n, so much the better. He could but do his utmost to encourage
this enviable frame of mind.

Chris, munching cheerfully in the twilight, had evidently quite forgotten
her woes. They went down the passage later as far as the bend, and looked
at the seething water, all green in the evening light, that held them
captive.

"I wish it wasn't going to be quite dark," she said when they returned.
"But if we hold hands and talk I shan't mind. That was a lovely cake of
yours, Bertie, I shall never forget it."

They found a ledge to sit on, Chris with her feet curled up; and Cinders,
grown sleepy after a generous meal, pressed against her. She protested
when Bertrand took off his coat and wrapped it round her, but he would
take no refusal. There was a penetrating dampness about the place that he
feared for her.

"If you sleep, you will feel it," he said.

"But I'm not going to sleep," declared Chris. "I never felt more
wide-awake in my life. I often do at bedtime. I hope you are not feeling
sleepy either, for I want to talk all night long."

Bertrand professed himself quite willing to listen. "You were going to
tell me something about this cave," he reminded her.

"Oh, yes." Chris swooped upon the subject eagerly. "Manon, the little
maid-of-all-work, was telling me. She said that no one ever comes here
because it is haunted. That's what made Cinders and me call it the Magic
Cave. She said that it was well known that no one ever came out the same
as they went in even in the daytime, and if any one were to spend the
night here they would be under a spell for the rest of their lives. Just
think of that, Bertie! Do you think we shall be? She didn't tell me what
the spell was. I expect it was something too bad to repeat. That's how
Cinders and I came to make up about the knight and the dragon. I hope the
dragon won't find us, don't you?"

She drew a little nearer to him and slipped a hand inside his arm. He
pressed it close to him,

"Have no fear, _cherie_. No evil can touch you while I am here."

"I should be terrified if you weren't," she told him frankly. "Did you
ever hear about the spell? Do you know what it means?"

"Yes," he said slowly; "I have heard. That was in part why I came here at
first, because I knew that I should be alone. I had need of solitude in
order to accomplish that which I had begun."

"Your magic?" queried Chris eagerly.

"Yes, little one, my magic. But"--he was smiling--"I have never remained