oast. "You
know, Thor, that it's an old custom for newly married people to go to
church together on the first Sunday they're at home."

"Oh, Lord!"

She had expected the exclamation. She also expected the half-humorous,
half-repentant compliance which ensued.

"All right, I'll go."

It was the sort of yielding that followed on all his bits of resistance
to her wishes--a yielding on second thought--a yielding through
compunction--as though he were trying to make up to her for something he
wasn't giving her. She laughed to herself at that, seeing that he gave
her everything; but she meant that if she were not so favored she might
have harbored the suspicion that on account of something lacking in
their life he fell back on a form of reparation. As it was, she could
only ascribe his peculiarity in this respect to the kindness of a nature
that never seemed to think it could be kind enough.

It was her turn to feel compunction. "Don't go if you'd rather not. It's
only a country custom, almost gone out of fashion nowadays."

But he persisted. "Oh, I'll go. Must put on another suit. Top-hat, of
course."

With a good woman's satisfaction in getting her husband to church, if
only for once, she said no more in the way of dissuasion. Besides, she
hoped that, should he go, he might "hear something" that would comfort
this hidden grief of which she no longer had a doubt, since Claude too,
was aware of it. It was curious how it betrayed itself--neither by act
nor word nor manner, nor so much as a sigh, and yet by a something
indefinable beyond all his watchfulness to conceal from her. She
couldn't guess at his trouble, even when she tried; but she tried only
from inadvertence. When she caught herself doing so she refrained,
respecting his secret till he thought it well to tell her.

She said no more till he again dropped the paper to give his attention
to his coffee. "Have you been to see the Fays yet?"

He put the cup down without tasting it. He sat quite upright and looked
at her strangely. He even flushed.

"Why, no."

The tone appealed to her ear and remained in her memory, though for the
moment she had no reason to consider it significant. She merely
answered, "I thought I might walk up the hill and see Rosie this
afternoon," leaving the subject there.

Thor found the service novel, and impressive from its novelty. Except
for the few weddings and funerals he had attended, and the service on
the day he married Loi