eucedly in love with the
lady," said the Earl.

"Just so," quoth Julian. "Now I do not know what plans you have for the
future of the lad. I do not know Adam's mind. But even if your ideas
happened to agree, which is unlikely--it would be a thousand times
better for the young people to see something of life first. Let them
have three years apart, meeting other people, getting little electric
shocks which will surprise them amazingly, and then if you and Adam
agree and the young people continue of a stable mind--why, there will be
so much the less danger of their House of Life coming about their ears
afterwards!"

* * * * *

The morning after the three Wise Men had sat in council together in the
castle dining-room, Patsy Ferris and Louis Raincy climbed over opposite
high walls and dropped almost simultaneously, and as naturally as ripe
fruit falls, into the old orchard of Raincy. In the midst of the walled
enclosure stood the marble mausoleum of the family, a heavily domed
structure, drowned among high trees, through the narrow windows of which
tombs and statues could be seen, and more than one De Raincy in his
chain mail with his head on a marble pillow, his hands with the
finger-tips joined, and a favourite dog at his feet.

The keys of the enclosure were in the Earl's own coffer, and the trees
being too old for valuable fruit, the gardeners never went there, except
once a year after the falling of the leaves, "to tidy up a bit, because
one never knows what may happen," as old Steven the head gardener said.
Even then the Earl came, and, sitting on a chair, surveyed their labours
jealously, before locking up after them and going in to put away the key
in its place for another year.

Patsy and Louis did not greet each other, though they had not met that
morning. In the house one said, "Good morning," "I hope you passed a
good night," and silly things like that, but not in the green shade of
the old orchard. A weeping willow had been turned over in some winter
gale many years ago, but had nevertheless managed to go on growing in
its new position. It lay like a feathery plume along the side of the
Raincy mausoleum. It was not the first time that Louis and Patsy had
utilized it as a convenient seat.

The red squirrel who lived in one of the high pines dropped the husks of
the larch tassels on which he was fond of browsing, upon their heads.
But he did not chatter at them any more. H