With one accord the two elders increased their pace to a fast walk, then to a trot.

"We shall see her directly," said Crow, "she wasn’t going so very fast, and the road past Woodrising is perfectly straight for some way."

They reached the corner. Ahead of them, some way down the hill, was a running figure.

Adrian put his fingers to his mouth and made a long, harsh whistle like a steam escape.

For a moment they saw a face, as the girl checked and glanced round. But she did not stop, she ran on again, evidently faster.

"Jolly well ashamed of herself," said Adrian, rigidly disapproving. "She can’t escape, Crow. She’ll be ahead of us--in sight--all the way home."

It is a proverb never "to boast", that is to say, never to reckon on a hope as a fact--lest something unexpected spoils the hope. In this case the moon failed the pursuers. They had been so intent on Pamela that neither of them noticed a big patch of cloud sailing swiftly up from the north. In a moment the moon was shut off, and in a minute the darkness was pretty complete, for the cloud was a heavy one.

"Oh--dash it!" exclaimed Adrian irritably, "just when we were sure."

"Never mind, we can run just the same. We shall get used to the dark, and anyway, Addie, _she_ can’t run fast any more than we can. One can’t help taking care, when one can’t see."

"Hedges are getting clearer," suggested Adrian, "funny how quickly one gets used to things. This Woodrising wall is plain as the lighthouse."

They ran on--down hill always, passed the long line of wall, and just as the overhanging shrubs and sheltering height of Fuchsia Cottage hill-side showed a big black patch on the right hand, the moon suddenly appeared again, and everything around--road, hedges, bushes, and towering steep above cottage and church--came out again as clear as a painted scene.

Adrian and Christobel both looked ahead down the road. It was empty. Not a soul in sight.

"Where’s she gone to?" said Christobel, stopping.

"Don’t ask me, my good girl," Adrian was cross, unquestionably, "I suppose she’s up to some trick."

Such a suggestion did not please Crow.

 Prev. P 48/404 next