“Not yet, but still you might go a little slower, or else I shall get out of breath and shan’t be able to tell you about things.”

He obeyed.

“There are no flowers for you to show me now,” he said.

“No, but there are interesting things.  For instance, away there to the right is a wonderful field.  And the old story is that everything that is ever planted in it comes up red—­red.”

“What nonsense.”

“Yes, it is, but it’s creepy, nice nonsense.  Because of the story.  Once there were two murderers at Swire village, and one turned upon the other and told the secret of the murder and got his friend caught and hanged.  And the bad murderer was paid a great deal of money for telling the Government about the other murderer; and that was blood-money, you see.  Then the bad murderer bought a field, and because he bought it with blood-money, everything he planted came up red.  I wish it was true; but, of course, I know it can’t be, though a good many things would come up red, like sanfoin and scarlet clover and beetroots.”

“A jolly good yarn,” declared Raymond.

They tramped along through a network of winding lanes, and presently Estelle pointed to a lofty hillock that rose above the high lands on which they walked.

“That’s Shipton Hill,” she said, pointing to the domelike mound.  “And I believe it’s called so, because from one point it looks exactly like a ship upside down.”

“I’ll bet it is, and a very good name for it.”

The diminutive chapel of Chilcombe stood in a farmyard beside a lofty knoll of trees.  It was a stout little place of early English architecture, lifted high above the surrounding country and having a free horizon of sea and land.  It consisted of a chancel, nave and south porch.  Its bell cote held one bell; and within was a Norman font, a trefoil headed piscina, and sitting room for thirty-four people.

“Isn’t it a darling little church?” asked Estelle, her voice sunk to a whisper; and Raymond nodded and said that it was ‘ripping.’

Then they examined the medieval treasure of the reredos—­a panel of cedar wood, some ten feet in length, that surmounted the altar.  It was set in a deep oaken frame, and displayed two circular drawings with an oblong picture in the midst.  In the left circle was the scourging of Christ; in the right, the Redeemer rose from the tomb; while between them the crucifixion had been depicted, with armies of mail-clad soldiers about the cross.  The winged symbols of the evangelists appeared in other portions of the panel with various separate figures, and there were indications that the work was unfinished.

Estelle, who had often studied every line of it, gave her explanations and ideas to Raymond, while he listened with great attention.  Then they went to the ancient manor house now converted into a farm; and there the girl had friends who provided them with tea.  She made no attempt to hide her pride at her companion, for she was a lonely little person and the expedition with Raymond had been a great event in her life.