so,
but not before receiving a dim impression that his uncle went into the
neighbouring room to Dolly, and kissed the sleeping child, too; gently,
so as not to wake her. That was the impression, gleaned somehow, under
which he went to sleep. Uncle Mo often looked in at Dave and Dolly, so
this visit was no surprise to Dave.

Aunt M'riar awaited him at the stairfoot, on his return. "They'll be
happy for a bit yet," said she. "Now, if only Jerry would come and smoke
with you, Mo, I wouldn't be sorry to get to bed myself."

"May be he'll come!" said Mo. "Anyways, M'riar, don't you stop up on
account of me. I'll have my pipe and a quiet think, and turn in
presently.... Or look here!--tell you what! I'll just go round easy
towards Jeff's, and if I meet Jerry by the way, I meet him; and if I
don't, I don't. I shan't stop there above five minutes if he's not
there, and I shan't stop all night if he is. Good-bye, M'riar."

"Good-night's plenty, Mo; you're coming back."

"Ay, surely! What did I say? Good-bye? Good-night, I should have made
it." But he _had_ said "Good-bye!"

Has it ever occurred to you--you who read this--to feel it cross your
mind when walking that you have just passed a something of which you
took no notice? If you have, you will recognise this description. Did
Uncle Mo, when he wavered at the arch, fancy he had half-seen a figure
in the shadow, near the dustbin, and had automatically taken no notice
of it? If so, he decided that he was mistaken, for he passed on after
glancing back down the Court. But very likely his pause was only due to
the fact that he was pulling on his overcoat. It was one he had
purchased long ago, before the filling out had set in which awaits all
athletes when they relapse into a sedentary life. Mo hated the coat, and
the difficulties he met with when getting it on and off.

He was as good as his word about not stopping long at The Sun. Although
he found his friend awaiting him, he did not remain in his company above
half an hour, including his seven-minutes' walk back to the Court, to
which Jerry accompanied him, saying farewell at the archway. He didn't
go on to No. 7 at once, remembering that M'riar had said she wouldn't be
sorry to go to bed.

Seeing lights and hearing voices in at Ragstroar's, he turned in for a
chat, more particularly for a repetition of Micky's tale of his
Hammersmith visit. Finding the boy there, he accepted his mother's
suggestion that he should sit do