h delight; and the comfort of
his welcome revived her at length to an active realization of her
surroundings.

Clearly the adventure, mad, lawless as it undoubtedly was, was nothing
but a picnic to him. He was enjoying himself immensely without a thought
of any possible consequences, and it was plain that this was the attitude
in which he expected her to regard the matter.

With an effort she responded to his mood, but she could not shake off the
burden of doubt and foreboding that oppressed her. She felt as if the
long, bitter journey had in some fashion aged her. Jerry's gaiety was as
the prattle of a child to her now. They had been children together till
that day, but she felt that they could never be so again. Never before
had she stopped in her headlong course to look ahead, to count the cost!
Now, for the first time, misgivings arose within her upon Jerry's score.
What if this boy who had lent himself so lightly, so absolutely freely,
to her scheme for deliverance, were made in any way to suffer for his
reckless generosity? For this it had been with him--and this only--as she
well knew.

With sheer, boyish gallantry, he had offered his protection; with sheer,
girlish recklessness, she had accepted it. And now--now she had in a few
hours crossed the boundary between childhood and womanhood and she stood
aghast, asking herself what she had done!

By what means understanding had come to her she did not stay to
question. The tragic force of it overwhelmed all reasoning. She knew
beyond all doubting that she had made the most ghastly mistake of her
life. She had done it in blindness, but the veil had been rent away; and,
horror-struck, she now beheld the accursed quicksand into which they had
blundered.

"I say," said Jerry, "you're awfully tired, aren't you? You're positively
haggard. I've got quite a decent little dinner for you, and I've done
every blessed thing myself. There isn't a soul in the house except us
two. I thought you'd like it best."

She smiled at him wanly, and thanked him. He was watching her with
friendly, anxious eyes.

"Yes; well, drink that up and have some more. I'm afraid you'll think the
accommodation rather poor. It's only a pillbox, you know. I'll show you
round when you're ready. I've got my kennel in the kitchen. Best place
for a watch-dog, eh? But you've only got to thump on the floor if you want
anything. There, that's better. You don't look quite so frozen as you
did. Come, it'