letter to Merle Park
in the usual way.

Gertrude received her letter without notice from any one. On that
occasion Argus, with all his eyes, was by chance asleep. She was very
angry with her lover,--almost determined to reject him altogether,
almost disposed to yield to her angry parents and look out for some
other lover who might be accepted in better part; but still, when
the day came she put on her hat and walked down the road towards the
lodge.

As Fortune had it,--Fortune altogether unfavourable to those perils
for which her soul was longing,--no one watched her, no one dogged
her steps, no one took any notice of her, till she met Frank Houston
when he had passed about a hundred yards on through the gates. "And
so you have come," she said.

"Oh, yes; I have come. I was sure to come when I said so. No man
is more punctual than I am in these matters. I should have come
before,--only I did not get your letter."

"Oh, Frank!"

"Well, my darling. You are looking uncommonly well, and I am so glad
to see you. How are they all?"

"Frank!"

"What is it?"

"Oh, Frank, what are we to do?"

"The governor will give way at last, I should say."

"Never;--that is while we are as we are now. If we were married--"

"Ah,--I wish we were! Wouldn't it be nice?"

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course I do. I'm ready to-morrow for the matter of that."

"But could you do something great?"

"Something great! As to earning my bread, you mean? I do not think I
could do that. I didn't turn my hand to it early enough."

"I wasn't thinking of--your bread."

"You said,--could I do something great?"

"Frank, I wrote you a letter and described it all. How I got the
courage to do it I do not know. I feel as though I could not bring
myself to say it now. I wonder whether you would have the courage."

"I should say so. I don't know quite what sort of thing it is; but I
generally have pluck enough for anything in a common way."

"This is something in an uncommon way."

"I couldn't break open Travers and Treason, and get at the safe, or
anything in that way."

"It is another sort of safe of which you must break the lock, Frank;
another treasure you must steal. Do you not understand me?"

"Not in the least."

"There is Tom," said Gertrude. "He is always wandering about the
place now like a ghost. Let us go back to the gate." Then Frank
turned. "You heard, I suppose, of that dreadful affair about the
policeman."

"Ther