and
for two hours in the forest. He lay still in the dark for a few minutes.
A faint memory of his dream hung about him like a tattered mist. He felt
anxious, almost apprehensive, and strained his ears expectant of some
sound. But the silence of the airless night was deep and large all about
him. He began to think of his mother. What had been the matter with
her? Who, or what, had persecuted her? He realized now that he had been
dreaming, said to himself, with a boy's exaggeration, that he had had "a
beastly nightmare!" Nevertheless his mother still appeared to him as the
victim of distresses. He could not absolutely detach himself from the
impressions communicated to him in his dream. He was obliged to think of
his mother as unhappy and of Dion Leith as not wholly friendly either to
her or to himself. And it was all quite beastly.

Presently, more fully awake, he began to wonder about the time and to
feel tremendously thirsty, as if he could "drink the jug."

He stretched out a hand, found the matches and struck a light. It went
out with a sort of feeble determination.

"Damn!" he muttered.

He struck another match and lit the candle. His silver watch lay
beside it, and marked five minutes past three. Jimmy was almost angrily
astonished. Only that! He now felt painfully wide awake, as if his sleep
were absolutely finished. What was to be done? He remembered that he had
slept in the forest. He had had his eight hours. Perhaps that was the
reason of his present wakefulness. Anyhow, he must have a drink.
He thrust away the sheet, rolled out of bed, and went to the
washhand-stand. There was plenty of water in his bottle, but when he
poured it into the tumbler he found that it was quite warm. He was
certain warm water wouldn't quench his ardent thirst. Besides, he
loathed it. Any chap would! How beastly everything was!

He put down the tumbler without drinking, went to the window and looked
out. The still hot darkness which greeted him made him feel again the
obscure distress of his dream. He was aware of apprehension. Dawn could
not be so very far off; yet he felt sunk to the lips in the heavy night.

If only he could have a good drink of something very cold! This wish
made him think again of his mother. He knew she did not require much
sleep, and sometimes read during part of the night; he also knew that
she kept some iced lemonade on the table beside her bed. Now the thought
of his mother's lemonade enticed him.