relations remained during the early summer; and everybody
supposed that Gerald's two weeks' vacation would be spent there at
Silverside. Apparently the boy himself thought so, too, for he made some
plans ahead, and Austin sent down a very handsome new motor-boat for
him.

Then, at the last minute, a telegram arrived, saying that he had sailed
for Newport on Neergard's big yacht! And for two weeks no word was
received from him at Silverside.

Late in August, however, he wrote a rather colourless letter to Selwyn,
saying that he was tired and would be down for the week-end.

He came, thinner than usual, with the city pallor showing through traces
of the sea tan. And it appeared that he was really tired; for he seemed
inclined to lounge on the veranda, satisfied as long as Selwyn remained
in sight. But, when Selwyn moved, he got up and followed.

So subdued, so listless, so gentle in manner and speech had he become
that somebody, in his temporary absence, wondered whether the boy were
perfectly well--which voiced the general doubt hitherto unexpressed.

But Austin laughed and said that the boy was merely finding himself; and
everybody acquiesced, much relieved at the explanation, though to Selwyn
the explanation was not at all satisfactory.

There was trouble somewhere, stress of doubt, pressure of apprehension,
the gravity of immaturity half realising its own inexperience. And one
day in September he wrote Gerald, asking him to bring Edgerton Lawn and
come down to Silverside for the purpose of witnessing some experiments
with the new smokeless explosive, Chaosite.

Young Lawn came by the first train; Gerald wired that he would arrive
the following morning.

He did arrive, unusually pallid, almost haggard; and Selwyn, who met him
at the station and drove him over from Wyossett, ventured at last to
give the boy a chance.

But Gerald remained utterly unresponsive--stolidly so--and the other
instantly relinquished the hope of any confidence at that time--shifting
the conversation at once to the object and reason of Gerald's coming,
and gaily expressing his belief that the time was very near at hand when
Chaosite would figure heavily in the world's list of commercially
valuable explosives.

It was early in August that Selwyn had come to the conclusion that his
Chaosite was likely to prove a commercial success. And now, in
September, his experiments had advanced so far that he had ventured to
invite Austin, Gerald,