"All right," exclaimed Percy again. "I request you not to give it back tome until the day we leave."

"I promise," exclaimed Seabrooke. "Remember now; I shall keep my word andtake you at yours, and _will_ not return this money to you untilThursday morning of next week."

"No, don't," said Percy, laughing. "I give you full leave to refuseto return it to me till then."

"Self-confident, careless fellow!" exclaimed Seabrooke to himself as theother turned away in a series of somersaults down the slope on theedge of which they had been standing. "He is so sure of himself; andyet, I know, at the somewhat first temptation he would forget all abouthis debt to his sister and make way with that money. But I can't helphaving a liking for him, and for the sake of that sister who has beenso nice to Gladys I shall do what I can to keep him straight."

"I say, Neville," exclaimed Raymond Stewart, meeting Percy not half anhour afterward, "aren't you going to stand treat out of that fortuneof yours?"