not
changed?"

"Yes," I said, fascinated.

"I know I have," she said, as though speaking to herself. "Life
means more now. Somehow my childhood seems to have returned, with all
its hope of the world and all its confidence in the world, and its
certainty that all will be right. Years have fallen from my shoulders
like a released burden that was crushing me to my knees. I have
awakened from a dream that was not life at all,... a dream in which
I, alone, staggered through darkness, bearing the world on my
shoulders--the world doubly weighted with the sorrows of mankind,... a
dream that lasted years, but..._you_ awoke me."

She leaned forward and lifted the rose, touching her face with it.

"It was so simple, after all--this secret of the world's malady. You
read it for me. I know now what is written on the eternal tablets--to
live one's own life as it is given, in honor, charity, without malice;
to seek happiness where it is offered; to share it when possible; to
uplift. But, most of all, to be happy and accept happiness as a
heavenly gift that is to be shared with as many as possible. And this
I have learned since ... I knew you."

The light in the room had grown dimmer; I leaned forward to see her
face.

"Am I not right?" she asked.

"I think so.... I am learning from you."

"But you taught this creed to me!" she cried.

"No, you are teaching it to me. And the first lesson was a gift,...
your friendship."

"Freely given, gladly given," she said, quickly. "And yours I have
in return,... and will keep always--always--"

She crushed the rose against her mouth, looking at me with inscrutable
gray eyes, as I had seen her look at me once at La Trappe, once in
Morsbronn.

I picked up my gloves and riding-crop; as I rose she stood up in the
dusk, looking straight at me.

I said something about Sylvia Elven and my compliments to her,
something else about the happiness I felt at coming to the chateau
again, something about her own goodness to me--Heaven knows what!--and
she gave me her hand and I held it a moment.

"Will you come again?" she asked.

I stammered a promise and made my way blindly to the door which a
servant threw open, flung myself astride my horse, and galloped out
into the waste of moorland, seeing nothing, hearing nothing save the
low roar of the sea, like the growl of restless lions.

XVI

A RESTLESS MAN

When I came into camp, late that afternoon, I found Byram and Speed
grop