never talk if you don't want me to--I'll do
everything you tell me--only let me come. You're the only person
who's ever shown me what I might do. I might be of use if I were with
you--otherwise----"

"Rot, Bunning. You've got plenty to do here. I'm no good yet for
anybody. One day perhaps we'll meet again. I'll write to you. I promise
not to forget you. How could I? and one day I'll come back---"

Bunning moved away, his head banging. "You must think me an awful
fool--of course you do. I am, I suppose. I'd be awful to be with for
long at a time--of course I see that. But I don't know what to do. If
I go home and tell them I'm not going to be a parson it'll be terrible.
They'll all be at me. Not directly. They won't say anything, but they'll
have people to talk to me. They'll fill the house--they won't spare any
pains. And then, at last, being all alone, I shall give in. I know I
shall, I'm not clever or strong. And I shall be ordained--and then
it'll be hell. I can see it all. You came into my life and made it all
different, and now you're going out of it again and it will be worse
than ever---"

"I won't go out of it," said Olva. "I'll write if you'd like--and
perhaps we'll meet. I'll be always your friend. And--look here--I'll
tell Margaret--Miss Craven--about you, and she'll ask you to go and see
her, and if you two are friends it'll be a kind of alliance between all
of us, won't it?"

Bunning was happier--"Oh, but she'll think me such an ass!"

"Oh no, she won't, she's much too clever, And, Bunning, don't let
yourself be driven by people. Stick to the thing you want to do--you'll
find something all right. Just go on here and wait until you're shown.
Sit with your ears open----"

Bunning filled his mouth with toast. "If you'll write to me and keep up
with me I'll do anything."

"And one thing--Don't tell any one I'm going. I shall just slip out of
college early the day after to-morrow. I don't want any one to know.
It's nobody's affair but mine."

Then he held out his hand--"Good-bye, Bunning, old man."

"Good-bye," said Bunning.

When Olva had gone he sat down by the fire again, staring.

Some hours afterwards he spoke, suddenly, aloud: "I can stand the lot of
them now."

Then he went to bed.

CHAPTER XVI

OLVA AND MARGARET

1

On the next evening the sun set with great splendour. The frost had come
and hardened the snow and all day the sky bad been a pale frozen blue,
only on the horizon