ropped to the earth. They sat side by
side. Sounds stood out from the background making a bridge across their
silence; they heard the swish of the trees and some beast croaking in a
remote world.

"We love each other," Terence repeated, searching into her face. Their
faces were both very pale and quiet, and they said nothing. He was
afraid to kiss her again. By degrees she drew close to him, and rested
against him. In this position they sat for some time. She said "Terence"
once; he answered "Rachel."

"Terrible--terrible," she murmured after another pause, but in saying
this she was thinking as much of the persistent churning of the water as
of her own feeling. On and on it went in the distance, the senseless and
cruel churning of the water. She observed that the tears were running
down Terence's cheeks.

The next movement was on his part. A very long time seemed to have
passed. He took out his watch.

"Flushing said an hour. We've been gone more than half an hour."

"And it takes that to get back," said Rachel. She raised herself very
slowly. When she was standing up she stretched her arms and drew a deep
breath, half a sigh, half a yawn. She appeared to be very tired. Her
cheeks were white. "Which way?" she asked.

"There," said Terence.

They began to walk back down the mossy path again. The sighing and
creaking continued far overhead, and the jarring cries of animals. The
butterflies were circling still in the patches of yellow sunlight.
At first Terence was certain of his way, but as they walked he became
doubtful. They had to stop to consider, and then to return and start
once more, for although he was certain of the direction of the river he
was not certain of striking the point where they had left the others.
Rachel followed him, stopping where he stopped, turning where he turned,
ignorant of the way, ignorant why he stopped or why he turned.

"I don't want to be late," he said, "because--" He put a flower into her
hand and her fingers closed upon it quietly. "We're so late--so
late--so horribly late," he repeated as if he were talking in his sleep.
"Ah--this is right. We turn here."

They found themselves again in the broad path, like the drive in the
English forest, where they had started when they left the others. They
walked on in silence as people walking in their sleep, and were oddly
conscious now and again of the mass of their bodies. Then Rachel
exclaimed suddenly, "Helen!"

In the sunny s