argued since; but never without those
peculiar smiles coming on their faces. Still, they respected each other,
and Pierson had not opposed his daughter's marriage to this heretic,
whom he knew to be an honest and trustworthy man. It had taken place
before Laird's arm was well, and the two had snatched a month's
honeymoon before he went back to France, and she to her hospital in
Manchester. Since then, just one February fortnight by the sea had been
all their time together....

In the afternoon he had asked for beef tea, and, having drunk a cup,
said:

"I've got something to tell your father."

But warned by the pallor of his smiling lips, Gratian answered:

"Tell me first, George."

"Our last talk, Gracie; well--there's nothing--on the other side. I
looked over; it's as black as your hat."

Gratian shivered.

"I know. While you were lying here last night, I told father."

He squeezed her hand, and said: "I also want to tell him."

"Dad will say the motive for life is gone."

"I say it leaps out all the more, Gracie. What a mess we make of it--we
angel-apes! When shall we be men, I wonder? You and I, Gracie, will
fight for a decent life for everybody. No hands-upping about that! Bend
down! It's good to touch you again; everything's good. I'm going to have
a sleep...."

After the relief of the doctor's report in the early morning Pierson had
gone through a hard struggle. What should he wire to Noel? He longed to
get her back home, away from temptation to the burning indiscretion of
this marriage. But ought he to suppress reference to George's progress?
Would that be honest? At last he sent this telegram: "George out of
danger but very weak. Come up." By the afternoon post, however, he
received a letter from Thirza:

"I have had two long talks with Noel and Cyril. It is impossible to
budge them. And I really think, dear Edward, that it will be a mistake
to oppose it rigidly. He may not go out as soon as we think. How would
it be to consent to their having banns published?--that would mean
another three weeks anyway, and in absence from each other they might be
influenced to put it off. I'm afraid this is the only chance, for if you
simply forbid it, I feel they will run off and get married somewhere at
a registrar's."

Pierson took this letter out with him into the Square Garden, for
painful cogitation. No man can hold a position of spiritual authority
for long years without developing the habit of judgme