ot a man. He
can't possibly have a man's experience of the world, or even of himself.
He has a young head on his shoulders, after all, if not a younger one
than many a boy with half the assurance that you admire in him."

Mrs. Lascelles looked at me point-blank.

"Do you mean that he can't take care of himself?"

"I don't say that."

"Then what do you say?"

The fine eyes met mine without a flicker. The full mouth was curved at
the corners in a tolerant, unsuspecting smile. It was hard to have to
make an enemy of so handsome and good-humoured a woman. And was it
necessary, was it even wise? As I hesitated she turned and glanced
downward once more toward the glacier, then rose and went to the lip of
our grassy ledge, and as she returned I caught the sound which she had
been the first to hear. It was the gritty planting of nailed boots upon
a hard, smooth rock.

"I'm afraid you can't say it now," whispered Mrs. Lascelles. "Here's Mr.
Evers himself, coming this way back from the Monte Rosa hut! I'm going
to give him a surprise!"

And it was a genuine one that she gave him, for I heard his boyish
greeting before I saw his hot brown face, and there was no mistaking the
sudden delight of both. It was sudden and spontaneous, complete, until
his eyes lit on me. Even then his smile did not disappear, but it
changed, as did his tone.

"Good heavens!" cried Bob. "How on earth did _you_ get up here? By rail
to the Riffelberg, I hope?"

"On my sticks."

"It was much too far for him," added Mrs. Lascelles, "and all my fault
for showing him the way. But I'm afraid there was contributory obstinacy
in Captain Clephane, because he simply wouldn't turn back. And now tell
us about yourself, Mr. Evers; surely we were not coming back this way?"

"_We_ were not," said Bob, with a something sardonic in his little
laugh, "but I thought I might as well. It's the long way, six miles on
end upon the glacier."

"But have you really been to the hut?"

"Rather!"

"And where's our guide?"

"Oh, I wouldn't be bothered with a guide all to myself."

"My dear young man, you might have stepped straight into a crevasse!"

"I precious nearly did," laughed Bob, again with something odd about his
laughter; "but I say, do you know, if you won't think me awfully rude,
I'll push on back and get changed. I'm as hot as anything and not fit
to be seen."

And he was gone after very little more than a minute from first to last,
gone with rathe