clear, as the
thoughts of a solitary child. Ever and again a log burnt through its
strength, and falling amid sparks, stirred, like a restless animal, the
stillness; or Herbert in his corner lifted his head to glance towards
his visitor, and to turn another page. At last the music, too, fell
silent, and Lawford stood up with his candle in his hand and eyed with a
strange fixity brother and sister. His glance wandered slowly round the
quiet flame-lit room.

'You won't,' he said, stooping towards them as if in extreme confidence,
'you won't much notice? They come and go. I try not to--to speak. It's
the only way through. It is not that I don't know they're only dreams.
But if once the--the others thought there had been any tampering'--he
tapped his forehead meaningly--'here: if once they thought that, it
would, you know, be quite over then. How could I prove...?' He turned
cautiously towards the door, and with laborious significance nodded his
head at them.

Herbert bent down and held out his long hands to the fire. 'Tampering,
my dear chap: That's what the lump said to the leaven.'

'Yes, yes,' said Lawford, putting out his hand, 'but you know what
I mean, Herbert. Anything I tried to do then would be quite, quite
hopeless. That would be poisoning the wells.'

They watched him out of the room, and listened till quite distinctly in
the still night-shaded house they heard his door gently close. Then, as
if by consent, they turned and looked long and questioningly into each
other's faces.

'Then you are not afraid?' Herbert said quietly.

Grisel gazed steadily on, and almost imperceptibly shook her head.

'You mean?' he questioned her; but still he had again to read her answer
in her eyes.

'Oh, very well, Grisel,' he said quietly, 'you know best,' and returned
once more to his writing.

For an hour or two Lawford slept heavily, so heavily that when a little
after midnight he awoke, with his face towards the uncurtained window,
though for many minutes he lay brightly confronting all Orion, that from
blazing helm to flaming dog at heel filled high the glimmering square,
he could not lift or stir his cold and leaden limbs. He rose at last and
threw off the burden of his bedclothes, and rested awhile, as if freed
from the heaviness of an unrememberable nightmare. But so clear was his
mind and so extraordinarily refreshed he seemed in body that sleep for
many hours would not return again. And he spent almost all the