together.

Fortunately, to-day Bela had said that she need not stay more than a few
minutes.

"We'll just pay our respects to Ilona and Aladar," he had said
pompously, "and take another walk before the sun goes down."

And Elsa--taking him at his word--had made but a meteoric appearance in
her future sister-in-law's cottage--a hasty greeting, a brief peck on
Ilona's two cheeks, and one on Aladar's bristly face, then the
inevitable homily; and as soon as Ilona paused in the latter, in order
to draw breath, Elsa gave her another peck, by way of farewell,
explained hastily that her mother was waiting for her, and fled
incontinently from the rigid atmosphere of the best bedroom.

Bela and his brother-in-law had started on politics, and it took a
little time before Elsa succeeded in persuading him to have that nice
walk with her before the sun went down. But now they were out again in
the sunshine at last, and Elsa was once more able to breathe freely and
with an infinity of relief.

"I wonder," said Bela dryly, "if you are really taking in all the good
advice which Ilona so kindly gives you from time to time. You can't do
better than model yourself on her. She is a pattern wife and makes
Aladar perfectly happy. I wonder," he reiterated, with something of a
sneer, "if you will learn from her, or if your mother's influence will
remain with you for ever?"

Then, as with her accustomed gentleness she chose to remain silent,
rather than resent his sneer, he added curtly:

"If you want to make me happy and comfortable you will follow Ilona's
advice in all things."

"I will do my best, Bela," she said quietly.

Then for some reason which the young man himself could not perhaps have
explained he once more started talking about Andor.

"It was very hard on him," he said, with a shrug of his wide shoulders,
"to die just when he was on the point of getting his discharge."

And after an almost imperceptible moment of hesitation he added with
studied indifference: "Of course, all that talk of his being still alive
is sheer nonsense. I have done everything that lay in my power to find
out if there was the slightest foundation for the rumour, but now
I--like all sensible people--am satisfied that Andor is really dead."

Elsa was walking beside him, her hand resting lightly on his arm, as was
fitting for a girl who was tokened and would be a bride within the week:
she walked with head bent, her eyes fixed upon the ground. She