of pure sand, though in many places so matted with vegetation that it was hardly recognisable as such. Trees grew in places, especially on the

, so that they seemed almost blackish in mass. There was no breeze among them; even the dapples of sunlight which found their way through the roof of leaves hardly stirred, but lay in light patches, like scattered gold upon the ground. Flies and gnats moved and shimmered, a busy life, whose small

was no one about when Julia and Rawson-Clew came. It is true they saw a kind of

come back here for

ywhere particular; we may just as well wander one way as another. When we get to the top this time we will explore to the right, and

ngs?" Rawson-Clew inquired; "bounded by

in view, or perhaps a dozen ends, for though they tear off after an imaginary interest as if there was

n nature who really understand the art of holiday-making, chase wild geese, and otherwise do nothing of any account, with an inexhaustible energ

o that," J

uggested. "I will try then; I don't think I c

round so bad, that it was often necessary to go a long way round. But in time they were through this too, and really out on the top. Here there was nothing but the Dunes, wide, curving land, that stretched away and away, a tableland of little hollows and hills, like some sea whose waves have been consolidated; near at hand its colours were warm, if not vivid, but in the far distance it grew paler as the vegetation became less and less, till, far away, almost beyond sight, it failed to grey helm grass, and then altogether ceased, leaving the sand b

she had found what she had come to see-what, perhaps,

st. "Did you know there was so

little of it-that is, of the part which is solitary and beautiful. Yet he felt something of her ent

him rather wistfully: "I expect it does not seem very mu

te like this," he answered; "and if I had, w

said, "if one would? If one would get weary of i

awson-Clew caught the note of seriousness in her tone and reminded her that thought for the past o

I to begin?" she as

inconsequent much better if I sat down to it; th

played lots of things, I expect-it is part of your necessary equipment to be able to do so, but I doubt if you have ever played the

say you excelled in that direction either. How many inc

you know what I should do? You see that deep hollow of sparkling w

s back was that way. "Do not

pportunity to empty the

ishing fastening them. "But wh

he world, yet," she answered, "an

also be included in the programme? Your taste in d

imitating them. Tell me," she said, turning now to gather the sweet-scented wild th

he came to the conclusion that, whatever might have been the case b

; once they came near enough to the seaward edge to see the distant shimmer of water; once they found themselves in the part where there has been some little attempt at cultivation, and small patches of potatoes struggle for life, and a little railway crosses the sandhills. Twice they came upon the road along

t yesterday in the town; Julia knew enough of the ways of the place to know one can bring one's own food to such places without giving offence. As in the morning, when they first passed it, there was no one about, every one had gone to the fair, except one taciturn old woman who brought the required things and then shut herself in the house. The meal was spread under the trees on a little green-painted table, wit

re happened in their curious acquaintanceship. They sat down to rest in a green hollow, and Julia began to arrange neatly the bunch of short-stemmed thyme flowers that she carried. They had been quiet for some little time, she thinking about their curious acquaintance, and wondering when it would end. Of course it would end-she knew that; it was a thing of mind only; there was very little feeling about it-a certain mutual interest and a liking that had grown of late, kindness on his part, gratitude on hers, nothing more. But of its sort it had grown to be intimate; she had told him things of her thoug

ck to England

your work here fi

he answered; "that

experience suddenly knew that he, too, had f

sked; "there are a good many gnats and mosquitoes about here." He felt for a match, a

that sometimes they cannot;

inion of the people who do n

Of course, if you are only beaten in one round, or one effort, that is another thing; you can get up and try again. But if you are

say, there is not much going

said. "I am beaten, but I have got to stay her

er own future movements. "But, perhaps," he suggested, "if

ried. No, there is no way; it is blocked. I

elf is about the most insurmountable block of all. I might have known that you we

a mistake you were likely t

chance this time; the fact has

to offer condolence to failure. "I suppose," she said, after a paus

the door-like you, it was that which I tried, with the result

nd out, for the chemist, unlike Joost Van Heigen, was the very reverse of unsuspecting, and thoroughly on the look-out for other nations who wanted to share his discovery. For a moment Julia wished she had been in Rawson-Clew's place; of course she, too, might have failed-probably would; she had no reason to think she would succeed where he could not; but she certainly would not have failed in this for the reason she had failed with the blue daffodil. The attempt would have been so t

ateful t

to blazon it from the housetops; still, doubtle

compound one. If it is ignominious, as you say, to fail, it would have been equally ign

son-Clew said; "but then, I imagine

ou are

y," he said, lightin

hings you can do and can't do, would do and would not do, and might do in an emergen

ke-ring into the air;

