respect,

"Yours faithfully,

"KARL BRECHT."

Underneath the signature of the doctor was written in hesitating,
strange characters the words in English, "God bless you.--ALEXANDER
GUTHRIE."

And then, under these five words, came another sentence in German:

"I may tell you for your consolation that it is extremely probable that
Major Guthrie will be exchanged in the course of the next few weeks. But
I have said nothing of that to him, for it will depend on the good-will
of the British Government, and it is a good-will which we Germans have
now learnt to distrust."

She read the letter through again. There came over her a feeling of
agony such as she never imagined any human being could suffer.

During the past weeks of suspense, she had faced in her own mind many
awful possibilities, but of this possibility she had not thought.

Now she remembered, with piteous vividness, the straight, kindly gaze in
his bright blue eyes--eyes which had had a pleasant play of humour in
them. Sight does not mean the same to all men, but she knew that it
meant a very great deal to the man she loved. He had always been an
out-door man, a man who cared for everything that concerned open-air
life--for birds, for trees, for flowers, for shooting, fishing, and
gardening.

Ever since she had known that Major Guthrie was alive and wounded, a
prisoner in Germany, she had allowed her thoughts to dwell on the
letters she would write to him when she received his address. She had
composed so many letters in her mind--alternative letters--letters which
should somehow make clear to him all that was in her heart, while yet
concealing it first from the British Censors and then from his German
jailers.

But now she did not give these Censors and jailers a thought. She sat
down and wrote quite simply and easily the words which welled up out of
her heart:

"MY DEAREST,

"To-day is New Year's Day, and I have had the great joy of
receiving news of you. Also your blessing, which has already
done me good. I wish you to get this letter quickly, so I will
not make it long.

"I am forbidden to give you any news, so I will only say that
Rose and I are well. That I love you and think of you all the
time, and look forward to being always with you in God's good
time."

She hesitated a moment as to how she would sign herself, and then she
wrote:

"Your own

"MARY."

She looked