"Was it lovely in the woods?" he asked. "Simpson shall take me up there
after lunch. Meanwhile, is there time, if you are not tired, Miss Gray,
to finish our morning's work?"

Five letters were dictated and a cheque written. Then Jane noticed that
hers to him had gone from among the rest. But his to her lay on the
table ready for stamping. She hesitated.

"And about the letter to Miss Champion?" she said. "Do you wish it to
go as it is, Mr. Dalmain?"

"Why certainly," he said. "Did we not finish it?"

"I thought," said Jane nervously, looking away from his blank face, "I
thought perhaps--after Dr. Rob's story--you might--"

"Dr. Rob's story could make no possible difference as to whether I
should let her come here or not," said Garth emphatically; then added
more gently: "It only reminded me--"

"Of what?" asked Jane, her hands upon her breast.

"Of what a glorious woman she is," said Garth Dalmain, and blew a long,
steady cloud of smoke into the summer air.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE ONLY WAY

When Deryck Brand alighted at the little northern wayside station, he
looked up and down the gravelled platform, more than half expecting to
see Jane. The hour was early, but she invariably said "So much the
better" to any plan which involved rising earlier than usual. Nothing
was to be seen, however, but his portmanteau in the distance--looking
as if it had taken up a solitary and permanent position where the guard
had placed it--and one slow porter, who appeared to be overwhelmed by
the fact that he alone was on duty to receive the train.

There were no other passengers descending; there was no other baggage
to put out. The guard swung up into his van as the train moved off.

The old porter, shading his eyes from the slanting rays of the morning
sun, watched the train glide round the curve and disappear from sight;
then slowly turned and looked the other way,--as if to make sure there
was not another coming,--saw the portmanteau, and shambled towards it.
He stood looking down upon it pensively, then moved slowly round,
apparently reading the names and particulars of all the various
continental hotels at which the portmanteau had recently stayed with
its owner.

Dr. Brand never hurried people, He always said: "It answers best, in
the long run, to let them take their own time. The minute or two gained
by hurrying them is lost in the final results." But this applied
chiefly to patients in the consulting-room; to