r bosom and her
little box in her hand. For a moment she was tempted to throw it away.
But no--Randall would be so unhappy if he found out Avery didn't love
him! She would try the ointment at least--she would try to forget
about the toads and not let herself think how it was made--something
might come of it.

* * * * *

Janet hurried home along the shore, where a silvery wave broke in a
little lovely silvery curve on the sand. She was so happy that her
cheeks burned, and Randall Burnley, who was sitting on the edge of her
flat when she reached the pond, looked at her with admiration. Janet
dropped her box into her pocket stealthily when she saw him. What with
her guilty secret, she hardly knew whether she was glad or not when
he said he was going to row her up the pond.

"I saw you go down an hour ago and I've been waiting ever since," he
said. "Where have you been?"

"Oh--I just--wanted a walk--this lovely day," said Janet miserably.
She felt that she was telling an untruth and this hurt her
horribly--especially when it was to Randall. This was what came of
truck with witches--you were led into falsehood and deception
straightaway. Again Janet was tempted to drop Granny's pill box into
the depths of Burnley Pond--and again she decided not to because she
saw Randall Burnley's deep-set, blue-grey eyes, that could look tender
or sorrowful or passionate or whimsical as he willed, and thought how
they would look when he found Avery did not love him.

So Janet drowned the voice of conscience and was brazenly happy--happy
because Randall Burnley rowed her up the pond--happy because he walked
halfway home with her over the autumnal fields--happy because he
talked of the day and the sea and the golden weather, as only Randall
could talk. But she thought she was happy because she had in her
pocket what might make Avery love him.

Randall went as far as the stile in the birch wood between the Burnley
and the Sparhallow land--and he kept her there talking for another
half-hour--and though he talked only of a book he had read and a new
puppy he was training, Janet listened with her soul in her ears. She
talked too--quite freely; she was never in the least shy or
tongue-tied or awkward in Randall's company. There she was always at
her best, with a delightful feeling of being understood. She wondered
if he noticed she had her hair done up. Her eyes shone and her brown
face was full of rosy, kiss