pretty circus indeed, and
there are a lot of entertaining spectacles to be viewed there. Now,
what do you say to you and me and Mr. Dolman, if he likes to come, and
Master Apollo going this afternoon to see the performance?"

"I don't think I much care," answered Iris. "I don't seem to take any
interest in anything just now."

"Well, all the same, dear, I would like you to go. The best of us can
but take steps, and when we has taken the steps that Providence seems
to indicate, there's no use a-fretting ourselves into our graves.
Folks are coming to Madersley now from the length and breadth of
England, being such a pretty and such a favorite seaside resort. Let's
go to the circus this afternoon, Miss Iris, and see what is to be
seen."

Iris could not follow Fortune's reasonings, but she submitted to her
desire to pay a visit to the traveling circus, and, accordingly, that
afternoon, the very last of Holt's stay at Madersley, two other little
Delaneys entered the large tent and took their places in the front
row. The children were accompanied both by Uncle William and Fortune.
The curtain rose almost immediately after their entrance, and the
performance began.

For some reason or other it was sadly lacking in spirit, and a
neighbor who sat not far from Fortune began to remark on the fact.

"I wouldn't have paid three shillings for my seat if I had known the
thing was so poor," she said. "Why, my husband was here last week and
said it was downright splendid. But I suppose that was owing to the
performances of the children."

"The children?" inquired Fortune. "I see no children about."

"Oh, well, there were two the other night--a little girl and boy; and
they said the girl rode splendidly, and was the life of the whole
thing. She was simply wonderful; she----"

But here the curtain rose and the performance began anew. Fortune
longed to question her loquacious neighbor, but when she turned
presently to speak to her she found that she had left the tent.

"Ho, ho!" thought the American woman to herself; "they had a boy and a
girl here, had they, and they aren't here no longer. Now I wonder if I
can strike that trail? Being from America it would be hard if I
didn't, and also if I didn't succeed."

CHAPTER XXV.

FOUND!

When the performance came to an end Fortune suggested to Uncle William
that he should go to the best hotel in the place, and give Iris and
Apollo some tea. Iris was loath to leave Fortun