The peace that passeth understanding was invoked upon their heads, and
rising with the rest of the scanty congregation they went away.

"Shall we walk home by the woods, Alan?" asked Barbara. "It is three
miles round, but we don't lunch till two."

He nodded, and presently they were alone in those woods, the beautiful
woods through which the breath of spring was breathing, treading upon
carpets of bluebells, violet and primrose; quite alone, unaccompanied
save by the wild things that stole across their path, undisturbed save
by the sound of the singing birds and of the wind among the trees.

"What did you mean, Barbara, when you said that I should be a grateful
man to-day?" asked Alan presently.

Barbara looked him in the eyes in that open, virginal fashion of hers
and answered in the words of the lesson, "'Woe unto them that draw
iniquity with the cords of vanity and sin as it were with a cart-rope,
that lay house to house,'" and through an opening in the woods she
pointed to the roof of The Court standing on one hill, and to the roof
of Old Hall standing upon another--"'and field to field,'" and with a
sweep of her hand she indicated all the country round, "'for many houses
great and fair that have music in their feasts shall be left desolate.'"
Then turning she said:

"Do you understand now, Alan?"

"I think so," he answered. "You mean that I have been in bad company."

"Very bad, Alan. One of them is my own uncle, but the truth remains the
truth. Alan, they are no better than thieves; all this wealth is stolen,
and I thank God that you have found it out in time before you became one
of them in heart as well as in name."

"If you refer to the Sahara Syndicate," he said, "the idea is sound
enough; indeed, I am responsible for it. The thing can be done, great
benefits would result, too long to go into."

"Yes, yes, Alan, but you know that they never mean to do it, they only
mean to get the millions from the public. I have lived with my uncle for
ten years, ever since my poor father died, and I know the backstairs
of the business. There have been half a dozen schemes like this, and
although they have had their bad times, very bad times, he and Sir
Robert have grown richer and richer. But what has happened to those who
have invested in them? Oh! let us drop the subject, it is unpleasant.
For myself it doesn't matter, because although it isn't under my
control, I have money of my own. You know we are a plebei