Godfreymanagedtobelateagain，andonlyreachedhomefiveminutesafterhisfather，whohadbicycledinsteadofwalkingfromthestationashesupposedthathewoulddo。
“Iforgottogiveordersaboutyourlunch，“saidMr。Knighttentatively。“Ihopethatyoumanagedtogetsome。“
“Oh，yes，Father；thatis，Ilunchedout，attheHall。“
“Indeed!IdidnotknowthatSirJohnhadarrived。“
“No，hehasn’t；atleastIhavenotseenhim。IlunchedwithIsobel。“
“Indeed!“remarkedMr。Knightagain，andthesubjectdropped。
Nextday，Godfrey，oncemorearrayedinhisbestclothes，attendedtheprize-givinganddulywasmadetolookfoolish，onlygettinghomejustintimefordinner，afterwhichhisfatherrequestedhimtocheckcertainexaminationpapers。ThencameSundayandchurchatwhichIsobeldidnotappear；twochurchesinfact，andaftertheseateapartytothechurchwardensandtheirwives，towhomGodfreywasexpectedtoexplainthewondersoftheAlps。Beforeitwasover，ifhecouldhavemanagedit，thesestolidfarmerswiththeirfamilieswouldhavelainatthebottomofthedeepestmorainethatexistsamidthosefamousmountains。Buttheretheywere，swallowingteaandmunchingcakewhiletheygazedonhimwithox-likeeyes，andheplungedintowildexplanationsastothemovementsofglaciers。
“Somethinglikeoneofthemnew-fangledmachineswhatcarryhayupontothetopofstacks，“saidChurchwardenNo。1atlength。
“Didyoueversitonaglacierwhileitslidedfromthetoptothebottomofamountain，MasterGodfrey，andifso，howeverdidyougetupagain？“askedChurchwardenNo。2。
“Isaglaciersocalledafterthetradesmanwhatcutsglass，becauseglassandicearebothclear-like？“inquiredChurchwardenNo。1，filledwithsuddeninspiration。
ThenGodfrey，indespair，saidthathethoughtitwasandfledaway，onlytobereproachedafterwardsbyhisfatherforhavingtriedtopuzzlethoseexcellentandpiousmen。
OnMondayhisluckwasbetter，sinceMr。Knightwascalledawayimmediatelyafterlunchtotakeafuneralinadistantparishofwhichtheincumbentwasabsentattheseaside。Godfrey，byakindofinstinct，spedatoncetothewillowlogbythestream，where，throughanoutreachingofthelongarmofcoincidence，hefoundIsobelseated。
Aftercasuallyremarkingthattheswallowswereflyingneitherhighnorlowthatday，butasitwereinmid-air，sheaddedthatshehadnotseenhimforalongwhile。
“No，youhaven’t——sayforthreeyears，“heanswered，anddetailedhistribulations。
“Ah!“saidIsobel，“that’salwaystheway；oneisneverleftatleisuretofollowone’sownfanciesinthisworld。To-morrow，forinstance，myfatherandallhishorriblefriends——Idon’tknowanyofthem，exceptone，butfrompastexperienceIpresumethemtobehorrible——arecomingdowntolunch，andaregoingtostopforthreedays’partridgeshooting。Theirfemalebelongingsaregoingtostopalso，orsomeofthemare，whichmeansthatIshallhavetolookafterthem。“
“It’sallbadnewsto-day，“remarkedGodfrey，shakinghishead。“I’vejusthadatelegramsayingthatImustreportmyselfonWednesday，goodnessknowswhy，forIexpectedtogetamonth’sleave。“
“Oh!“saidIsobel，lookingalittledismayed。“Thenletusmakethebestofto-day，forwhoknowswhatto-morrowmaybringforth？“
Whoindeed？Certainlynoteitheroftheseyoungpeople。
Theytalkedawhileseatedbytheriver；thenbegantowalkthroughcertainancientgrazinggroundswherethemonksusedtoruntheircattle。Theirconversation，fluentenoughatfirst，grewsomewhatconstrainedandartificial，sincebothofthemwerethinkingofmattersdifferentfromthosethattheyweretryingtodressoutinwords；intimate，pressing，burningmattersthatseemedtodevourtheirintelligencesofeverydaywithakindofeatingfire。Theygrewalmostsilent，talkingonlyatrandomandlisteningtothebeatingoftheirownheartsratherthantothewordsthatfellfromeachother’slips。
Theskycloudedover，andsomeheavydropsofrainbegantofall。
“Isupposethatwemustgoin，“saidIsobel，“weshallbesoakedpresently，“andsheglancedatherlightsummerattire。
“Where？“exclaimedGodfrey。“TheAbbey？No，myfatherwillbebackbynow；itmustbetheHall。“
“Verywell，butIdaresay/my/fatheristherebynow，forI
understandthatheiscomingdownthisafternoontoarrangeabouttheshooting。“
“Greatheavens!“groanedGodfrey，“andIwantedto——tellyouastorywhichIthoughtperhapsmightinterestyou，andIdon’tknowwhenI
shallgetanotherchance——now。“
“Thenwhydidyounottellyourstorybefore？“sheinquiredwithsomeirritation。
“Oh!becauseIhaveonlyjustthoughtofit，“herepliedratherwildly。
