n a sort of ecstasy that ran on like a
dream without end.

On the morrow the little garden was all finished and ready, and
nothing now remained but to sit in idleness and wait.

CHAPTER XX

May had smiled itself out and June had blushed itself in--the most
wondrous June, in Cleek's eyes, the world had ever seen. For the
long waiting was over, the old order of things had changed, the
little house in the meadowlands had its new tenant, and _she_ was
in England again.

It did not fret him, as it otherwise might have done, that he and
Dollops had been obliged to go back to the old business of lodging
a week here and a week there in the heart of the town, rather than
within reach of the green trees and the fragrant meadows he loved,
for always there was the chance of stealing out to meet her in the
glorious country-lands when the evening came, or of a whole day with
her in the woods and fields when a whole day could be spared; and
to a nature such as his these things were recompense enough.

Not that many days could be spared at present, for, although nothing
had been seen or heard of Waldemar or the Apaches for weeks on end,
these were strenuous times for Mr. Narkom and the forces of the
Yard, and what with the Coronation of his Majesty close at hand,
and every train discharging hordes of visitors into London day in
and day out, and crooks of every description--homemade as well as
imported--from the swell mobsman down to the common lag making it
the Mecca of an unholy pilgrimage--they had their hands filled to
overflowing, and were worked to their utmost capacity.

The result, so far as Cleek was concerned, scarcely needs recording.
It was not in him to be guilty of that form of snobbishness which
is known as "standing on his dignity" at such a time--when the
man who had stood his friend was in need of help, indeed, might lose
his official head if he were found wanting in such a crisis--so
that, naturally, he came to Mr. Narkom's assistance and took a hand
in the "sorting out" process in the manner--yes, and at times, in
the uniform, too--of the ordinary constable, and proved of such
invaluable aid in the matter of scenting out undesirables and
identifying professional crooks that things speedily fell into a
more orderly shape, and he had just begun to look forward to a
resumption of those happy days of wandering in the woods with Ailsa
when out of the lull of coming peace there fell an official bombshell.