a wee little house in the heart of a green wilderness, with a
high-walled, old-world garden surrounding it, and, in the far
background, a gloom of woodland smeared in darker purple against the
purple darkness of the sky.

No light shone out from the house to greet him--no light could
come from behind that screening wall, unless it were one set in an
upper window--yet he was certain the place was not deserted; for,
as he came up out of the darkness, catlike of tread and catlike
of ear, he was willing to swear that he could catch the sound of
some one moving about restlessly in the shadow of that high, brick
wall--and the experiences of the night made him cautious of things
that moved in darkness.

He stopped short, and remained absolutely still for half a minute,
then, stooping, swished his hand through the bracken in excellent
imitation of a small animal running, and shrilled out a note that
was uncannily like the death squeal of a stoat-caught rabbit.

"Gawd's truth, guv'ner, is it you at last, sir? And me never seein'
nor hearin' a blessed thing!" spoke a voice in answer, from the
wall's foot; then a latch clicked and, as Cleek rose to his feet, a
garden door swung inward, a rectangle of light shone in the darkness,
and silhouetted against it stood Dollops.

"What are you doing out here at this time of night, you young monkey?
Don't you know it's almost one o'clock?" said Cleek, as he went
forward and joined the boy.

"Don't I know it, says you? Don't I _just_!" he gave back. "There
aren't a minute since the night come on that I haven't counted,
sir--not a bloomin' one; and if you hadn't turned up just as you
did----Well, let that pass, as the Suffragette said when she heaved
'arf a brick through the shop window. Gawd's truth, guv'ner, do
you realise that you've been gone since yesterday afternoon and
I haven't heard a word from you in all that time?"

"Well, what of that? It's not the first time by dozens that I've
done the same thing. Why should it worry you at this late day? Look
here, my young man, you're not developing 'nerves' are you? Because,
if you are----Turn round and let's have a look at you! Why, you
are as pale as a ghost, you young beggar, and shaking like a leaf.
Anything wrong with you, old chap?"

"Not as I knows of," returned Dollops, making a brave attempt to
smile and be his old happy-go-lucky, whimsical self, albeit he wasn't
carrying it off quite successfully, for there was a droop to