ThepistolwastheoutcomeofthatsearchItcouldonlybeusedonthemuddiestforeshoreofthebeach，farawayfromthebathing-machinesandpierheads，belowthegrassyslopesofFortKeelingThetideranoutnearlytwomilesonthatcoast，andthemany-colouredmud-banks，touchedbythesun，sentupalamentablesmellofdeadweedItwaslateintheafternoonwhenDickandMaisiearrivedontheirground，Amommatrottingpatientlybehindthem-
’Mf！’saidMaisie，sniffingtheair’Iwonderwhatmakestheseasosmelly？Idon’tlikeit！’
’Youneverlikeanythingthatisn’tmadejustforyou，’saidDickbluntly’Givemethecartridges，andI’lltryfirstshotHowfardoesoneoftheselittlerevolverscarry？’
’Oh，halfamile，’saidMaisie，promptly’AtleastitmakesanawfulnoiseBecarefulwiththecartridges；Idon’tlikethosejaggedstick-upthingsontherimDick，dobecareful。’
’AllrightIknowhowtoloadI’llfireatthebreakwateroutthere。’
Hefired，andAmommaranawaybleatingThebulletthrewupaspurtofmudtotherightofthewood-wreathedpiles-
’ThrowshighandtotherightYoutry，MaisieMind，it’sloadedallround。’
Maisietookthepistolandsteppeddelicatelytothevergeofthemud，herhandfirmlyclosedonthebutt，hermouthandlefteyescrewedup-
DicksatdownonatuftofbankandlaughedAmommareturnedverycautiouslyHewasaccustomedtostrangeexperiencesinhisafternoonwalks，and，findingthecartridge-boxunguarded，madeinvestigationswithhisnoseMaisiefired，butcouldnotseewherethebulletwent-
’Ithinkithitthepost，’shesaid，shadinghereyesandlookingoutacrossthesaillesssea-
’IknowithasgoneouttotheMarazionBell-buoy，’saidDick，withachuckle’Firelowandtotheleft；thenperhapsyou’llgetitOh，lookatAmomma！——he’seatingthecartridges！’
Maisieturned，therevolverinherhand，justintimetoseeAmommascamperingawayfromthepebblesDickthrewafterhimNothingissacredtoabilly-goatBeingwellfedandtheadoredofhismistress，Amommahadnaturallyswallowedtwoloadedpin-firecartridgesMaisiehurrieduptoassureherselfthatDickhadnotmiscountedthetale-
’Yes，he’seatentwo。’
’Horridlittlebeast！Thenthey’lljoggleaboutinsidehimandblowup，andservehimrightOh，Dick！haveIkilledyou？’
RevolversaretrickythingsforyounghandstodealwithMaisiecouldnotexplainhowithadhappened，butaveilofreekingsmokeseparatedherfromDick，andshewasquitecertainthatthepistolhadgoneoffinhisfaceThensheheardhimsputter，anddroppedonherkneesbesidehim，crying，’Dick，youaren’thurt，areyou？Ididn’tmeanit。’
’Ofcourseyoudidn’t，saidDick，comingoutofthesmokeandwipinghischeek’ButyounearlyblindedmeThatpowderstuffstingsawfully。’A
neatlittlesplashofgrayledonastoneshowedwherethebullethadgoneMaisiebegantowhimper-
’Don’t，’saidDick，jumpingtohisfeetandshakinghimself’I’mnotabithurt。’
’No，butImighthavekilledyou，’protestedMaisie，thecornersofhermouthdrooping’WhatshouldIhavedonethen？’
’GonehomeandtoldMrsJennett。’Dickgrinnedatthethought；
then，softening，’Pleasedon’tworryaboutitBesides，wearewastingtime-
We’vegottogetbacktoteaI’lltaketherevolverforabit。’
Maisiewouldhaveweptontheleastencouragement，butDick’sindifference，albeithishandwasshakingashepickedupthepistol，restrainedherShelaypantingonthebeachwhileDickmethodicallybombardedthebreakwater’Gotitatlast！’heexclaimed，asalockofweedflewfromthewood-
’Letmetry，’saidMaisie，imperiously’I’mallrightnow。’
Theyfiredinturnstillthericketylittlerevolvernearlyshookitselftopieces，andAmommatheoutcast——becausehemightblowupatanymoment——browsedinthebackgroundandwonderedwhystoneswerethrownathimThentheyfoundabalkoftimberfloatinginapoolwhichwascommandedbytheseawardslopeofFortKeeling，andtheysatdowntogetherbeforethisnewtarget-
’Nextholidays，’saidDick，asthenowthoroughlyfouledrevolverkickedwildlyinhishand，’we’llgetanotherpistol，——centralfire，——thatwillcarryfarther。’
