Nobody was at home except General Mohun, but he verified Adrian’s impression of his nephew’s soundness, whatever the mysterious comparison might mean; and asked rather solicitously not only after Mr. Underwood but after Gerald, who, he said, was a delicate subject to have made such exertions.

“It really was very gallant and very sensible behaviour,” he said, as he took his hat to walk to St. Andrew’s with the brother and sister, but Anna was conscious of a little pouting in Adrian’s expression, and displeasure in his stumping steps.

Gerald came to church, but went to sleep in the sermon, and had altogether such a worn-out look that no one could help remembering that he had never been very strong, and had gone through much exertion the day before, nor could he eat much of the mid-day meal.  Mrs. Grinstead, who was more at ease about her brother, looked anxiously at him, and with a kind of smile the word “Apres” passed between them.  The Sunday custom was for Clement to take Adrian to say his Catechism, and have a little instruction before going out walking, but as this could not be on this day, Anna and he were to go out for a longer walk than usual, so as to remove disturbance from the household.  Gerald declined, of course, and was left extended on the sofa; but just as Anna and Adrian had made a few steps along the street, and the boy had prevailed not to walk to Clipstone, as she wished, but to go to the cliffs, that she might hear the adventure related in sight of the scene of action, he discovered that he had left a glove.  He was very particular about Sunday walking in gloves in any public place, and rushed back to find it, leaving his sister waiting.  Presently he came tearing back and laughing.

“Did you find it?”

“Oh yes; it was in the drawing-room.  And what else do you think I found?  Why, Cherie administering"-—and he pointed down his throat, and made a gulp with a wild grimace of triumph.  “On the sly!  Ha! ha!”

Anna felt as if the ground had opened under her feet, but she answered gravely—-

“Poor Gerald went through a great deal yesterday, and is quite knocked up, so no wonder he needs some strengthening medicine.”

“Strengthening grandmother!  Don’t you think I know better than that?” he cried, with a caper and a grin.

“Of course you had to have some cordial when you were taken out of the water.”

“And don’t you know what it was?”

“I know the fisher-people carry stuff about with them in case of accidents.”

“That’s the way with girls-—just to think one knows nothing at all.”

“What do you know, Adrian?”

“Know?  Why, I haven’t been about with Kit and Ted Harewood for nothing!  Jolly good larks it is to see how all of you take for granted that a fellow never knew the taste of anything but tea and milk-and-water.”

“But what do you know the taste of?” she asked, with an earnestness that provoked the boy to tease and put on a boasting manner, so that she could not tell how much he was pretending for the sake of amazing and tormenting her, in which he certainly succeeded.