sn't deceiving you there."

"I'm glad you think so. Yes, it's what I think myself. I should have
bowled her out if there'd been anything going on. But, Will, there's
other dangers for her--worse dangers."

"What dangers, Mavis?"

"Well, all the lads naturally are looking at her. Norah has come on
faster than you may have noticed. I don't want her to mix herself up
with any of those louts that hang about the Cross Roads."

"No."

"And she'll come across them for certain if she gets trapesing through
the trees like she does. There's her brothers would bring them
together. Besides, it isn't _safe_--at her age. You know yourself
what's always been said of it."

"Quite so," said Dale. "You are wise, Mavis--very wise to be watchful
and careful."

Then he returned to the sitting-room, settled himself again in the
porter's chair, and reopened his book at the place where he had been
interrupted.

It was the New Testament; and just now, while reading the twenty-first
chapter of Saint Matthew, he had enjoyed a clear vision of Christ's
entry into Jerusalem. Making his picture from materials supplied by an
article in the _People's Encyclopedia_, he seemed to be able to see
the ancient city and its exotic life as the Redeemer and the disciples
must have seen it on that memorable day. Here were the narrow streets
and the crowded market-places; the towers and domes; the strangely
garbed traders, laden camels, gorgeous Roman soldiers, brown-faced
priests, black-bodied slaves; sunlit hills high above one, distant
faintly blue mountains far ahead of one--a thronged labyrinth of
shadow and light, of noise and confusion, of pomp and squalor.

But the picture was gone, the dream was broken, the hope was darkened.
He tried to bring it all back again, and failed utterly. He could not
think of Christ riding into Jerusalem; he could only think of Norah
walking along the road to Rodchurch.

XXVIII

Extreme heat came that year with the opening of July, and the
atmosphere at night seemed as oppressive as in the day.

After an unusually wet June the foliage was rich and dense, but
flowers were few and poor--except the roses, which had prospered
greatly. Throughout the daylight hours trees close at hand looked
solid, as if composed of some unbending green material; while those a
little way off were rather firm, presenting the appearance of trees
during heavy rain. Indeed that was the appearance of the whole
scene--a country-s