was as a spirit, beautiful beyond words, beautiful beyond
thought. Its beauty struck sharp at the heart. And they two sat there
hand in hand dreaming--dreaming--dreaming--

At last the poignant ecstacy seemed slowly, slowly to die. Fainter and
fainter ebbed the music. Through it as through a mist the solemn aloof
forest began to show to the consciousness of the two. They sought each
other's eyes gently smiling. The music was very soft and dim and sad.
They leaned to each other with a sob. Their lips met. The music ceased.

Alone in the forest side by side they looked out together for a moment
into that eternal vision which lovers only are permitted to see. The
shadows fell. About them brooded the inscrutable pines stretching a
canopy over them enthroned. A single last shaft of the sun struck
full upon them, a single light-spot in the gathering gloom. They were
beautiful.

And over behind the trees, out of the light and the love and the beauty,
little Phil huddled, his great shaggy head bowed in his arms. Beside
him lay his violin, and beside that his bow, broken. He had snapped it
across his knee. That day he had heard at last the Heart Song of the
Violin, and uttering it, had bestowed love. But in accordance with his
prophecy he had that day lost what he cared for most in all the world,
his friend.

Chapter XLIII

That was the moon of delight. The days passed through the hazy forest
like stately figures from an old masque. In the pine grove on the knoll
the man and the woman had erected a temple to love, and love showed them
one to the other.

In Hilda Farrand was no guile, no coquetry, no deceit. So perfect was
her naturalism that often by those who knew her least she was considered
affected. Her trust in whomever she found herself with attained so
directly its reward; her unconsciousness of pose was so rhythmically
graceful; her ignorance and innocence so triumphantly effective, that
the mind with difficulty rid itself of the belief that it was all
carefully studied. This was not true. She honestly did not know that she
was beautiful; was unaware of her grace; did not realize the potency of
her wealth.

This absolute lack of self-consciousness was most potent in overcoming
Thorpe's natural reticence. He expanded to her. She came to idolize him
in a manner at once inspiring and touching in so beautiful a creature.
In him she saw reflected all the lofty attractions of character which
she herself possess