, I jumped on my bike and I've come to you."

"But what for--what trouble?" cried the boy, stamping impatiently.

"Father's got hold of your letters and found out everything, dear. You
ought to have told 'em by now."

"But--but--but," stammered Syd, "where--what--what--oh! why did you
come?"

"That's what I keep telling you, dear. Dad's half mad, and he's coming
over to see your aunt and uncle."

"Coming here?"

"Yes, Syd love. He'd have come before if it hadn't been for the race."

"You must go back at once and stop him from coming here."

"Stop him? Oh, Syd dear, you don't know father."

"Don't know him? Oh, don't I? Why, if he came here--oh, dear, dear,
what a horrid mess! Well, I don't know what to do."

"Hadn't I better stop here?"

"Hadn't I better go and jump in the river? I wish you'd stopped at the
Orphoean."

"But I couldn't, Syd; they're rebuilding it."

"Coming down here to this quiet place and making eyes at me in church
till I didn't know what I was about."

"For shame, sir! It was you made eyes at me. I couldn't help it."

"Yes, you could. You'd got a church at Tilborough, and might have gone
there."

"Oh, what a shame, Syd! You know I did, and you went on writing letters
to me, saying your aunt kept you at home, and that you couldn't eat or
sleep for longing to see my pretty face."

"I didn't."

"You did, sir!" cried the girl, stamping her foot.

"I swear I didn't."

"Oh, you wicked wretch! Why, I've got six letters with it in."

"What! You've kept my letters? I told you to burn 'em all."

"Well, I haven't. I've got 'em all tied up with red ribbon, the colour
of my heart's blood, all but those father found."

"Yes, that's it. If you'd done as I told you the old man would never
have known."

"Oh, wouldn't he, Syd? Now say, if you dare, that you didn't write to
me to come over so that you might see my darling sweet face again."

"Oh, I'm a gentleman, I am. I'm not going to tell any lies. If I said
so, I must have been half cracked."

"So you were--with love. I've got four letters that say so when you
wanted me to go to London and get married."

"Yes, I must have been mad, Molly. It's been like a nightmare to me
ever since. I wish I'd never seen you."

"Oh, oh, oh!" began the pretty little bicyclist, beginning to sob. "Has
it come to this so soon?"

"Don't--don't--don't cry. The servants'll hear you."

"I--I--I can't help it, Syd. Oh, dear, de