s house again.

Now, it did not seem to matter. The heat of her pride and anger had
died down and she began to see that her love for Godfrey was too deep
to be destroyed by anger or even contempt. He had planted it in her
heart and she must carry it about always. Neither of them by any act
of theirs could take it away from her.

But she was not actively and vitally miserable. Her being was simply
soaked in a dull unhappiness which made her quite indifferent to the
healthy pricking of small annoyances, so that when Mr. and Mrs. Graham
passed her with the barest of cold salutations, and never stopped to
ask for news, even at this sad crisis, she did not care.

She was finding out the truth of what Miss Panton had said in the
kitchen of the cottage--that every time a human being really feels it
does not matter, he or she has a bitter foretaste of death, which is
what makes this of all emotions the most truly sad.

Even when she reached Aunt Creddle's, whose words and exclamations fell
about her ears like hail, she remained the same--delivering her
message, then going on at once to take her place in the pay-box.

Lillie had already heard the news and was rather shocked that she
should wish to remain. "Anybody can see you've been crying. Now,
don't you think about me, Carrie. I don't mind stopping a bit."

"No, thanks, I'd rather be here. After all, it's my job. And they
don't want me--there are plenty there without me," said Caroline.

But Lillie urged her at least to go somewhere and have a nice hot cup
of tea and a rest, even if she were not needed at the Cottage; then at
last departed, rebuffed and slightly irritated.

Caroline sat down on the chair; but she did not take up her knitting,
though the rain now fell heavily, persistently, and fewer people than
ever passed through the barrier. She remained there with her hands
idle, her eyes fixed on the expanse of sea that stretched out before
her, so full of buoyant life, the spray from the breakers blown back
like smoke in the wind under the swiftly-moving grey clouds.

After a while the handful of people who had been listening to the
concert in the hall came out into the rain, shouting remarks to each
other above the gale. "Windiest place in England! Very bracing,
though--too bracing for my taste!"

A little later members of the band scurrying back to their lodgings:
then utter silence, but for the sound of the wind and sea. But just
before Lillie