’Iwonderwherethatyoungmaniswiththehorseandtrap？’saidherformeradmirertohiscompanion。’Ihopeweshan’thavetowaitherelong。Itoldhimhalf-pastnineo’clockprecisely。’
’Haveyougotherpresentsafe？’
’Phyllis’s？O，yes。Itisinthistrunk。Ihopeitwillpleaseher。’
’Ofcourseitwill。Whatwomanwouldnotbepleasedwithsuchahandsomepeace-offering？’
’Well——shedeservesit。I’vetreatedherratherbadly。ButshehasbeeninmymindtheselasttwodaysmuchmorethanIshouldcaretoconfesstoeverybody。Ah，well；I’llsaynomoreaboutthat。Itcannotbethatsheissobadastheymakeout。IamquitesurethatagirlofhergoodwitwouldknowbetterthantogetentangledwithanyofthoseHanoveriansoldiers。Iwon’tbelieveitofher，andthere’sanendon’t。’
Morewordsinthesamestrainwerecasuallydroppedasthetwomenwaited；wordswhichrevealedtoher，asbyasuddenillumination，theenormityofherconduct。Theconversationwasatlengthcutoffbythearrivalofthemanwiththevehicle。Theluggagewasplacedinit，andtheymounted，andweredrivenoninthedirectionfromwhichshehadjustcome。
Phylliswassoconscience-strickenthatshewasatfirstinclinedtofollowthem；butamoment’sreflectionledhertofeelthatitwouldonlybebarejusticetoMatthaustowaittillhearrived，andexplaincandidlythatshehadchangedhermind——difficultasthestrugglewouldbewhenshestoodfacetofacewithhim。ShebitterlyreproachedherselfforhavingbelievedreportswhichrepresentedHumphreyGouldasfalsetohisengagement，when，fromwhatshenowheardfromhisownlips，shegatheredthathehadbeenlivingfulloftrustinher。Butsheknewwellenoughwhohadwonherlove。
Withouthimherlifeseemedadrearyprospect，yetthemoreshelookedathisproposalthemoreshefearedtoacceptit——sowildasitwas，sovague，soventuresome。ShehadpromisedHumphreyGould，anditwasonlyhisassumedfaithlessnesswhichhadledhertotreatthatpromiseasnought。Hissolicitudeinbringingherthesegiftstouchedher；herpromisemustbekept，andesteemmusttaketheplaceoflove。Shewouldpreserveherself-respect。Shewouldstayathome，andmarryhim，andsuffer。
Phyllishadthusbracedherselftoanexceptionalfortitudewhen，afewminuteslater，theoutlineofMatthausTinaappearedbehindafield-gate，overwhichhelightlyleaptasshesteppedforward。
Therewasnoevadingit，hepressedhertohisbreast。
’Itisthefirstandlasttime!’shewildlythoughtasshestoodencircledbyhisarms。
HowPhyllisgotthroughtheterribleordealofthatnightshecouldneverclearlyrecollect。Shealwaysattributedhersuccessincarryingoutherresolvetoherlover’shonour，forassoonasshedeclaredtohiminfeeblewordsthatshehadchangedhermind，andfeltthatshecouldnot，darednot，flywithhim，heforboretourgeher，grievedashewasatherdecision。Unscrupulouspressureonhispart，seeinghowromanticallyshehadbecomeattachedtohim，wouldnodoubthaveturnedthebalanceinhisfavour。Buthedidnothingtotemptherundulyorunfairly。
Onherside，fearingforhissafety，shebeggedhimtoremain。This，hedeclared，couldnotbe。’Icannotbreakfaithwithmyfriend，’
saidhe。Hadhestoodalonehewouldhaveabandonedhisplan。ButChristoph，withtheboatandcompassandchart，waswaitingontheshore；thetidewouldsoonturn；hismotherhadbeenwarnedofhiscoming；gohemust。
Manypreciousminuteswerelostwhilehetarried，unabletotearhimselfaway。Phyllisheldtoherresolve，thoughitcosthermanyabitterpang。Atlasttheyparted，andhewentdownthehill。Beforehisfootstepshadquitediedawayshefeltadesiretobeholdatleasthisoutlineoncemore，andrunningnoiselesslyafterhimregainedviewofhisdiminishingfigure。Foronemomentshewassufficientlyexcitedtobeonthepointofrushingforwardandlinkingherfatewithhis。Butshecouldnot。ThecouragewhichatthecriticalinstantfailedCleopatraofEgyptcouldscarcelybeexpectedofPhyllisGrove。
