“It is very interesting,” she said as they entered the Hall, “and I can’t laugh at it all as I should have done once, I don’t quite know why. But I hope, Godfrey, that you will have no more to do with spirits.” “No, not while——” and he looked at her. “While what?” “While—there are such nice bodies in the world,” he stammered, colouring. She coloured also, tossed her head, and went to wash her hands. The afternoon they spent in hunting for imaginary young jackdaws in a totally nebulous tree. Isobel grew rather cross over its non-discovery, swearing that she remembered it well years ago, and that there were always young jackdaws there. “Perhaps it has been cut down,” suggested Godfrey. “I am told that your father has been improving the place a great deal in that kind of way, so as to make it up to date and scientific and profitable, and all the rest of it. Also if it hasn’t, there would have been no young jackdaws, since they must have flown quite six weeks ago.” “Then why couldn’t you say that at once, instead of making us waste all this time?” asked Isobel with indignation. “I don’t know,” replied Godfrey in a somewhat vacuous fashion. “It was all the same to me if we were hunting for young jackdaws or the man in the moon, as long as we were together.” “Godfrey, it is evident that you have been overworking and are growing foolish. I make excuses for you, since anybody who passed first out of Sandhurst must have overworked, but it does not alter the fact. Now I must go home and see about that house, for as yet I have arranged nothing at all, and the place is in an awful state. Remember that my father is coming down presently with either six or eight terrible people, I forget which. All I know about them is that they are extremely rich and expect to be what is called ‘done well.’” “Must you?” remarked Godfrey, looking disappointed. “Yes, I must. And so must you. _Your_ father is coming back by the five o’clock train, and I advise you to be there to meet him. Perhaps I shall see you to-morrow some time.” “I can’t,” exclaimed Godfrey in a kind of wail. “I am to be taken off to a school in some town or other, I forget which, that my father has been examining. I suppose it is the speech day, and he proposes to introduce me as a kind of object lesson because I have passed first in an examination.” “Yes, as a shining example and—an advertisement. Well, perhaps we shall meet later,” and without giving him an opportunity of saying more she vanished away. CHAPTER XV FOR EVER Godfrey managed to be late again, and only reached home five minutes after his father, who had bicycled instead of walking from the station as he supposed that he would do. “I forgot to give orders about your lunch,” said Mr. Knight tentatively. “I hope that you managed to get some.” “Oh, yes, Father; that is, I lunched out, at the Hall.” “Indeed! I did not know that Sir John had arrived.” “No, he hasn’t; at least I have not seen him. I lunched with Isobel.”