life, and so went on his way, with Angel's white face
before his eyes and the sound of Betty's voice in his ears. It was
only a few minutes before the shot came which stretched him, blinded
and unconscious, on the deck, but they were the sort of minutes in
which a man grows old; and when he came to himself, helpless and weak
and bewildered, to be told that Godfrey Wyndham had never been seen
since the fight, he felt as if the time before were part of another
life.

He was wondering sadly this morning why he had hurried home before the
doctors wished him to travel; he had been restlessly anxious to get to
Oakfield, and now he scarcely knew why. How could he meet Angelica and
Betty, when he had come back safe, only useless and helpless, and the
boy they had trusted to him, the boy who was the light of their eyes
and the joy of their hearts, would never come back to them any more?

And then suddenly a voice sounded close to him; he had been too much
taken up with his own thoughts to hear the steps on the path till they
were beside him.

'Oh! Captain Maitland'--it was Betty's eager tones--'it is dreadful to
see you like this; but you'll be able to see again soon, won't you?'

The captain rose to his feet and stood trembling as he had never
trembled before the French guns. And even in the darkness he knew that
it was Angel's hand that touched him.

'Please sit down,' she said gently, 'please don't stand. Why did you
not let us know? Nancy had to fetch us.'

'How could I?' he said, turning away his face from her, 'how could I,
when I would give all the world to be where he is and he here?'

'Oh, we know,' said Betty's earnest voice, 'we both remember what you
said, that we mustn't over-rate your power to save him. You don't
think we're thinking anything like that, you surely know us better?
Angel, Angel, can't you explain?'

'I'm sure Captain Maitland understands,' said Angel very quietly; 'and
now he will tell us all about what we most want to hear, we and Cousin
Crayshaw and Penny and all--what nobody else can tell us.'

And the captain said 'Yes' as he had said 'Yes' when Angel and Betty
fetched him home to help them at supper on the evening before Godfrey
went away.

They were all together at the Place that evening, after the captain's
story had been told. In spite of the sunny days, the spring nights
were chilly, and they gathered round the wood fire in a little panelled
room which had been old Mrs.