have
seemed to any one who wasn't a young man pretty hopeless, but now I
don't know. Imagination's breaking in ... Warlock's a prophet. I've got
fascinated, sitting round this Chapel, as badly as any of them. Yes,
one can be led into belief of anything."

"And what do you believe in, Mr. Magnus?" asked Maggie.

"Well, not in myself anyway, nor Thurston, nor Miss Avies ... But in
your Aunt perhaps, and Warlock. The only thing I'm sure of is that
there's something there, but what it is of course I can't tell you, and
I don't suppose I shall ever know. The story of Sir Galahad, Miss
Cardinal--it seems mid-Victorian to us now--but it's a fine story and
true enough."

Maggie, who knew nothing of mid-Victorianism, was silent.

He ended with: "Mind you decide for yourself. That's the great thing in
life. Don't you believe anything that any one tells you. See for
yourself. And if there's something of great value, don't think the less
of it because the people who admire it aren't worth very much. Why
should they be? And possibly after all it's only themselves they're
admiring ... There's a fearful lot of nonsense and humbug in this
thing, but there's something real too ..."

He changed his note, suddenly addressing himself intently to her as
though he had a message to deliver.

"Don't think me impertinent. But your Aunt Anne. See as much of her as
you can. She's devoted to you, Miss Cardinal. You mayn't have seen
it--she's a reserved woman and very shy of her feelings, but she's
spoken to me ... I hope I'm not interfering to say this, but perhaps at
first you don't understand her. She loves you, you're the first human
being I do believe that she's ever loved."

What was there then in Maggie that started up in rebellion at this
unexpected declaration? She had been sitting there, tranquil, soothed
with a happy sense that her new life was developing securely for her in
the way that she would have it. Suddenly she was alert, suspicious,
hostile.

"What has she said to you?" she asked quickly, frowning up at him and
drawing back as though she were afraid of him. He was startled at the
change in her.

"Said?" he repeated, stammering a little. "Why only ... Nothing ...
except that she cared for you and hoped that you would be happy. She
was afraid that it would all be strange for you at first ... Perhaps I
have been interfering ..."

"No," Maggie interrupted quickly. "Not you. Only I must lead my own
life. I must, mustn'