he High Pines by seven,
so that, as it grew near the time I began to be anxious.

We were in the schoolroom, deep in private study, and as Mercer studied,
he kept on turning his eyes to gaze round the room, repeating his
lessons all the while, so that he would not have looked particular if
any one had been watching us, but no one was visible. Every now and
then the voices of the boys in the play-field floated toward us, and we
sat in momentary expectation of being seen by one of the bigger fellows,
and ordered off into the field by our tyrants; but the moments still
glided by, and at last Mercer thrust his book into his desk.

"Now, then," he said in a low voice, "we must make a run for it, or old
Magg will think we are not coming."

"Which way are you going?" I asked.

"Right out through the garden, and by the back of the lodge. You follow
me, and, whatever you do, don't look back, as if you were afraid of
being seen."

It was risky work, I knew, but there was nothing to be gained by
hesitating, and it seemed to me that the very boldness of our attempt
helped us to a successful issue, for we went on, hearing voices from the
field, and once that of the Doctor, as he was walking up and down the
lawn with one of the ladies, whose light dress was seen for a few
moments through the trees. Then we were out in the road, walking fast
towards the General's woods, and soon after we passed into a field,
reached a copse, and Mercer uttered a faint "Hurrah!"

"I was expecting to hear some one shout after us every minute," he
cried, as we now hurried steadily along. "Oh dear, how you do fancy
things at a time like this!"

The evening was now delightful, and the fresh, sweet scent of the grass
we crushed beneath our feet was supplemented every now and then by that
of the abundant field camomile.

"Look out!" said Mercer; "there he goes. Isn't he early? I say, I
wonder whether that's one of old Dawson's owls."

For, as we passed along by the edge of the wood, a great white-breasted
bird flew by, and went softly along by the side of the trees, till it
disappeared far ahead.

"There's a rabbit," I said, as I caught sight of the white tuft of fur
which so often betrays the presence of the little creatures, and
directly after a sharp _rap, rap_--the warning given by them of danger--
was heard ahead, and a dozen ran rushing out of the field into the
shelter of the wood.

"Look at them, how they swarm!" cried Mercer. "