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Pecq to sew on Jack's new night-gowns, with swift fingers, and the grateful wish that she might work for these good friends forever. As if the whispering and rustling had disturbed her, Jill soon began to stir, and slowly opened the eyes which had closed so wearily on the dull December afternoon.

Mr Mariner's life centered around Brookport real estate, and the embarrassed Jill was compelled to inspect sitting-rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and master's bedrooms till the sound of a key turning in a lock gave her a feeling of nervous exhaustion. Most of her uncle's houses were converted farmhouses and, as one unfortunate purchaser had remarked, not so darned converted at that.

"Something had left me," Jill explained later. "My body seemed to be sitting on the cushions, and I could minutely describe the way Hahmed was sitting, and the exact shape of the shadow cast before him by the moon, which was setting behind us. But inside I was quite empty, whilst all sorts of little things I had known so long, crept out and stole away into the desert.

Aren't you glad?" cried Jill, as the lads stared and the lasses blushed and smiled, well pleased at the frank admiration the boyish faces showed. "I guess I am! You are a set of trumps, and we'll give you a first-class spread after the play to pay for it. Won't we, fellows?" answered Jack, much gratified, and feeling that now he could act his own part capitally. "We will.

You'll like him awfully; and he plays the piano like one o'clock. He's our tutor, you know no end of a chap." Mr Ratman was fain to express a longing desire to make the acquaintance of so redoubtable a hero. "Does he lick you?" he inquired. "Sometimes, when it's wanted; but, bless you, he could take the lot of us left-handed; couldn't he, Jill?"

For half an hour Jill submitted to the adoring little woman's ministrations, who made water to splash, and scented the air with aromatic perfume, and spread white loose gowns and softest linens before her mistress for her choice.

It was not without a pang that she uprooted herself from her surroundings in Maxfield, or bore the protests of Roger, the tears of Jill, and the chaff of Tom for her desertion. "It's not that you're not all awfully kind," said she to the first that afternoon, when the party was assembled in his room. "You are too kind that's why I'm going."

"It should have walked in without knocking, like me," said Jill. She got up. "Well, it was very kind of you to see me when I came in so unceremoniously. But I felt it was no good waiting outside on that landing. I'm so glad everything is settled. Good-bye." "Good-bye, Miss Mariner." Mr Pilkington took her outstretched hand devoutly.

At the first faint, flute-like note Jill thought that she must have awakened from sleep or delirium, and, it must be confessed, really did not care which was the solution of the mystery; sinking back into a state of apathy so exhausted was she, until the three camels came to a standstill, and the Arab, with something that looked like a dark cloak across his arm, drew his beast alongside of hers.

Lockley had thought Jill asleep from pure weariness, but her voice came out of the darkness beside the big tree trunk. "You found that out!" she said. "About its being electronic!" "I had a sample stationary beam to check on," said Lockley. "They haven't. Which may be a bad thing.