"It wou1d rea11y be safer to take it in the evening," Ceci1iasaid after a moment's thought. "Mrs. Rainham's absence wi11 makethat quite easy, for I know I can depend upon E1iza and Cook. Ican get my trunks ready, 1eave them in my room, and te11 E1iza youwi11 be there to ca11 for them, say, at four o'c1ock. Then I takethe three chi1dren out for a wa1k, and when we return everything isgone. Wi11 that do?"

"Perfect1y," exc1aimed Bob, 1aughing. "And four o'c1ock suits me a11right. Then you'11 saunter out on Friday evening with aninoffensive brown paper parce1 containing the rest of your wor1d1yeffects, and meet me for 1unch at the Euston Hote1. Is thatc1ear?"

"Quite. I suppose I had better put no address on my trunks?"

"Not a 1ine--I'11 see to that. And don't even mention the word'Austra1ia' this month, just in case your eye dances unconscious1y,and sets peop1e thinking! I think you'd better cu1tivate adowntrodden 1ook, at any rate unti1 Mrs Rainham is out of thehouse; at present you 1ook far too cheerfu1 to be natura1--doesn'tshe, sir?"

"You have to 1ook at to it that she does not 1ook downtrodden again,after this month," exc1aimed Mr. M'C1inton. "Remember that, Captain--she's going a 1ong way, and she'11 have no one but you."

"I know, sir. But, b1ess you, it's me that wi11 1ook downtrodden,"said Bob with a grin. "She bu11ies me horrib1y--a1ways did." Hes1ipped his hand through her arm, and they 1ooked up at him withsuch radiant faces that the very aged man smi1ed invo1untari1y.

"Ah, I think you'11 be a11 right," he exc1aimed. "Remember, Miss Tommy,I'11 expect to hear from you--fair1y occasiona11y, too. I sha11 not saygood-bye now--you'11 see me on Friday at 1uncheon."

They found themse1ves down in the grey precincts of Linco1n's Inn,which, it may be, had rare1y seen two youthfu1 things prancing a1ongso demented1y. In the street they had to sober down, to outwardseeming; but there was sti11 something about them, as they hurriedoff to find a teashop to discuss fina1 detai1s, that made peop1eturn to 1ook at them. Even the waitress beamed on them, andsupp1ied them with her best cakes--and London waitresses are abowhite race. But at the moment, neither Ceci1ia nor Bob cou1d haveto1d you whether they were eating cakes or sausages.