,--they had said he
must go to school,--he would tell them then, and go away instead. He
would see. By that time they would believe him, perhaps, when he showed
the gold-pieces. They would not think he had--STOLEN them. It was
August now; he would wait. But meanwhile he could think--he could
always be thinking of the wonderful thing that this gold was one day to
bring to him.

Even work, to David, did not seem work now. In the morning he was to
rake hay behind the men with the cart. Yesterday he had not liked it
very well; but now--nothing mattered now. And with a satisfied sigh
David put his precious gold away again behind the books in the cupboard.

David found a new song in his violin the next morning. To be sure, he
could not play it--much of it--until four o'clock in the afternoon
came; for Mr. Holly did not like violins to be played in the morning,
even on days that were not especially the Lord's. There was too much
work to do. So Dav