-not the artful dodging man, or the man of civilisation, but the natural, primitive man, own blood relation to Adam and the king of the Cannibal Islands. You may meet him

ia said shortly; she was annoyed, wit

ince we have got to personalities, may I say that you have got a natural woman, and plenty of her; also

ance a little, and sing a little, and flirt a little, ever so nicely. Oh, there are lots of girls who can do all those things, and do them equally well; I know a few who can, well off, well-bred girls-you must know a great many. They are clever to begin with, and they are taught that way; it is a perfect treat to meet them and watch them, but I never wa

them; he liked them-in moderation, and in their place, much as his forebears of fifty years ago had liked theirs, the delicate, sensitive creatures of that era. He h

uld certainly be more useful in an emergency; sti

er not on show-I know that; that is why I do not care for the dr

of an unusual sort, and at first hand. That may not be what is required for a complete drawing-room success, though I am not sure that it is no

he meant of what he said; his manner was exactly the same, whether he was in fun or in earnest. But if she thought of asking

half-an-hour ago; it will take me two hours, and more, to

spoke, and he

ned to tumble about; don't you think they would be safer in my pocket?

eet-smelling bunch into his pocket, the

the clouds have been coming gradually, but I did not notice before. I

" he agreed; "yo

not mind getting wet, and she spoke with a

ll the distance on the seaward side was blotted out, a fine white mist shut out the curving land in that direction. It was blowing up

said; "I wonder how

y chance of its coming far and fast, but it did not seem necessary to

advance in the chill that, like cold fingers, laid hold on everything; it came quite silently up from behind, without noticeable wind, eerily creeping up and enfolding everything, putting a white winding-sheet not about the earth only, but the very air also. The cotton blouse that Julia wore became l

ws that tripped them up, and stopping to argue, though hardly in earnest, as to whether they had passed that way or not, when some white-barked tree, or other landmark, loomed suddenly out of the thickening mist. Once it seemed the fog

ite-barked tree again. It was the same one that they had seen more than an hour and a half ago; Rawson-Clew recognised it by a peculiar warty grow

id," he said, "we had better do what is recommen

is?" Jul

d wait till

ad come at the end of a long day. She would not admit, even to herself, that she was tired, but she was, so she agreed to the wait

; "it is more sheltered, and we shall be able to find the way

ig tree; as they did so his hand came in contact with Julia's wet sl

him. "I did not avail myself of

s coat and put

aid; "now you have nothing on, and that is much more impr

o keep that on," and he wrapped it about her with a de

attack, "and that is very unwholesome. I shan't get warm; I haven't any

or advisable, without taking any thought of that kind; so it did not occur to him how this arrangement might look to an unprejudiced observer, had there been any such. But Julia, with her faculty for seeing herself as others saw her, was much, thoug

ill be in the town?" Rawso

hink not; from what I have hear

ns won't know what

am afraid they will be rather uneasy about me, but perhaps not so very much, they know by thi

evil has to be endured, not cured, there is no good in discussing it over and over agai

ng day before its time, and making it impossible to say when evening ended and night began. Gradually the two who waited for its lifting fell into silence, and Ju

ht, the stars would hardly show, and the moon was now long down. He was not at all sure of being able to find his way across this undulating country, so entirely devoid of prominent features, in a very dark night. Rather he was nearly sure that he could not do it; and though he had a by no means low opinion of Julia's abilities, he did not think that she could either. Also, with a sense of dramatic fitness equal to that of the girl's he thought their arrival in the town would be rather ill-timed if they started