Aftershehadgone，twoorderlieshelpedGodfreydownstairstositonthebroadverandahofthehospital。Herestillstoodmanyofthelittletableswhichusedtoserveforpleasanttea-partieswhenthebuildingwasanhotelinthedaysbeforethewar。OntheselaysomeoldEnglishnewspapers。Godfreypickeduponeofthemwithhislefthand，andbegantoreadidlyenough。Almostthefirstparagraphthathiseyefellonwasheaded：
“HeroicDeathofaV。A。D。Commandant。“
Somethingmadehimreadonquickly，andthiswaswhathesaw：
“AttheinquestonthelateMrs。Knight，thewifeofColonelKnightwhowasreportedmurderedbynativesinEastAfricasomelittletimeago，someinterestingevidencewasgiven。ItappearedfromthetestimonyofMrs。Parsons，anurseintheHawk’sHallHospital，thatwhenwarningwasgivenoftheapproachofZeppelinsduringlastweek’sraidontheEasternCountiesandLondon，thepatientsintheupperroomsofthehospitalwereremovedtoitslowerfloors。Findingthatoneyoungman，aprivateintheSuffolkRegimentwhohaslostbothhisfeet，hadbeenoverlooked，Mrs。Knight，followedbyMrs。Parsons，wentupstairstohelphimdown。WhenMrs。Parsons，whomsheoutran，reachedthedoorofthewardtherewasagreatexplosion，apparentlyontheroof。Shewaitedtillthedusthadclearedoffandgropedherwaydownthewardwiththehelpofanelectrictorch。ReachingPrivateThompson’sbed，shesawlyingonitMrs。Knightwhohadbeenkilledbythefallenmasonry。PrivateThompson，whowasunhurtbeneaththebody，saidthatwhenthebricksbegantocomedownMrs。Knightcalledtohimtoliestillandthrewherselfonhimtoprotecthim。Thensomethingheavy，hebelievedthestonecopingofachimney，fellonherbackandsheutteredoneword，hethoughtitwasaname，andwassilent。Mrs。Knight，whowastheonlychildofthelateSirJohnBlake，Bart。，thewell-knownshipowner，issaidtohavebeenoneoftherichestwomeninEngland。ShemarriedthelateColonelKnightsomemonthsago，immediatelybeforehewassenttoEastAfrica。UndertheprovisionsofherwillthecrematedremainsofMrs。KnightwillbeinterredinthechanceloftheAbbeyChurchatMonk’sAcre。“
Godfreyreadthisawfulparagraphtwiceandlookedatthedateofthepaper。Itwasnearlytwomonthsold。
“Soshewasdeadwhenshecametome。Oh!nowIunderstand，“hemutteredtohimself，andthen，hadnotapassingnativeservantcaughthim，hewouldhavefallentotheground。Itwasoneofthetenthousandminortragediesoftheworldwar，thatisall。
Threemonthslater，stillverycrippledandcoughingbadly，becauseoftheinjurytohislung，hereportedhimselfinLondon，andoncemoresawtheUnder-SecretarywhohadsenthimouttoEastAfrica。Therehesatinthesameroom，atthesamedesk，lookingpreciselythesame。
“Iamsorry，Sir，thatmymissionhasfailedthroughcircumstancesbeyondmycontrol。IcanonlyaddthatIdidmybest，“hesaidbriefly。
“Iknow，“answeredtheofficial；“itwasnofaultofyoursifthoseblackbrutestriedtomurderyou。EverythinggoeswronginthatcursedEastAfrica。Nowgohomeandgetyourselffitagain，mydearfellow，“
hewentonverykindly，adding，“Yourserviceswillnotbeoverlooked。“
“Ihavenohome，andIshallneverbefitagain，“repliedGodfrey，andlefttheroom。
“Iforgot，“thoughttheUnder-Secretary。“HiswifewaskilledinaZeppelinraid。Oddthatsheshouldhavebeentakenandheleft。“
Then，withasighandashrugoftheshouldersheturnedtohisbusiness。
GodfreywenttothelittlehouseatHampsteadwhereheusedtolivewhilehewasstudyingasalad，forhereMrs。Parsonswaswaitingforhim。Thenforthefirsttimehegavewayandtheyweptineachother’sarms。
“Weweretoohappy，Nurse，“hesaid。
“Yes，“sheanswered，“lovelikeherswasn’tforthisworld，andmorethanonceshesaidtomethatsheneverexpectedtoseeyouagainintheflesh，thoughIthoughtshemeantitwasyouwhowouldgo，asmighthavebeenexpected。Stop，Ihavesomethingforyou。“
Goingtoadesksheproducedfromitaring，thatwiththeturquoisehearts；alsoacanvas-coveredbook。
“That’sherdiary，“shesaid，“sheusedtowriteiniteveryday。“
ThatnightGodfreyreadmanybeautifulandsacredthingsinthisdiary。FromithelearnedthattheshockofhissupposeddeathhadcausedIsobeltomiscarryandmadeherillforsometime，thoughunderneaththeentriesaboutherillnessandthefalsenewsofhisdeathshehadwritten：
