the spring breeze.

"Very, very far," she said as her eyes pointed to the smoke-begrimed
tombstones. "Here the homes of the dead seem so forsaken, so humble.
Death has triumphed. In the Valley the dead were the eternal citizens,
their homes were immortal. The dead have no abiding cities here, and
even the palaces of the living will be crumbled into powder before
Egypt's tombs show any signs of wear and decay."

Their thoughts having turned to Egypt, beautiful memories were
recalled. Often broken sentences spoke volumes. Their time was very
short, so short that Love devised a sort of shorthand conversation,
which saved a thousand words.

And so for the rest of Margaret's precious hour they talked and dreamed
and loved. There was so much to explain and so much to tell on both
sides that, as Margaret laughingly said, they would both still be
trying to get through their "bit" when Michael would have to leave for
the Front.

Margaret just left herself time to hurry upstairs and change her
uniform in her lodgings before she returned to the hospital. Michael
waited for her in the square.

Before they left it, Margaret said, "I want you to shake hands with an
old friend of mine. We'll have to pass her seat; she is always here.
She's a great character, an old actress--such a good sort."

As they passed the shabby little woman, picking down old uniforms, Meg
stopped. The woman looked up; her eyes brightened. The V.A.D. had a
soldier with her--her lover, she could see that at a glance. He had
brought an atmosphere of romance and passion into the laburnum-lit
garden.

Margaret introduced Michael, who was perfectly at his ease on such an
occasion.

"My friend has arrived from the Front," she said. "We are going to be
married the day after to-morrow . . ." she paused, ". . . that is to
say, if I can get leave from my hospital for a week."

The woman looked up at the handsome couple. "Well, what a surprise!"
she said, as she stared hard at Michael. "Who would ever have thought
that you were going to be married so soon? You never even told me you
were engaged! You were very sly." She smiled happily.

Margaret laughed at her astonished expression. "I mustn't stop to tell
you about it now," she said. "My time is up--I ought to be back in ten
minutes to my cups and saucers. I just wanted you to shake hands with
the man I'm going to marry."

The woman rose from her seat. As she did so, the old scarlet co