nt. He judged
Noel's conduct to be headlong and undisciplined, and the vein of
stubbornness in his character fortified the father and the priest within
him. Thirza disappointed him; she did not seem to see the irretrievable
gravity of this hasty marriage. She seemed to look on it as something
much lighter than it was, to consider that it might be left to Chance,
and that if Chance turned out unfavourable, there would still be a way
out. To him there would be no way out. He looked up at the sky, as if
for inspiration. It was such a beautiful day, and so bitter to hurt his
child, even for her good! What would her mother have advised? Surely
Agnes had felt at least as deeply as himself the utter solemnity of
marriage! And, sitting there in the sunlight, he painfully hardened
his heart. He must do what he thought right, no matter what the
consequences. So he went in and wrote that he could not agree, and
wished Noel to come back home at once.

V

1

But on the same afternoon, just about that hour, Noel was sitting on the
river-bank with her arms folded tight across her chest, and by her side
Cyril Morland, with despair in his face, was twisting a telegram "Rejoin
tonight. Regiment leaves to-morrow."

What consolation that a million such telegrams had been read and
sorrowed over these last two years! What comfort that the sun was daily
blotted dim for hundreds of bright eyes; the joy of life poured out and
sopped up by the sands of desolation!

"How long have we got, Cyril?"

"I've engaged a car from the Inn, so I needn't leave till midnight. I've
packed already, to have more time."

"Let's have it to ourselves, then. Let's go off somewhere. I've got some
chocolate."

Morland answered miserably:

"I can send the car up here for my things, and have it pick me up at the
Inn, if you'll say goodbye to them for me, afterwards. We'll walk down
the line, then we shan't meet anyone."

And in the bright sunlight they walked hand in hand on each side of a
shining rail. About six they reached the Abbey.

"Let's get a boat," said Noel. "We can come back here when it's
moonlight. I know a way of getting in, after the gate's shut."

They hired a boat, rowed over to the far bank, and sat on the stern
seat, side by side under the trees where the water was stained deep
green by the high woods. If they talked, it was but a word of love
now and then, or to draw each other's attention to a fish, a bird, a
dragon-fly. What