and the two of them sauntered slowly townwards.

In a few minutes Jack glanced back. "They're coming," he said, and as the
girls crossed on to the pavement behind them, turned round. "Good for
you," he said. "You got out quicker than I thought you would. Shall we
tram or walk?"

"Walk, I think," said Julie; "it's topping here by the sea. I want to get
a pair of shoes, and the shop's not too far. Besides, you can buy shoes
by artificial light, which won't do for some things. Tommy bought a hat
the other night, and she nearly had a fit in the morning. She's keeping
it for the next fancy-dress stunt."

She ran on, and, despite Peter, Donovan annexed her. They set off gaily
ahead, Julie's clear laugh coming back now and again. Peter felt
depressed and angry. He told himself he was being let in for something he
did not want, and he had not much to say. To make conversation, he asked
about South Africa.

It appeared the girls came from Natal. Miss Raynard was enthusiastic, and
he gathered they had been trained together in Pietermaritzburg, but lived
somewhere on the coast, where there was tennis all the year and moonlight
bathing picnics in the season, and excellent river boating. He could not
catch the name, but it was not too far from Durban. He said, in the end,
that he had always wanted to visit South Africa, and should certainly
come to Natal....

They turned off the promenade into a boulevard lined with the usual
avenue of trees. It was dusk now, and looked darker by contrast with the
street lamps. Small tram-cars rushed by now and again, with clanging
bells and platforms crowded before and behind, and there were plenty of
people in the street, Julie turned abruptly.

"I say, Tommy," she said, "Captain Donovan wants us to go out to
dinner. What do you say? My shoes can wait, and we needn't be in till
eight-thirty. It's not more than six now. It will be a spree."

"I'm game; but where are we going?"

"I suggest Travalini's, padre," said Donovan.

"Not for me;" said Miss Raynard; "it's too public and you seem to forget,
Captain' Donovan, that we are forbidden to dine with officers."

"Nobody is likely to give us away, Tommy," said Miss Gamelyn.

"I'm not going to take the risk in uniform. Let's go to a quiet hotel, or
else to some very French place. That would be fun."

"A jolly good idea," cried Donovan, "and I know what will just fix us up.
Come on."

Tommy smiled. "Probably it _will_ fix us up. Tell us a