’Therewon’tbanynextholidaysforme，’saidMaisie’I’mgoingaway。’
’Whereto？’
’Idon’tknowMylawyershavewrittentoMrsJennett，andI’vegottobeeducatedsomewhere，——inFrance，perhaps，——Idon’tknowwhere；
butI
shallbegladtogoaway。’
’Ishan’tlikeitabitIsupposeIshallbeleftLookhere，Maisie，isitreallytrueyou’regoing？ThentheseholidayswillbethelastI
shallseeanythingofyou；andIgobacktoschoolnextweekI
wish——’
TheyoungbloodturnedhischeeksscarletMaisiewaspickinggrass-tuftsandthrowingthemdowntheslopeatayellowsea-poppynoddingallbyitselftotheillimitablelevelsofthemud-flatsandthemilk-whiteseabeyond-
’Iwish，’shesaid，afterapause，’thatIcouldseeyouagainsometime-
Youwishthat，too？’
’Yes，butitwouldhavebeenbetterif——if——youhad——shotstraightoverthere——downbythebreakwater。’
MaisielookedwithlargeeyesforamomentAndthiswastheboywhoonlytendaysbeforehaddecoratedAmomma’shornswithcut-paperham-frillsandturnedhimout，abeardedderision，amongthepublicways！Thenshedroppedhereyes：thiswasnottheboy-
’Don’tbestupid，’shesaidreprovingly，andwithswiftinstinctattackedtheside-issue’Howselfishyouare！JustthinkwhatI
shouldhavefeltifthathorridthinghadkilledyou！I’mquitemiserableenoughalready。’
’Why？Becauseyou’regoingawayfromMrsJennett？’
’No。’
’Fromme，then？’
NoanswerforalongtimeDickdarednotlookatherHefelt，thoughhedidnotknow，allthatthepastfouryearshadbeentohim，andthisthemoreacutelysincehehadnoknowledgetoputhisfeelingsinwords-
’Idon’tknow，’shesaid’Isupposeitis。’
’Maisie，youmustknowI’mnotsupposing。’
’Let’sgohome，’saidMaisie，weakly-
ButDickwasnotmindedtoretreat-
’Ican’tsaythings，’hepleaded，’andI’mawfullysorryforteasingyouaboutAmommatheotherdayIt’salldifferentnow，Maisie，can’tyousee？Andyoumighthavetoldmethatyouweregoing，insteadofleavingmetofindout。’
’Youdidn’tIdidtellOh，Dick，what’stheuseofworrying？’
’Thereisn’tany；butwe’vebeentogetheryearsandyears，andI
didn’tknowhowmuchIcared。’
’Idon’tbelieveyoueverdidcare。’
’No，Ididn’t；butIdo，——Icareawfullynow，Maisie，’hegulped，——’Maisie，darling，sayyoucaretoo，please。’
’Ido，indeedIdo；butitwon’tbeanyuse。’
’Why？’
’BecauseIamgoingaway。’
’Yes，butifyoupromisebeforeyougoOnlysay——willyou？’A
second’darling’cametohislipsmoreeasilythanthefirstTherewerefewendearmentsinDick’shomeorschoollife；hehadtofindthembyinstinctDickcaughtthelittlehandblackenedwiththeescapedgasoftherevolver-
’Ipromise，’shesaidsolemnly；’butifIcarethereisnoneedforpromising。’
’Anddoyoucare？’Forthefirsttimeinthepastfewminutestheireyesmetandspokeforthemwhohadnoskillinspeech-
’Oh，Dick，don’t！Pleasedon’t！Itwasallrightwhenwesaidgood-morning；butnowit’salldifferent！’Amommalookedonfromafar-
Hehadseenhispropertyquarrelfrequently，buthehadneverseenkissesexchangedbeforeTheyellowsea-poppywaswiser，andnoddeditsheadapprovinglyConsideredasakiss，thatwasafailure，butsinceitwasthefirst，otherthanthosedemandedbyduty，inalltheworldthateitherhadevergivenortaken，itopenedtothemnewworlds，andeveryoneofthemglorious，sothattheywereliftedabovetheconsiderationofanyworldsatall，especiallythoseinwhichteaisnecessary，andsatstill，holdingeachother’shandsandsayingnotaword-
’Youcan’tforgetnow，’saidDick，atlastTherewasthatonhischeekthatstungmorethangunpowder-
’Ishouldn’thaveforgottenanyhow，’saidMaisie，andtheylookedateachotherandsawthateachwaschangedfromthecompanionofanhouragotoawonderandamysterytheycouldnotunderstandThesunbegantoset，andanight-windthrashedalongthebentsoftheforeshore-
’Weshallbeawfullylatefortea，’saidMaisie’Let’sgohome。’
’Let’susetherestofthecartridgesfirst，’saidDick；andhehelpedMaisiedowntheslopeoftheforttothesea，——adescentthatshewasquitecapableofcoveringatfullspeedEquallygravelyMaisietookthegrimyhandDickbentforwardclumsily；Maisiedrewthehandaway，andDickblushed-
