"We both looked narrowly at Miss Holroyd. Her smile was guileless.
"'Fossils!' repeated the professor. 'Do you care for fossils?'
"'Very much,' said I.
"Now I am not perfectly sure what my object was in lying. I looked at Daisy Holroyd's dark-fringed eyes. They were very grave.
"'Fossils,' said I, 'are my hobby.'
"I think Miss Holroyd winced a little at this. I did not care. I went on:
"'I have seldom had the opportunity to study the subject, but, as a boy, I collected flint arrow-heads—"
"'Flint arrow-heads!' said the professor coldly.
"'Yes; they were the nearest things to fossils obtainable,' I replied, marvelling at my own mendacity.
"The professor looked into the hole. I also looked. I could see nothing in it. 'He's digging for fossils,' thought I to myself.