" cried Lord
Henry. "Leonetta's lost her bangle."

Guy nodded, and continued on his way homeward with Mrs. Tribe.

"That's a nice thing!" Lord Henry observed.

"Of course, they'll think I've done it on purpose!" Leonetta rejoined,
smiling roguishly.

Lord Henry smiled too. She certainly seemed to understand that her
character was not incompatible with such a conclusion.

They walked on thus for about five minutes, and then suddenly Lord Henry
espied the ornament lying in the mud.

"Oh, I'm so thankful to you, Lord Henry,--you've no idea!" she cried. "I
should never have found it myself."

Lord Henry was facing the homeward path, and she had her back turned to
it. With great care he removed the offending particles of mud from the
recovered treasure, and then fastened it on her arm. At the same moment,
at a bow-shot from him, he saw Denis approaching at a rapid pace through
the wood. Evidently he was coming in the hope of finding the bangle, and
behind him followed Vanessa and the Incandescent Gerald.

It seemed as if Fate itself had been active here, and had laid this
unique opportunity in Lord Henry's hands. It was certainly too good to
lose, and feeling perfectly certain that Denis could not know that his
approach had been perceived, resolved immediately upon a drastic, but as
he thought, conclusive measure.

It was unfortunate that the Incandescent Gerald, whose sole object in
coming was probably his besetting desire to "do good work," as Lord
Henry put it, was also in sight. But there are certain risks that a good
strategist must run.

"Oh, you don't know how thankful I am!" Leonetta cried again.

Lord Henry smiled. There was no time to lose. "I think that almost
deserves a kiss," he said, placing an arm round her waist.

She looked up; her expression spelt consent, and he held her for some
seconds in his arms.

"Well!" she cried, releasing herself; "it seems to me I go from bad to
worse."

He looked in the direction of home, and, as he feared, Vanessa, Denis,
and the Incandescent Gerald had turned their backs, and were racing as
hard as they could towards Brineweald Park.

CHAPTER XVII

"Are you sure it's quite clean?" asked Lord Henry, catching hold of her
hand and examining the bangle closely, so as to retain her a few moments
longer.

"What does it matter?" Leonetta cried. "Really, I'm sure it's all
right."

He looked up. There was no sign of the three fugitives, and he allowed
he