y from her.

Hyacinth felt strangely rested. It seemed that never again would
anything trouble her; never again would she have only her own strength
to depend upon. Who was he? But it did not matter. He might go away
and she might never see him again, but she was no longer afraid of the
world.

"I thought," she said, "that all the men of Euralia were away
fighting."

"So did I," said Coronel.

"What are you, then? A Prince from a distant country, an enchanter, a
spy sent from Barodia, a travelling musician?--you see, I give you
much to choose from."

"You leave me nothing to be but what I am--Coronel."

"And I am Hyacinth."

He knew, of course, but he made no sign.

"Hyacinth," he said, and he held out his hand.

"Coronel," she answered as she took it.

The brook chuckled to itself as it hurried past below them.

Hyacinth got up with a little sigh of contentment.

"Well, I must be going," she said.

"Must you really be going?" asked Coronel. "I wasn't saying good-bye,
you know."

[Illustration: _She turned round and went off daintily down the hill_]

"I really must."

"It's a surprising thing about the view from here," said Coronel,
"that it looks just as nice to-morrow. To-morrow about the same
time."

"That's a very extraordinary thing," smiled Hyacinth.

"Yes, but it's one of those things that you don't want to take another
person's word for."

"You think I ought to see for myself? Well, perhaps I will."

"Give me a whistle if I happen to be passing," said Coronel casually,
"and tell me what you think. Good-bye, Hyacinth."

"Good-bye, Coronel."

She nodded her head confidently at him, and then turned round and went
off daintily down the hill.

Coronel stared after her.

"What _is_ Udo doing?" he murmured to himself. "But perhaps she
doesn't like animals. A whole day to wait. How endless!"

If he had known that Udo, now on two legs again, was at that moment in
Belvane's garden, trying to tell her, for the fifth time that week,
about his early life in Araby, he would have been still more
surprised.

We left Coronel, if you remember, in Araby. For three or four days he
remained there, wondering how Udo was getting on, and feeling more and
more that he ought to do something about it. On the fourth day he got
on to his horse and rode off again. He simply must see what was
happening. If Udo wanted to help, then he would be there to give it;
if Udo was all right again, the