u dear child!" she said; "of course you feel that. But don't let your
mind dwell on it. Don't think about it. You're only a little boy. Be
happy and jolly, and don't worry about grown-up things. Leave grown-up
things to the grown-ups."

"You see," Dickie told her, "somehow I've always had to worry about
grown-up things. What with Beale, and one thing and another."

"That was the man you ran away from me to go to?"

"Yes," said Dickie gravely; "you see, I was responsible for Beale."

"And now? Don't you feel responsible any more?"

"No," said Dickie, in businesslike tones; "you see, I've settled Beale
in life. You can't be responsible for married people. They're
responsible for each other. So now I've got only my own affairs to think
of. And the Ardens. I don't know what to do."

"Do? why, there's nothing _to_ do except to enjoy yourself and learn
your lessons and be happy," she told him. "Don't worry your little head.
Just enjoy yourself, and forget that you ever had any responsibilities."

"I'll try," he told her, and then the others came back with their
peaches, and there was nothing more to be said but "Thank you very much"
and good-bye.

* * * * *

Exploring the old smugglers' caves was exciting and delightful, as
exploring caves always is. It turned out that more than one old man in
the village had heard from his father about the caves and the smuggling
that had gone on in those parts in old ancient days. But they had not
thought it their place to talk about such things, and I suspect that in
their hearts they did not more than half believe them. Old Beale said--

"Why didn't you ask me? I could a-told you where they was. Only I
shouldn't a done fear you'd break your precious necks."

Of course the children were desperately anxious to open up the brickwork
and let the stream come out into the light of day; only their father
thought it would be too expensive. But Edred and Elfrida worried and
bothered in a perfectly gentle and polite way till at last a very jolly
gentleman in spectacles, who came down to spend a couple of days, took
their part. From the moment he owned himself an engineer Edred and
Elfrida gave him no peace, and he seemed quite pleased to be taken to
see the caves. He pointed out that the removal of the simple dam would
send the water back into the old channel. It would be perfectly simple
to have the brickwork knocked out, and to let the stream find its way