gones."

Anthony Crawford turned very slowly and looked, with those penetrating
gray eyes, at Oliver.

"We owe a great deal to these children here," he said, "and as for one
of them----"

Convinced that something was about to be said of him, Oliver got up
quickly, pretending that it was merely because he had finished his
breakfast and wished to be excused, hurried across the room, and
slipped out through one of the long windows that opened on the
terrace. He could still hear Anthony Crawford's voice, however, in the
room behind him saying:

"It was these children who found the leak in the dike; it was Oliver
who thought of going to look for it. It was Oliver who saw through me,
saw that I had not a shred of honor or honesty behind my claim and
told me what I was."

The boy moved farther away from the window so that he could not hear
and stood, his hands clenched on the terrace rail, looking out over
the garden, across the pools of color and stretches of green lawn,
over the wall and down the white road that led away the length of the
valley. No matter what words they might speak of him they could never
make him forget how he had walked away down that road, meaning to
leave all this vaguely understood trouble behind him. Only a chance
meeting, the Beeman's friendly smile, the interest of a story that
had caught him for a moment, and all would have been changed. No,
there should be no words of praise for him.

The voices were louder behind him, for the three men were passing
through the library, and Cousin Jasper was speaking just within.

"We still have to talk over this matter of rebuilding the dike," he
said. "We must have your advice in that, Anthony."

"Go into the study," Anthony Crawford replied. "I must speak to Oliver
for a moment."

He came out through the window while the others walked on together.
Oliver turned to face him.

"I am going now," Anthony said quietly. "I thought you would be ready
to help me when it was time."

Oliver reddened when he remembered the promptness of his offer the
evening before.

"Do you need to go," he said awkwardly, "when you are friends again
with every one here? Even the men in the valley don't hate you," he
added bluntly, "after what you did last night. I believe Cousin Jasper
will want you to stay."

"If I let him tell me so, I will not go," the other replied quickly.
"It must be this minute, while my mind is still made up, or never. I
will write to Martha t