since they must have flown quite six weeks ago."

"Then why couldn't you say that at once, instead of making us waste all
this time?" asked Isobel with indignation.

"I don't know," replied Godfrey in a somewhat vacuous fashion. "It was
all the same to me if we were hunting for young jackdaws or the man in
the moon, as long as we were together."

"Godfrey, it is evident that you have been overworking and are growing
foolish. I make excuses for you, since anybody who passed first out of
Sandhurst must have overworked, but it does not alter the fact. Now I
must go home and see about that house, for as yet I have arranged
nothing at all, and the place is in an awful state. Remember that my
father is coming down presently with either six or eight terrible
people, I forget which. All I know about them is that they are
extremely rich and expect to be what is called 'done well.'"

"Must you?" remarked Godfrey, looking disappointed.

"Yes, I must. And so must you. _Your_ father is coming back by the five
o'clock train, and I advise you to be there to meet him. Perhaps I
shall see you to-morrow some time."

"I can't," exclaimed Godfrey in a kind of wail. "I am to be taken off
to a school in some town or other, I forget which, that my father has
been examining. I suppose it is the speech day, and he proposes to
introduce me as a kind of object lesson because I have passed first in
an examination."

"Yes, as a shining example and--an advertisement. Well, perhaps we
shall meet later," and without giving him an opportunity of saying more
she vanished away.

CHAPTER XV

FOR EVER

Godfrey managed to be late again, and only reached home five minutes
after his father, who had bicycled instead of walking from the station
as he supposed that he would do.

"I forgot to give orders about your lunch," said Mr. Knight
tentatively. "I hope that you managed to get some."

"Oh, yes, Father; that is, I lunched out, at the Hall."

"Indeed! I did not know that Sir John had arrived."

"No, he hasn't; at least I have not seen him. I lunched with Isobel."

"Indeed!" remarked Mr. Knight again, and the subject dropped.

Next day, Godfrey, once more arrayed in his best clothes, attended the
prize-giving and duly was made to look foolish, only getting home just
in time for dinner, after which his father requested him to check
certain examination papers. Then came Sunday and church at which Isobel
did not appear; two churches in fac