the mood
of irresponsible light-heartedness had gone. When they finally left the
Dower House, Dinah felt that she trod the earth once more.

"I shall come and see you very often when we come back," she said rather
wistfully. "I hope Eustace won't want to be away a very long time."

"Aren't you looking forward to your honeymoon?" asked Scott.

"I don't know," said Dinah, and paused. "I really don't know. But,"
brightening, "I'm sure the wedding will be great fun."

"I hope it will," said Scott kindly.

It was not till they were nearing Willowmount that Dinah asked him at
length hesitatingly about Isabel.

"Do you mind telling me? Is she worse?"

Scott also hesitated a little before he answered. Then: "In one sense she
is much better," he said. "But physically," he paused, "physically she is
losing ground."

"Oh, Scott!" Dinah looked at him with swift dismay. "But why--why? Can
nothing be done?"

His eyes met hers unwaveringly. "No, nothing," he said, and he spoke with
that decision which she had come to know as in some fashion a part of
himself. His words carried conviction, and yet by some means they quieted
her dismay as well. He went on after a moment with that gentle philosophy
of his that seemed to soften all he said. "She is as one nearing the end
of a long journey, and she is very tired, poor girl. We can't grudge her
her rest--when it comes. Eustace wants to rouse her, but I think the time
for that is past. It is kinder--it is wiser--to let her alone."

Dinah drew a little nearer to him. "Do you mean--that you think she won't
live very long?" she whispered.

"If you like to put it that way," Scott answered quietly.

"Oh, but what of you?" she said.

She uttered the words almost involuntarily, and the next moment she would
have recalled them, for she saw his face change. For a second--only a
second--she read suffering in his eyes. But he answered her without
hesitation.

"I shall just keep on, Dinah," he said. "It's the only way. But, as I
think I've mentioned before, it's no good meeting troubles half-way. The
day's work is all that really matters."

They walked on for a space in silence; then as they drew near the house
he changed the subject. But that brief shadow of a coming desolation
dwelt in Dinah's memory with a persistence that defied all lesser things.
He was brave enough, cheery enough, in the shouldering of his burden; but
her heart ached when she realized how heavy that burden must b