y--he never seemed to take much notice of his
father--so they went up between the old graves, under the leaf-dropping
limes, to the porch, where Jim trotted in, looked about the empty
church, and screamed like a gate-hinge.

Young Sam Kidbrooke's voice came from the bell-tower, and made them
jump.

'Why, Jimmy,' he called, 'what are you doin' here? Fetch him, Father!'

Old Mr. Kidbrooke stumped downstairs, jerked Jimmy on to his shoulder,
stared at the children beneath his brass spectacles, and stumped back
again. They laughed: it was so exactly like Mr. Kidbrooke.

'It's all right,' Una called up the stairs. 'We found him, Sam. Does
his mother know?'

'He's come off by himself. She'll be just about crazy,' Sam answered.

'Then I'll run down street and tell her.' Una darted off.

'Thank you, Miss Una. Would you like to see how we're mendin' the
bell-beams, Mus' Dan?'

Dan hopped up, and saw young Sam lying on his stomach in a most
delightful place among beams and ropes, close to the five great bells.
Old Mr. Kidbrooke on the floor beneath was planing a piece of wood, and
Jimmy was eating the shavings as fast as they came away. He never looked
at Jimmy; Jimmy never stopped eating; and the broad gilt-bobbed pendulum
of the church clock never stopped swinging across the white-washed wall
of the tower.

Dan winked through the sawdust that fell on his up-turned face. 'Ring a
bell,' he called.

'I mustn't do that, but I'll buzz one of 'em a bit for you,' said Sam.
He pounded on the sound-bow of the biggest bell, and waked a hollow
groaning boom that ran up and down the tower like creepy feelings down
your back. Just when it almost began to hurt, it died away in a hurry of
beautiful sorrowful cries, like a wineglass rubbed with a wet finger.
The pendulum clanked--one loud clank to each silent swing.

Dan heard Una return from Mrs. Kidbrooke's, and ran down to fetch her.
She was standing by the font staring at some one who kneeled at the
altar rail.

'Is that the lady who practises the organ?' she whispered.

'No. She's gone into the organ-place. Besides, she wears black,' Dan
replied.

The figure rose and came down the nave. It was a white-haired man in a
long white gown with a sort of scarf looped low on the neck, one end
hanging over his shoulder. His loose long sleeves were embroidered with
gold, and a deep strip of gold embroidery waved and sparkled round the
hem of his gown.

'Go and meet him,' said Pu