f the county his people belong to, very
likely nowhere near Julia; but supposing it were near enough for him
to know from the address what kind of a place Julia was in, it really
might be so awkward; we ought to be very careful for dear Richard's
sake, especially seeing his connection with the Palace. I really think
it would be wiser as you say, to be on the safe side."

So she kept on that side, which, being, interpreted meant leaving
Rawson-Clew's information much where it was before. She wrote very
nicely, somewhat involved, not at all baldly; but reduced to plain
terms her letter came to this--she was not going to tell Julia's
address or anything about her.

So Rawson-Clew read it, and very angry he was. And the worst of all
was that on the same night that he received this letter, he also
received orders to go at once to Constantinople. He had no time for
anything and no choice but to go and leave the search. But during his
journey across Europe an idea came to him with the suddenness of an
inspiration. He knew what Julia had done--she had "retired," even as
she had said she hoped to on the first day they walked together. She
had retired somewhere from shams and hypocrisy, from society and her
family; possibly even she had adopted the corduroy and onions part of
the ambition; if so, that would explain her mother's refusal, based
on some kind of pride, to give her address. She had retired, and she
had taken Johnny Gillat with her, and her own people had washed their
hands of her! He knew now what to look for when he should come back.
He might not be back for two months or even three, but when he did
come he would be able to find Julia and talk to her about the
explosive--and other things.

* * * * *

It may be here said that the wonderful explosive did not do what was
expected of it, either in England or Holland, for it was found to
decompose on keeping. It did everything else that was boasted of it,
but no one succeeded in keeping it more than fifteen months, an
irremediate defect in an explosive for military purposes. This, of
course, was not discovered at first, and the honour and glory of
obtaining the specimen was considerable, if only there had been some
one to take it. Rawson-Clew did not consider himself the person.

CHAPTER XVI

THE SIMPLE LIFE

Julia was collecting fir-cones. All around her the land lay brown and
still; dead heather, and sometimes dead bracken