When the two girls reached the flag-staff, their parents were not there. Jane was glad of this, for it precluded questioning as to the point whence they had arrived. As they stood waiting, large snow-flakes began to fall, and the wind was rising. But they had not to wait long before the gentlemen made their appearance, busily conversing, so busily, indeed, that when they had joined the girls, they walked away toward the railway station without concerning themselves to ask what had become of Mary and Thomas. When they reached the railway station, Mr. Boxall became suddenly aware that two of their party were missing. "Why, Jane, where's Mary? And where's Tom? Where did you leave them?" "Somewhere about the pines. I thought they would have been back long ago." The two fathers looked at each other, and each seeing that the other looked knowing, then first consented, as he thought, to look knowing himself. "Well," said Mr. Worboise, "they're old enough to take care of themselves, I suppose. I vote we don't wait for them." "Serve them right," said Mr. Boxall. "Oh, don't, papa," interposed Jane. "Well, Jane, will you stop for them?" said her father. But a sudden light that flashed into Jane's eyes made him change his tone. He did not know why, but the idea of Charles Wither rose in his mind, and he made haste to prevent Jane from taking advantage of the proposal. "Come along," he said. "Let them take care of themselves. Come along." The suspicion had crossed him more than once, that Mr. Wither and Jane possibly contrived to meet without his knowledge, and the thought made him writhe with jealousy; for it lay in his nature to be jealous of everyone of whom his wife or his daughters spoke well--that is, until he began to like him himself, when the jealousy, or what was akin to it, vanished. But it was not jealousy alone that distressed him, but the anxiety of real love as well. By the time they reached Camden Road station, the ground was covered with snow. When Tom and Mary arrived at the pines, I have said they found that the rest of their party had gone. "Oh, never mind," said Mary, merrily; "let us run down into the hollow, and wait till they come back. I dare say they are not far off. They will never go without us."