ked up. "Hullo!" he said. "YOU--up there?"

"Yes," said Jane, laughing down at him, and speaking low lest other
casements should be open, "I--up here. You are serenading the wrong
window, dear 'devout lover.'"

"What a lot you know about it," remarked Garth, rather moodily.

"Don't I?" whispered Jane. "But you must not mind, Master Garthie,
because you know how truly I care. In old Margery's absence, you must
let me be mentor."

Garth sprang up and stood erect, looking up at her, half-amused,
half-defiant.

"Shall I climb the magnolia?" he said. "I have heaps to say to you
which cannot be shouted to the whole front of the house."

"Certainly not," replied Jane. "I don't want any Romeos coming in at my
window. 'Hoity-toity! What next?' as Aunt 'Gina would say. Run along
and change your pinafore, Master Garthie. The 'heaps of things' must
keep until to-night, or we shall both be late for dinner."

"All right," said Garth, "all right. But you will come out here this
evening, Miss Champion? And you will give me as long as I want?"

"I will come as soon as we can possibly escape," replied Jane; "and you
cannot be more anxious to tell me everything than I am to hear it. Oh!
the scent of these magnolias! And just look at the great white
trumpets! Would you like one for your buttonhole?"

He gave her a wistful, whimsical little smile; then turned and went
indoors.

"Why do I feel so inclined to tease him?" mused Jane, as she moved,
from the window. "Really it is I who have been silly this time; and he,
staid and sensible. Myra is quite right. He is taking it very
seriously. And how about her? Ah! I hope she cares enough, and in the
right way.--Come in, Matthews! And you can put out the gown I wore on
the night of the concert at Overdene, and we must make haste. We have
just twenty minutes. What a lovely evening! Before you do anything
else, come and see this sunset on the lake. Ah! it is good to be here!"

CHAPTER X

THE REVELATION

All the impatience in the world could not prevent dinner at Shenstone
from being a long function, and two of the most popular people in the
party could not easily escape afterwards unnoticed. So a distant clock
in the village was striking ten, as Garth and Jane stepped out on to
the terrace together. Garth caught up a rug in passing, and closed the
door of the lower hall carefully behind him.

They were quite alone. It was the first time they had been really alone
since the