’It’sverypretty，’hesaid-
’Pooh！’saidMaisie，withalittlelaughofgratifiedvanityShestoodclosetoDickasheloadedtherevolverforthelasttimeandfiredovertheseawithavaguenotionatthebackofhisheadthathewasprotectingMaisiefromalltheevilsintheworldApuddlefaracrossthemudcaughtthelastraysofthesunandturnedintoawrathfulreddiscThelightheldDick’sattentionforamoment，andasheraisedhisrevolvertherefelluponhimarenewedsenseofthemiraculous，inthathewasstandingbyMaisiewhohadpromisedtocareforhimforanindefinitelengthoftimetillsuchdateas——Agustofthegrowingwinddrovethegirl’slongblackhairacrosshisfaceasshestoodwithherhandonhisshouldercallingAmomma’alittlebeast，’andforamomenthewasinthedark，——adarknessthatstungThebulletwentsingingouttotheemptysea-
’Spoiltmyaim，’saidhe，shakinghishead’Therearen’tanymorecartridges；weshallhavetorunhome。’ButtheydidnotrunTheywalkedveryslowly，arminarmAnditwasamatterofindifferencetothemwhethertheneglectedAmommawithtwopin-firecartridgesinhisinsideblewuportrottedbesidethem；fortheyhadcomeintoagoldenheritageandweredisposingofitwithallthewisdomofalltheiryears-
’AndIshallbe——’quothDick，valiantlyThenhecheckedhimself：
’I
don’tknowwhatIshallbeIdon’tseemtobeabletopassanyexams，butIcanmakeawfulcaricaturesofthemastersHo！Ho！’
’Beanartist，then，’saidMaisie’You’realwayslaughingatmytryingtodraw；anditwilldoyougood。’
’I’llneverlaughatanythingyoudo，’heanswered’I’llbeanartist，andI’lldothings。’
’Artistsalwayswantmoney，don’tthey？’
’I’vegotahundredandtwentypoundsayearofmyownMyguardianstellmeI’mtohaveitwhenIcomeofageThatwillbeenoughtobeginwith。’
’Ah，I’mrich，’saidMaisie’I’vegotthreehundredayearallmyownwhenI’mtwenty-oneThat’swhyMrsJennettiskindertomethansheistoyouIwish，though，thatIhadsomebodythatbelongedtome，——justafatheroramother。’
’Youbelongtome，’saidDick，’foreverandever。’
’Yes，webelong——foreverIt’sverynice。’Shesqueezedhisarm。
Thekindlydarknesshidthemboth，and，emboldenedbecausehecouldonlyjustseetheprofileofMaisie’scheekwiththelonglashesveilingthegrayeyes，Dickatthefrontdoordeliveredhimselfofthewordshehadbeenbogglingoverforthelasttwohours-
’AndI——loveyou，Maisie，’hesaid，inawhisperthatseemedtohimtoringacrosstheworld，——theworldthathewouldto-morroworthenextdaysetouttoconquer-
Therewasascene，not，forthesakeofdiscipline，tobereported，whenMrsJennettwouldhavefallenuponhim，firstfordisgracefulunpunctuality，andsecondlyfornearlykillinghimselfwithaforbiddenweapon-
’Iwasplayingwithit，anditwentoffbyitself，’saidDick，whenthepowder-pockedcheekcouldnolongerbehidden，’butifyouthinkyou’regoingtolickmeyou’rewrongYouarenevergoingtotouchmeagain-
SitdownandgivememyteaYoucan’tcheatusoutofthat，anyhow。’
MrsJennettgaspedandbecamelividMaisiesaidnothing，butencouragedDickwithhereyes，andhebehavedabominablyallthateveningMrsJennettprophesiedanimmediatejudgmentofProvidenceandadescentintoTophetlater，butDickwalkedinParadiseandwouldnothearOnlywhenhewasgoingtobedMrsJennettrecoveredandassertedherselfHehadbiddenMaisiegood-nightwithdown-droppedeyesandfromadistance-
’Ifyouaren’tagentlemanyoumighttrytobehavelikeone，’saidMrs-
Jennett，spitefully’You’vebeenquarrellingwithMaisieagain。’
Thismeantthattheusualgood-nightkisshadbeenomitted。
Maisie，whitetothelips，thrusthercheekforwardwithafineairofindifference，andwasdulypeckedbyDick，whotrampedoutoftheroomredasfireThatnighthedreamedawilddreamHehadwonalltheworldandbroughtittoMaisieinacartridge-box，butsheturneditoverwithherfoot，and，insteadofsaying’Thankyou，’cried——
’WhereisthegrasscollaryoupromisedforAmomma？Oh，howselfishyouare！’