ance on the toy village. The toy village! He laid
it out and spread it on the floor. He could not see, but he knew every
piece by heart, and he laid it all out, the church and the flower
garden, and the Noah's house and the village street, the animals and
the Noahs. What centuries ago that birthday was, what worlds away! How
excited he had been, and now--!

With a sudden impatient gesture he tumbled the pieces over on to their
sides, then quickly, as though he were afraid of the dark, went into his
bedroom and began to undress.

IV

In the morning events moved too quickly for thought. He had still the
same lonely pain at his heart, but now he simply was not given time to
consider it.

His father called him into the study. He gave him ten shillings and a
new prayer-book. Jeremy knew that he was trying to come close to him and
be a friend of a new kind to him.

He heard in a distance such words as: "... a new world, full of trial
and temptation. God sees us... Work at your Latin... cricket and
football... prayers every night..." But he could feel no emotion nothing
but terror lest some sudden stupid emotional scene should occur. Nothing
occurred. He kissed his father and went.

Then, quite suddenly, just as he came down in his hat and coat and heard
that the cab was there, his restraint melted; he was free and impulsive
and natural. He kissed Mary, telling her:

"You may have my toy village. I'd like you to--Yes, rather. I mean it."

He kissed Helen and Barbara, and then held to his mother, not caring
whether all the world was there to see. The old life was going with him!
He was not leaving it after all. The town and the house, and all the
things to which he had thought that he had said good-bye, were going
with him.

Hamlet! He found the dog struggling to get into the cab. That was more
than he could stand. He was not going to make a fool of himself, but the
only way to be secure was to get into the cab and hide there. He caught
Hamlet's head, gave it a kiss, then jumped in, catching a last glimpse
of the family grouped at the door, the servants at the window, the old
garden with the dead leaves gathered upon it, Hamlet held, struggling,
in Mary's arms.

He choked down his sobs, felt the ten shillings in his pocket, then with
a mighty resolve, to which it seemed that the labours of Hercules were
as nothing, leaned out and waved his hand.

The cab rolled off.

Hamlet lay down upon the mat just ins