TWENTY-SIX.

"OFF WITH THE OLD."

Dawn was not a procrastinator, so she lost no time in sending Eweword
a message to meet her next night at eight at the corner of the
Gulagong Road for the purpose of a private talk.

She was going to take something to Mrs Rooney-Molyneux and the baby as
an excuse to be abroad at that hour of the night, and requested me to
accompany her, so that she would not be saddled with Andrew as
protector. We set out immediately after tea, and had time for a chat
with Mrs Rooney-Molyneux about her son. Both were enjoying good
health, thanks to the opportune arrival of a well-to-do sister, and
the fact that, in honour of an heir to his name, the father had lately
abstained from alcoholic drinks, and made an occasional pound by
writing letters for people.

We had some trouble to dissuade him from escorting us home, but
emerged at last without him, and within a few minutes of eight
o'clock.

The cloudless, breezeless night, though a little chilly, was heavy
with the odours of spring and free from the asperity of frost. The
only sounds breaking its stillness were the trains passing across the
long viaduct approaching the bridge. The vehicles which met from the
two roads--the Great Western, leading in from Kangaroo, and the
Gulagong, coming from the thickly-populated valley down the
river-banks--had gone into town earlier for the Saturday night
promenade, and we practically had to ourselves the broad highway,
showing white in the soft starlight.

I walked behind Dawn, and she, having found Eweword, who had been
first at the tryst, they came back towards the river a few hundred
yards and stopped behind some shrubbery, while I took up a place on
the other side of it, as directed beforehand by this very
business-like young person, to act as witness in case of future
trouble.

"Well, Dawn, what has turned up?" said the young man after a pause.

"There's something that might explain the situation better than a lot
of talk."

Claude, alias "Dora" Eweword, struck a match, and upon discovering the
fragments of his engagement-ring in the piece of paper she had handed
him, was silent for a minute or two, and then said--

"Dawn, so you want it to be all off. I knew that this long while, and
have been mustering pluck to say so, but it seems you have got in
before me."

"Perhaps you were going to say you were pulling my leg like you did
with Dora Cowper?"

"No, I was not," and his tone was exce