to the kneeling gorse."

Jesse lay dreaming while I sang to him. Crisp silvered hair, and the
deeply graven lines of his dear face, gave him at rest a sweet sad
dignity; but presently he would look up, his big mouth humorous, his
eyes alight with fun, a man of commanding power matured in wisdom, in
sympathy, and valor to lead his fellows.

Through the east window of the grove, I could see a little procession of
my closest friends pass on their Sunday stroll. First came Pete, ill at
ease in his Sabbath suit of blacks, and with him, arm in arm, was Mrs.
Pete in silk, full-skirted, prickly, and so very grim. Then Billy passed
slowly by, his mother stumping beside him, bound to keep the pace. They
had the new rabbit with them, collared and chained like a bulldog, and
were followed by David's nurse, dear Patsy, Billy's wife--plucking my
young anemones--the wretch!

Out on the perilous edge of Apex Rock I could see young Mr. Nisted,
Father Jared's nephew, a pupil in Jesse's school of colonial training.
With rod and line he was seriously fishing--for birds!

"Don't you reckon," said Jesse, relighting a stale cigar, "that it's
time we stopped our book?"

"Oh, but--"

"It's tempting Providence, young woman; it's encouraging the police.
From the moment you started the thing, we've had more'n our share of
adventures. Put up a notice, 'Book Closed. No more adventurers need
apply. Try Surly Brown for a change.'"

"But what shall we do?"

"Publish the blamed thing, and serves it right. Throw it to the
critics."

"But it's all secrets!"

"Change the names and places. We'll be 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith,'
well-meaning private persons located somewhere west. I'm going to have
blue eyes."

"But mine _are_ blue."

"I made first grab. You can have green, and a large mouth, and your
Christian name is Carrots. Hello, here's Baby David."

My son was coming through the scented dusk, and in his arms he carried a
large dog, a china dog with gilt muzzle, split from nose to tail, but
carefully mended.

"Sonny," said Jesse, "don't you drop Maria, or she'll have puppies."

"I did, and she didn't; so there! Something dropped out, though. See,
mummie."

David had thrown Maria into my lap, and danced about in the gloaming
with some strange trophy, the tail of a large animal.

"Sort of reminds me," said Jesse, "of being a little boy. That's the
Inspector's tale. This is a long way, too, from the Labrador."

The wind made quite a distur