ain Polkington sipped his tea and ate his bread and butter
peacefully. Julia had told him Mr. Rawson-Clew would not be staying
long; she had not exactly said why he was come, it seemed rather as if
she did not know; but apparently nothing unpleasant had happened so
far and he would be going soon, directly after tea no doubt. So the
Captain sat contentedly and listened for the sound of going, but he
did not hear it; they were a very long time over tea, he thought.

They were; two of them were purposely spinning it out, the third was
only a happy chorus. Julia was in no hurry to face the questions about
the explosive which she feared must come when Johnny's restraining
presence was removed. She knew, as soon as she was sure Rawson-Clew's
coming was design and not accident, that he must have suspected her;
he had come to talk about it and he would do so as soon as he got the
chance, so she put it off. And he was quite willing to wait too; he
was enjoying the present moment with a curious light-hearted enjoyment
much younger than his years. And he was enjoying the future moment,
too, in anticipation, albeit he was a little shy of it--he did not
quite know how he was to close with the garrison in the citadel even
though he might have taken all the outposts.

But at last tea was done and the table cleared and all the things
taken to the outer kitchen to be washed. Julia decreed that she and
Johnny were to do that, then unthinkingly she sent her assistant for a
tea-cloth. Rawson-Clew was standing by the doorway when Johnny passed;
he followed him out.

"Mr. Gillat, your plants want watering," he said, quietly but
decisively.

"They do, they do," Johnny agreed; "I will have to do them by and by."

"Do them now, it is getting late."

"It is," Mr. Gillat admitted; "we were late with tea, but there's the
drying of the cups."

"I will do that."

Johnny hesitated; Julia's wish was his law, still there seemed no harm
in the exchange; anyhow, without quite knowing how it happened, he
soon afterwards found himself in the garden among the water cans.

Rawson-Clew went back to the outer kitchen. Julia looked round as she
heard his step, and seeing that he was alone, recognised the
manoeuvre and the arrival of the inevitable hour.

"Well," she said, coming to the point in a business-like way now that
it was unavoidable; "what is it you want?"

"I want to know several things," he said, shutting the door.
"Principally why you