“Heisnotdead。I/know/thatheisnotdead。“
Afterwardsthereweresomecurioussentencesinwhichshespokejoyfullyofhavingseenhiminhersleep，ill，butlivingandgoingtorecover，“atanyrateforawhile，“shehadadded。
Ontheverydayofherdeathshehadmadethiscuriousnote：
“IfeelasthoughGodfreyandIwereabouttobeseparatedforawhile，andyetthatthisseparationwillreallybringusclosertogether。Iamstrangelyhappy。GreatvistasseemtoopentomysoulanddownthemIwalkwithGodfreyforeverandaday，andoverthembroodstheLoveofGodinwhichareembodiedandexpressedallotherloves。Oh!howwrongandfoolishwasI，whoforsomanyyearsrejectedthatLove，whichyetwillnotbeturnedawayandinmercygavemesightandwisdomandwiththeseGodfrey，fromwhosesoulmysoulcannevermorebeparted。ForasItoldyou，mydarling，oursistheLoveEternal。Rememberitalways，Godfrey，ifeveryoureyesshouldseethesewordsupontheearth。
Afterwardstherewillbenoneedformemory。“
Sothediaryended。
TheyinvalidedGodfreyoutoftheserviceandbecauseofhislungtrouble，hewenttothehousethatMissOgilvyhadlefthiminLucerne，takingMrs。Parsonswithhim。TheretoohefoundthePasteur，grownanoldmanbutotherwisemuchthesameasever，andhimalsohebroughttoliveintheVillaOgilvy。
ThewinterwentonandGodfreygrew，notbetter，butworse，tillatlastheknewthathewasdying，andrejoicedtodie。Oneeveningaletterwasbroughttohim。ItwasfromMadameRiennes，writteninashakyhand，andranthus：
“IamgoingtopasstotheWorldofSpeerits，andsoareyou，myGodfrey，forIknowallaboutyouandeverythingthathashappened。Theplumiseaten，butthestone——ah!itisgrowingalready，andsoonyouwillbesittingwithanotherunderthatbeautifulTreeofLifeofwhichItoldyouintheEnglishchurch。
AndI，whereshallIbesitting？Ah!Idonotknow，butthereisthisdifferencebetweenusthatwhereasIamafraid，youhavenocauseforfear。You，yourejoice，yes，andshallrejoice——forthoughsometimesIhateyouImusttellit。YetIamsorryifI
haveharmedyou，andshouldyoubeable，Iprayyou，sayagoodwordintheWorldofSpeeritsforyoursinfuloldgodmammaRiennes。Sofareyouwell，whothinkingthatyouhavelost，havegainedall。ItisI，Iwhohavelost。Againfarewell，andbidthatoldPasteurtoprayforme，whichhe，whoisgood，willdo，althoughIwashisenemyandcursedhim。“
“Seethatshelacksfornothingtilltheend，andcomfortherifyoucan，“saidGodfreytothePasteur。
ThatnightashapeofgloryseemedtostandbyGodfrey’sbedandtowhisperwonderfulthingsintohisears。Hesawit，ah，clearly，andknewthatinformingitschangefullovelinesswasallwhichhadbeenIsobelupontheearth。
“Fearnothing，“hethoughtitsaid，“forIamwithyouandothersgreaterthanI。Know，Godfrey，thateverythinghasameaningandthatalljoymustbewonthroughpain。Ourlivesseemtohavebeenshortandsad，butthesearenotthereallife，theyarebutitsblackanduglydoor，whereofthethresholdmustbewateredwithourtearsandthelocksturnedbythewindsofFaithandPrayer。Donotbeafraidthenoftheblacknessofthepassage，forbeyonditshinestheimmortallightinthatlandwherethereisunderstandingandallforgiveness。Thereforebeglad，Godfrey，forthenightofsorrowsisatanendandthedawnbreaksofpeacethatpassesunderstanding。“
GodfreywokeandspoketotheoldPasteurwhowaswatchingbyhisbedwhileMrs。Parsonsweptatitsfoot。
“Didyouseeanything？“heasked。
“No，myson，“heanswered，“butIfeltsomething。Itwasasthoughanangelstoodatmyside。“
ThenGodfreytoldhimallhisvision，andmuchelsebesides，ofwhichbeforehehadneverspokentolivingman。
“Itwellmaybe，myson，“answeredthePasteur，“sincetothosewhohavesufferedgreatly，thegoodGodgivesthegreatreward。HeWhoenduredpaincanunderstandourpains，andHeWhoredeemedsincanunderstandandbegentletooursins，forHisisthetrueLoveEternal。Sogoforwardwithfaithandgladness，andinthejoyofthatnewworldandofthelostwhichisfoundagain，thinksometimesoftheoldPasteurwhohopessoontojoinyouthere。“
Thenheshroveandblessedhim。
AfterthisGodfreysleptawhiletowakeelsewhereintheLandofthatLoveEternalwhichthesoulofIsobelforeknew。
End