o say, and yet he was conscious that
something must be said. In the end he said lamely:--

"If you want any whiskey, stamp twice on the floor with your foot. The
servants understand."

Thereupon he walked heavily up the stairs. The old man's forbearance was
perhaps not the least part of Harry Feversham's punishment.

* * * * *

It was broad daylight when Ethne was at last alone within her room. She
drew up the blinds and opened the windows wide. The cool fresh air of
the morning was as a draught of spring-water to her. She looked out upon
a world as yet unillumined by colours and found therein an image of her
days to come. The dark, tall trees looked black; the winding paths, a
singular dead white; the very lawns were dull and grey, though the dew
lay upon them like a network of frost. It was a noisy world, however,
for all its aspect of quiet. For the blackbirds were calling from the
branches and the grass, and down beneath the overhanging trees the
Lennon flowed in music between its banks. Ethne drew back from the
window. She had much to do that morning before she slept. For she
designed with her natural thoroughness to make an end at once of all her
associations with Harry Feversham. She wished that from the moment when
next she waked she might never come across a single thing which could
recall him to her memory. And with a sort of stubborn persistence she
went about the work.

But she changed her mind. In the very process of collecting together the
gifts which he had made to her she changed her mind. For each gift that
she looked upon had its history, and the days before this miserable
night had darkened on her happiness came one by one slowly back to her
as she looked. She determined to keep one thing which had belonged to
Harry Feversham,--a small thing, a thing of no value. At first she chose
a penknife, which he had once lent to her and she had forgotten to
return. But the next instant she dropped it and rather hurriedly. For
she was after all an Irish girl, and though she did not believe in
superstitions, where superstitions were concerned she preferred to be on
the safe side. She selected his photograph in the end and locked it away
in a drawer.

She gathered the rest of his presents together, packed them carefully in
a box, fastened the box, addressed it and carried it down to the hall,
that the servants might despatch it in the morning. Then coming back to
her room she