Love Leading to a Rupture 197

Gavin heard it, too, and they both turned round
in time to see two ragged boys running from
them. When boys are very happy they think
they must be doing wrong, and in a wood, of
which they are among the natural inhabitants,
they always take flight from the enemy, adults, if
given time. For my own part, when I see a boy
drop from a tree I am as little surprised as if he
were an apple or a nut. But Gavin was startled,
picturing these spies handing in the new sensa-
tion about him at every door, as a district visitor
distributes tracts. ‘The gypsy noted his uneasi-
ness, and resented it.

“What does it feel like to be afraid?” she
asked, eyeing him.

“JT am afraid of nothing,’
offended in turn.

“Yes, you are. When you saw me come out
of Nanny’s you crept behind a tree; when these
boys showed themselves you shook. You are
afraid of being seen with me. Go away, then;
I don’t want you.”

“Fear,” said Gavin, “is one thing, and pru-
dence is another.”

** Another name for it,” Babbie interposed.

* Not at all; but I owe it to my position to be
careful. Unhappily you do not seem to feel —
to recognise — to know —”’

“To know what?”

“ Let us avoid the subject.”

“No,” the Egyptian said, petulantly. “I
hate not to be told things. Why must you
be ‘ prudent ?’”

“You should see,” Gavin replied, awkwardly,

?

Gavin answered,