Page:Fidelia, (IA fidelia00balm).pdf/116

 They proceeded after a few moments and soon explored another grotto and were finding others when the beat of a bell sounded over the shore; and the clock in the tower of old University counted the hour to eight.

"Eight!" said Dave and realized what it meant.

Alice had come to class; she had looked for him on the walk and, later, in the halls. Now she was in the class-room and, not seeing him, was wondering why. Never, except for a most urgent reason, did he miss or was he late at a class. Eight o'clock! It couldn't be! He pulled out his watch. It was so!

Fidelia's and his north coast of Iceland, and their caves of fifty thousand years ago, were just off shore along the campus in full view of a hundred windows and of the walk along the edge of the bluff over the beach.

"Why," said Fidelia as she realized the time. "We've got to run."

She started and, as they ran over the ice, he caught her hand to help her and thus they came to the beach below the campus.

Her eight o'clock was in a different building from his; so he went on alone to old University and to Alice. He wanted to "cut" the class entirely; he wanted to meet nobody, least of all, Alice. How could he face her?

He opened the door of the class-room and, not glancing toward Alice more than to know that she was in her usual place, he avoided his usual seat beside Lan and dropped into the nearest chair. Having no note-book, he could not even pretend to take notes