Atthismomenttheywerepassingthechurch，andtherainbegantofallinearnest。Bysomemutualimpulsetheyenteredthroughthechanceldoorwhichwasalwaysunlocked，andbysomemutualfolly，leftitopen。
AdvancinginstinctivelytothetombsoftheunknownPlantagenetladyandherknightwhichweresointimatelyconnectedwiththelittleeventsoftheirlittlelives，theylistenedforawhiletotherushoftherainupontheleadenroof，sayingnothing，tillthesilencegrewirksomeindeed。Eachwaitedfortheothertobreakit，butwithawoman’sinfinitepatienceIsobelwaitedthelonger。Thereshestood，staringatthebrassofthePlantagenetlady，stillasthebonesofthatladywhichlaybeneath。
“Mystory，“saidGodfreyatlastwithagasp，andstopped。
“Yes，“saidIsobel。“Whatisit？“
“Oh!“heexclaimedinanagony，“averyshortone。Iloveyou，that’sall。“
Alittlequiverranthroughher，causingherdresstoshakeandthegoldMexicangodsonhernecklacetotinkleagainsteachother。Thenshegrewstillasastone，andraisingthoselargeandsteadyeyesofhers，lookedhimupanddown，finallyfixingthemuponhisown。
“Isthattrue？“sheasked。
“True!Itisastrueaslifeanddeath，orasHeavenandHell。“
“Idon’tknowanythingaboutHeavenandHell；theyarehypothetical，aretheynot？Lifeanddeathareenoughforme，“andshestopped。
“Thenbylifeanddeath，forlifeanddeath，andforever，Iloveyou，Isobel。“
“Thankyou，“shesaid，andstoppedoncemore。
“Youdon’thelponemuch。Haveyounothingtosay？“
“Whatistheretosay？YoumadeastatementforwhichIthankedyou。
Youaskednoquestion。“
“Itisaquestion，“heexclaimedindignantly。“IfIloveyou，ofcourseIwanttoknowifyouloveme。“
“Thenwhydidyounotsayso？But，“sheaddedverydeliberately，“sinceyouwanttoknow，Idoandalwayshaveandalwaysshall，inlifeordeath——andforever——ifthatmeansanything。“
Hestaredather，triedtouttersomethingandfailed。Thenhefellbackuponanotherveryprimitiveandancientexpedient。Flinginghisarmsabouther，hepressedhertohisheartandkissedheragainandagainandagain；nor，inhermomentofcompletesurrender，didshescrupletokisshimback。
Itwaswhiletheywerethusengaged，offeringawonderfulspectacleoflovetriumphantandrejoicinginitstriumph，thatanotherpersonwhowaspassingthechurchbethoughthimofitsshelterasarefugefromthepouringrain。Seeingtheopendoor，Mr。Knight，foritwashe，slippedintothegreatbuildinginhisquiet，rathercat-likefashion，butonitsthresholdsaw，andstopped。Notwithstandingtheshadows，herecognisedtheminamoment。More，thesightofthispair，thesonwhomhedislikedandthewomanwhomhehated，thusembraced，thuslostinaseaofpassion，movedhimtowhitefury，sothatheliftedhisclenchedhandsabovehisheadandshookthem，muttering：
“Andinmychurch，/my/church!“
Thenunabletobearmoreofthisspectacle，heslippedawayagain，heedlessofthepouringskies。
Bynature，althoughinobediencetoarashpromiseoncehehadmarried，Mr。Knightwasatruewoman-hater。Thatsexandeverythingtodowithitwererepellenttohim。Eventhemostharmlessmanifestationsofnaturalaffectionbetweenmaleandfemaleheconsidereddisgusting，indeedindecent，andifthesewerecarriedanyfurtherheheldittobeamongthegreatestofcrimes。Hewasoneofthosewho，ifhehadthepower，wouldhavehoundedanypoorgirlwho，inthecountryphrase，“hadgotintotrouble，“totheriverbrinkandoverit，asacreaturenotfittolive；orifsheescapeddestruction，wouldhave，andindeedoftenhad，pursuedherwithunceasingmalignity，thinkingthattherebyhedidGodservice。HisattitudetowardssuchapersonwasthatofanInquisitortowardsafallennun。
Moreover，hecoulddothiswithaclearconscience，sincehecouldtrulysaythathewasqualifiedtothrowthefirststone，beingofthosewhomistakepersonalaversionforpersonalvirtue。Becausehiscold-heartednaturerejectedit，heloathedthiskindofhumanfailingandfeltgoodintheloathing。Nordiditeveroccurtohimtoreflectthatothers，suchassecretmalice，jealousyandalluncharitablenessonwhichhisheartfed，mightbemuchworsethantheoutrushofhumanpassioninobediencetothealmightydecreeofNaturethatisdeterminednottodie。
Thesebeinghisviews，thefeelingsthatthesightawokeinhimofthispairdeclaringtheirholyloveintheaccustomed，humanfashion，canscarcelybemeasuredandarecertainlybeyonddescription。Hadhebeenanothersortofmanwhohadfoundsomedevilfloggingachildtodeath，therageandindignationarousedinhisbreastcouldnothavebeengreater，evenifitwerehisownchild。