consulting him on many matters, in which, by helping
her, he could save his father trouble. That was all over now. She must
learn to do without Miles' aid! And then suddenly from behind the
dining-room door a big figure stepped forward to meet her, and Miles'
voice said, in half-shamefaced tones--

"I thought--I'd come too! I thought we'd go together!"

"Oh, Miles!" cried his mother, and could say no more, but her heart
leapt with thankfulness for all that that action meant--for this sign
that her boy was anxious to dedicate himself afresh to Christ's service
at the beginning of his new life. She passed her hand through his arm,
and they went out of the house together, unconscious of the presence of
a third figure which had looked down at them from an upper landing.

Betty had awakened to fresh tears, and, hearing her mother stirring, had
hurried into her clothes, so as to accompany her to church; but in the
very act of slipping downstairs Miles' voice had arrested her, and she
had drawn back into the shadow. The Betty of a year ago would have
continued her course unabashed; the Betty of to-day divined with a new
humility that her presence would mar the sacredness of that last
Communion of mother and son, and turned back quietly to her own room.

The days flew. The first mornings were spent at the Stores, choosing,
ordering, and fitting; the afternoons in marking and packing the
different possessions as they arrived. Then there were farewell visits
to be paid, and to receive, and a score of letters and presents to
acknowledge. Relations turned up trumps, and sent contributions towards
the outfit in money and in kind; the General presented a handsome
double-barrelled fowling-piece, which thrilled Miles with delight and
his mother with horror. Miss Beveridge gave a "housewife" stocked with
all sorts of mending materials--fancy Miles darning his own socks!--and
Cynthia Alliot sent across a case containing one of the most perfect
quarter-plate cameras that ever was seen.

"When this you see,
Send snaps to me!"

was inscribed on the inner wrapping, which Miles quietly folded and put
away in his pocket. He would not need the camera or any external aid to
help him to remember his mentor of the golden hair and sweet grey eyes.

Cynthia came over very often those last few days, and diffused a little
fun into the gathering gloom by constituting herself Miles' sewing-
mistress, and sitting over him in sterne