THE STRATAGEM SUCCEEDS.

time to ask his companion a question, he
had arrived at a railway station. He fol-
lowed Robert into one of the carriages. The
whistle for departure sounded, and the two
fugitives were on their way.

“But, Robert,” said Charles, “ Elizabeth
will be uneasy about me; and if my father,
who is now able to walk out, should come to
the gardens, and not find me there, what
will he think ?”

“Make your mind easy, Charles, we shall
be back in two hours; and I dare say we
shall find Elizabeth scarcely arrived at the
middle of one of her stories.

“Are we going to some place for your
mother ?”

“No, for ourselves; we are going to play
at ball.”

“To play at ball!”

“Yes. There are matches for ball play-
ing, as well as there are races for horses, and
pools for billiards; and to-day, we shall win
prizes, and what we win we shall share.”

They arrived at ——— and had only

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