Adarkshape，similartohisown，joinedhiminthehighway。ItwasChristoph，hisfriend。Shecouldseenomore；theyhadhastenedoninthedirectionofthetownandharbour，fourmilesahead。Withafeelingakintodespairsheturnedandslowlypursuedherwayhomeward。
Tattoosoundedinthecamp；buttherewasnocampforhernow。ItwasasdeadasthecampoftheAssyriansafterthepassageoftheDestroyingAngel。
Shenoiselesslyenteredthehouse，seeingnobody，andwenttobed。
Grief，whichkeptherawakeatfirst，ultimatelywrappedherinaheavysleep。Thenextmorningherfathermetheratthefootofthestairs。
’Mr。Gouldiscome!’hesaidtriumphantly。
Humphreywasstayingattheinn，andhadalreadycalledtoinquireforher。Hehadbroughtherapresentofaveryhandsomelooking-
glassinaframeofrepoussesilverwork，whichherfatherheldinhishand。Hehadpromisedtocallagaininthecourseofanhour，toaskPhyllistowalkwithhim。
Prettymirrorswererarerincountry-housesatthatdaythantheyarenow，andtheonebeforeherwonPhyllis’sadmiration。Shelookedintoit，sawhowheavyhereyeswere，andendeavouredtobrightenthem。Shewasinthatwretchedstateofmindwhichleadsawomantomovemechanicallyonwardinwhatsheconceivestobeherallottedpath。Mr。Humphreyhad，inhisundemonstrativeway，beenadheringallalongtotheoldunderstanding；itwasforhertodothesame，andtosaynotawordofherownlapse。Sheputonherbonnetandtippet，andwhenhearrivedatthehournamedshewasatthedoorawaitinghim。
Phyllisthankedhimforhisbeautifulgift；butthetalkingwassoonentirelyonHumphrey’ssideastheywalkedalong。Hetoldherofthelatestmovementsoftheworldoffashion——asubjectwhichshewillinglydiscussedtotheexclusionofanythingmorepersonal——andhismeasuredlanguagehelpedtostillherdisquietedheartandbrain。
Hadnotherownsadnessbeenwhatitwasshemusthaveobservedhisembarrassment。Atlastheabruptlychangedthesubject。
’Iamgladyouarepleasedwithmylittlepresent，’hesaid。’ThetruthisthatIbroughtittopropitiate’ee，andtogetyoutohelpmeoutofamightydifficulty。’
ItwasinconceivabletoPhyllisthatthisindependentbachelor——whomsheadmiredinsomerespects——couldhaveadifficulty。
’Phyllis——I’lltellyoumysecretatonce；forIhaveamonstroussecrettoconfidebeforeIcanaskyourcounsel。Thecaseis，then，thatIammarried：yes，Ihaveprivatelymarriedadearyoungbelle；
andifyouknewher，andIhopeyouwill，youwouldsayeverythinginherpraise。Butsheisnotquitetheonethatmyfatherwouldhavechoseforme——youknowthepaternalideaaswellasI——andIhavekeptitsecret。Therewillbeaterriblenoise，nodoubt；butI
thinkthatwithyourhelpImaygetoverit。Ifyouwouldonlydomethisgoodturn——whenIhavetoldmyfather，Imean——saythatyounevercouldhavemarriedme，youknow，orsomethingofthatsort——
’ponmylifeitwillhelptosmooththewayvastly。Iamsoanxioustowinhimroundtomypointofview，andnottocauseanyestrangement。’
WhatPhyllisrepliedshescarcelyknew，orhowshecounselledhimastohisunexpectedsituation。Yetthereliefthathisannouncementbroughtherwasperceptible。Tohaveconfidedhertroubleinreturnwaswhatherachingheartlongedtodo；andhadHumphreybeenawomanshewouldinstantlyhavepouredouthertale。Buttohimshefearedtoconfess；andtherewasarealreasonforsilence，tillasufficienttimehadelapsedtoallowherloverandhiscomradetogetoutofharm’sway。
