devotion she has inspired in the bosom of a small boy even when she
realises--which is rare indeed--that she is regarded with unusual
affection by Tommy or Billy or Jim. Jim is probably very young; his hair
as a rule appears to have been tousled in a whirlwind, his plain face is
never without traces of black jam in which vagrant dust finds rest, and
in the society of the adored one he is shy and awkward. The adored one
may think him a good deal of a nuisance, but deep down in the dark secret
chamber of his heart she is enshrined a goddess, and worshipped with
zealous devotion. Men may call her an angel lightly enough; Jim knows her
to be an angel, and says never a word. His romance is true, and pure, and
beautiful while it lasts--the only true, pure, and beautiful romance many
women ever inspire, and alas! they never know of it, and would not prize
it if they did.

That was the feeling Dick had for Christina Shine. Thore had been
others--Richard Haddon was not bigoted in his constancy--but now it was
Miss Chris, and to him she was both angel and princess; a princess stolen
from her royal cradle by the impostor Shine under moving and mysterious
circumstances, and at the instigation of a disreputable uncle. It only
remained for Dick to slaughter the latter in fair fight, under the eyes
of an admiring multitude, in order to restore Chris to all her royal
dignities and privileges.

Jock Summers had not relaxed his grip on the boy's ear. He led him to a
small dairy sunk in the side of the hill and roofed with stone.

Ye may bide in there, laddie,' he said, 'till I can make up my mind. I
think I might just skin ye, an' I think maybe I might get ye ten years to
Yarraman Goal, but I'm no sure.'