With this, he turned his back and strode off, walking somewhat
unsteadily like a blind man feeling his way.

Clifford stood for a moment, inert. The angry blood burned in his
face,--his hands were involuntarily clenched,--he was impatient
with himself for having, as he thought, let Landon off too easily.
He saw at once the possibility of mischief brewing, and hastily
considered how it could best be circumvented.

"The simplest way out of it is to make a clean breast of
everything," he decided, at last. "Tomorrow I'll see Uncle Hugo
early in the morning and tell him just what has happened."

Under the influence of this resolve, he gradually calmed down and
re-entered the house. And the moonlight, widening and then waning
over the smooth and peaceful meadows of Briar Farm, had it all its
own way for the rest of the night, and as it filtered through the
leafy branches of the elms and beeches which embowered the old
tomb of the Sieur Amadis de Jocelin it touched with a pale glitter
the stone hands of his sculptured effigy,--hands that were folded
prayerfully above the motto,--"Mon coeur me soutien!"




CHAPTER V

As early as six o'clock the next morning Innocent was up and
dressed, and, hastening down to the kitchen, busied herself, as