s mother, who evidently was a very
exclusive lady. Two or three times he saw Murray on the street after
school hours in company with a tall, portly and handsome gentleman, whom
he took to be the father. Later his guess was confirmed, but Murray
never showed any inclination to let his parents become aware of Keith's
existence.

For a long while this did not matter to Keith. In fact, he was not
aware of anything but his own devotion. Murray's willingness to accept
it only when nothing else was in sight did not bother him. He had found
some one to worship at last, and he gave himself to that feeling with an
abandon that knew of no reserves and that asked no questions. He looked
up to the other boy as, in ages long gone by, a faithful vassal used to
look up to his liege lord. And it seemed only meet that such a superior
being as Murray should bestow or withhold his favour in accordance with
his own sweet pleasure.

XVII

Keith had just parted from his chum at the corner of the lane one
afternoon, when he caught sight of Johan near the big back door of the
house opposite the one where Murray lived.

"What are you doing," he said without much enthusiasm.

Johan beckoned mysteriously and would not say a word until he had got
Keith into the shadow of the huge gateway leading to the paved yard in
the rear of the house.

"Can't you come on," he cried impatiently at last "I don't want mumsey
to see me."

When both were hidden from the kitchen window through which Fru
Gustafsson used to keep a religiously preoccupied eye on the doings of
her son, Johan pulled a cigarette from within his coat sleeve and a
match from his pocket. Then he scratched the match on the seat of his
pants and lit the cigarette with the air of a man who knows what is
bliss. Keith watched him with feelings too confused for expression.

"What would your mamma say if she saw you," he asked at last,
instinctively dropping his voice to a whisper.

"She'd tell popsey," Johan rejoined promptly, "and I'd get another
licking. But it's worth it."

There was a long pause during which Keith watched his old playmate's
unmistakable enjoyment with a mixture of consternation and admiration,
of envy and resentment.

"I have got another," said Johan after a while. "Try it."

Keith shook his head. He was on the verge of saying that "mamma won't
let me," but checked himself in time as he recalled the results of an
earlier use of that too truthful explanation.