Assoonasshereachedhomeagainshesoughtasolitaryplace，andspentthetimeinhalfregrettingthatshehadnotgoneaway，andindreamingoverthemeetingswithMatthausTinafromtheirbeginningtotheirend。Inhisowncountry，amongsthisowncountrywomen，hewouldpossiblysoonforgether，eventoherveryname。
Herlistlessnesswassuchthatshedidnotgooutofthehouseforseveraldays。Therecameamorningwhichbrokeinfogandmist，behindwhichthedawncouldbediscernedingreenishgrey；andtheoutlinesofthetents，andtherowsofhorsesattheropes。Thesmokefromthecanteenfiresdroopedheavily。
ThespotatthebottomofthegardenwhereshehadbeenaccustomedtoclimbthewalltomeetMatthaus，wastheonlyinchofEnglishgroundinwhichshetookanyinterest；andinspiteofthedisagreeablehazeprevailingshewalkedouttheretillshereachedthewell-knowncorner。Everybladeofgrasswasweightedwithlittleliquidglobes，andslugsandsnailshadcreptoutupontheplots。Shecouldheartheusualfaintnoisesfromthecamp，andintheotherdirectionthetrotoffarmersontheroadtothetown，foritwasmarket-day。Sheobservedthatherfrequentvisitstothiscornerhadquitetroddendownthegrassintheangleofthewall，andleftmarksofgardensoilonthestepping-stonesbywhichshehadmountedtolookoverthetop。Seldomhavinggonetheretilldusk，shehadnotconsideredthathertracesmightbevisiblebyday。Perhapsitwasthesewhichhadrevealedhertryststoherfather。
Whileshepausedinmelancholyregard，shefanciedthatthecustomarysoundsfromthetentswerechangingtheircharacter。IndifferentasPhylliswastocampdoingsnow，shemountedbythestepstotheoldplace。Whatshebeheldatfirstawedandperplexedher；thenshestoodrigid，herfingershookedtothewall，hereyesstaringoutofherhead，andherfaceasifhardenedtostone。
Ontheopengreenstretchingbeforeheralltheregimentsinthecampweredrawnupinline，inthemid-frontofwhichtwoemptycoffinslayontheground。Theunwontedsoundswhichshehadnoticedcamefromanadvancingprocession。ItconsistedofthebandoftheYorkHussarsplayingadeadmarch；nexttwosoldiersofthatregimentinamourningcoach，guardedoneachside，andaccompaniedbytwopriests。
Behindcameacrowdofrusticswhohadbeenattractedbytheevent。
Themelancholyprocessionmarchedalongthefrontoftheline，returnedtothecentre，andhaltedbesidethecoffins，wherethetwocondemnedmenwereblindfolded，andeachplacedkneelingonhiscoffin；afewminutespausewasnowgiven，whiletheyprayed。
Afiring-partyoftwenty-fourmenstoodreadywithlevelledcarbines。
Thecommandingofficer，whohadhissworddrawn，waveditthroughsomecutsofthesword-exercisetillhereachedthedownwardstroke，whereatthefiring-partydischargedtheirvolley。Thetwovictimsfell，oneuponhisfaceacrosshiscoffin，theotherbackwards。
AsthevolleyresoundedtherearoseashriekfromthewallofDr。
Grove’sgarden，andsomeonefelldowninside；butnobodyamongthespectatorswithoutnoticeditatthetime。ThetwoexecutedHussarswereMatthausTinaandhisfriendChristoph。Thesoldiersonguardplacedthebodiesinthecoffinsalmostinstantly；butthecoloneloftheregiment，anEnglishman，rodeupandexclaimedinasternvoice：
’Turnthemout——asanexampletothemen!’
Thecoffinswereliftedendwise，andthedeadGermansflungoutupontheirfacesonthegrass。Thenalltheregimentswheeledinsections，andmarchedpastthespotinslowtime。Whenthesurveywasoverthecorpseswereagaincoffined，andborneaway。
MeanwhileDr。Grove，attractedbythenoiseofthevolley，hadrushedoutintohisgarden，wherehesawhiswretcheddaughterlyingmotionlessagainstthewall。Shewastakenindoors，butitwaslongbeforesherecoveredconsciousness；andforweekstheydespairedofherreason。