It was much later than he had intended it to be when Grif said good-bye to Mr. Bradley and scudded down the road in the direction of his grandfather’s. It must be very late indeed, he thought, for the sun had set, and the sky in the west was ablaze with a soft radiance of yellow and orange. Against this the landscape, rising in a gentle curve, took on a sombre hue, in which green was hardly visible, while the rich brown soil of arable land looked black as black velvet. Some white gulls, passing with their strange lonely cry overhead, were dark as a flock of rooks, and the flies, dancing in fantastic reels against the glowing light, were like little spots of darkness shaken into animation. For the first time it occurred to Grif that his prolonged absence might have caused some uneasiness at home.... And he no longer had Palmer’s butterfly-net. Dear knows where he had left it! CHAPTER VII QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ‘I met a traveller from an antique land.’ ――_Shelley._ The sight of the croquet-hoops, looking lonely and deserted on the grey lawn, where they were now scarcely distinguishable, reminded him of the tournament, and when, very shamefacedly, he pushed open the dining-room door, he understood the anxiety his behaviour had created. He stood still upon the threshold, a little dazzled by the bright light and the noise of uplifted voices. Supper was finished, but they were all sitting up for him. The clock on the chimney-piece pointed to a quarter past nine. “Where _have_ you been?” demanded Aunt Caroline. “Do you know that Mr. Drummond and Robert” (the coachman) “are at this very moment scouring the country in search of you?” Grif remained with hanging head, still not far from the doorway. “I’m very sorry. I didn’t know it was so late till it began to get dark.” “But aren’t you starving? Have you had anything to eat?” “Oh yes. I had lunch and tea at the Batts’. Then I met Mr. Bradley and listened to him playing, and he gave me a music-lesson, and then it got dark.” Aunt Caroline seemed relieved. “Well, you’re a nice boy! And a nice partner, too,” she suddenly recollected. “Here was I waiting for you all afternoon.” “I――I’m afraid I forgot about the tournament.” “Balmer and I beat Edward and Barbara――oh, easily!” Ann patronized. “So did grandpapa and Jim. And Balmer and I beat Miss Johnson and Mr. Drummond.” “We’re going to play Drumsticks to-morrow,” cried Jim irreverently. “And now you’re going to bed,” interrupted Aunt Caroline. “Run away at once, and Ann too. You can hear the prodigal’s adventures in the morning.”