emoving her hand. "It's quite the
amazingest thing I ever knew." She gave another little gurgle of
laughter, looking up at the very blue sky as if inviting it to share her
pleasure.

"How much did he tell you?" asked Doctor Hilary.

Trix lowered her chin, and considered briefly.

"Just nothing, now I come to think of it, beyond the fact that he was Mr.
Danver. But then I'd really been the first to volunteer that piece of
information. I haven't the faintest notion why there's all this mystery,
and why he has pretended to be dead. He didn't want me to know that. So
please don't say anything that could tell me. He said I could talk to
you."

"I won't," smiled Doctor Hilary answering the request.

They walked on a few steps in silence.

"But what I should like to know," he said after a minute, "is how you
managed to get inside the house at all?"

"Oh dear!" sighed Trix twisting her glove round her wrist.

Doctor Hilary looked rather surprised.

"Don't say if you'd rather not," he remarked quickly.

Trix sighed again.

"Oh, I may as well. It will only be the third time I've had to own up."

And she proceeded with a careful recapitulation of the events of the
afternoon.

"You must have been very frightened," said he as she ended.

"I was," owned Trix.

"Ah, well; it's all over now," he comforted her.

"Y-yes," said Trix doubtfully.

"What's troubling you?" he demanded.

"The sneeze," confessed Trix in a very small voice.

Doctor Hilary stifled a sudden spasm of laughter. She was so utterly and
entirely in earnest.

"I wouldn't worry over a little thing like that, if I were you," said he
consolingly.

Once more Trix sighed.

"Of course it's absurd," she said. "I know it's absurd. But, somehow,
little things do worry me, even when I know they're silly. And there's
just enough that's not silliness in this to let it be a real worry."

"A genuine midge bite," he suggested. "But, you know, rubbing it only
makes it worse."

She laughed a trifle shakily.

"And honestly," he pursued, "though I do understand your--your conscience
in the matter, I'm really very glad you've seen Mr. Danver."

"Well, so was I," owned Trix.

Again there was a silence. They were walking down a narrow lane bordered
on either side with high banks and hedges. The dust lay rather thick on
the grass and leaves. It had already covered their shoes with its grey
powder. Doctor Hilary was turning certain matters in his mind. Prese