“Oh!hasshe？Whatastrangecoincidence!Alltheyearsofourseparationwhileyouwerewayshewasaway，butwithintwodaysofyourreturnshereturns。“
“Yes，itdoesseemodd，“agreedtheflusteredGodfrey，“butit’slucky，isn’tit，for，ofcourse，Iamgladtoseeheragain。“
Mr。Knightfinishedcarvinghimselfahelpingofbeef，andlettheknifefallwithaclatterintothedish。Thenhesaidincarefullychosenwords：
“Youmaythinkitlucky——orwellarranged——butImustdiffer。ItellyouatoncethatIconsiderMissBlakeamostperniciousyoungwoman，andasyourfatherIcanonlyexpressthehopethatyoudonotintendtoallowhertore-assertherevilinfluenceoveryou。“
Godfreywasabouttoanswerwithwrath，butchangedhismindandremainedsilent。Sothetopicdropped，butthatitstoodverystraightuponitsfeetinMr。Knight’smindwasclearfromthecompressionofhisthinlipsandtheill-humourofhisremarksaboutthecoldnessandoverdonecharacterofthebeefandsundryotherhouseholdmatters。AssoonasthemealwasconcludedandhehadwasheditdownwithalastglassofwaterandwithaverywryfacethankedProvidenceforallthathehadreceived，heretiredintohisstudyandwasseennomoretillprayer-time。
NorwasheseenthenbyGodfrey，whohadgoneouttosmokehispipesincehisfathercouldnotbearthesmelloftobaccointhehouse，andwanderedunconsciouslytowardstheHall。Therehestood，gazingatalightwhichheknewcamefromIsobel’swindow，andlostinthisunfruitfulcontemplation，oncemoreforgotthetime。Whenhearrivedhomeitwastofindthehouseindarknessandanoteinhisfather’shandwritingonthehalltablerequestinghimtobecarefultolockthedoor，aseveryonehadgonetobed。
Hewent，too，butcouldnotsleep，for，strangelyenough，thatdisturbanceofbodyandspiritwhichhadafflictedIsobelpossessedhimalso。Itseemedwonderfultohimthatheshouldhavefoundheragain，whomhethoughttobesoutterlylost，andgrownsosweetanddear。Howcouldhehavelivedallthiswhilewithouther，hewondered，and，anotherthought，howcouldhebeartopartwithheroncemore？
Oh!shewashislife，and——whyshouldtheypart？Shehadnotmindedwhenhekissedherhands，atwhich，ofcourse，shemighthavebeenangry；indeed，sheleftthemtobekissedforquitealongwhile，thoughnothalflongenough。Perhapsshedidnotwishthattheyshouldparteither，orperhapssheonlydesiredthattheyshouldbejustfriendsasbefore。Itseemedalmostimpossiblethattheycouldbecomemorethanfriends，evenifshecaredtodoso，whichhecouldscarcelyhope。
Whatwashe？Ayoungfellow，twenty，withonlyalittlemoneyandallhiswaytomakeintheworld。Andwhatwasshe？Agrandyounglady，ratheryoungerthanhimself，itwastrue，butseemingyearsolder，whowasagreatheiress，theysaid，andexpectedtomarryalord，someonebornwithasilverspooninhismouth，whosefortunehadbeenmadeforhimbyotherpeople。Moreover，hisfatherhatedherbecausetheirreligiousviewsweredifferent，andherfatherhatedhim，orusedto，forotherreasons。
Yes，itwasquiteimpossible——andyetNatureseemedtotakenoaccountofthat：Natureseemedtotellhimthatitwasabsolutelypossible，andindeedright，andwhatshe，Nature，wished。AlsothissamepersistentNatureseemedtosuggesttohimthatIsobelwashermostwillingandobedientpupil，andthatperhapsifhecouldlookintoherhearthewouldfindthatshedidcare，andverymuchmorethanforthewealthandthehypotheticallord。
Natureseemedtosuggest，too，thatIsobel’sthoughtswerewithhimatthatmoment；thatshewasuncommonlyneartohiminsoulifnotinbody；thatshewasthinkingabouthimashewasthinkingabouther，andsayingmuchthesamethingstoherselfashewassayingtohimself。Indeed，heevenbeganawhisperedconversationwithher，ofasorthewouldnothaveventureduponhadshebeenthere，pausingbetweenthesentencesforheranswers，which，asheimaginedthem，wereverysatisfactoryindeed。
Bydegrees，however，questionandanswergrewlessfrequentandfurtherapartashedozedoffandfinallysankintoadeepsleep。Sodeepwasit，indeed，thathewasawakenedonlybytheclamourofthebreakfastbell，andwhenhearriveddownstairs，tobeconfrontedbysomecoldbacononanuncovereddish，hisfatherhaddepartedtotheDiocesanConference。Well，thisfacthaditsconsolations，andbacon，howevercold，withcontentmentisbetterthanbaconhotwherecontentionis。
Soheateitandanythingelsehecouldfindwithappetite，andthenwentupstairstoshaveanddohishairnicelyandtoputonanewsuitofclothes，whichheconsideredbecamehim。Also，ashehadstillthree-quartersofanhourtospare，hebegantowritealittlepoemaboutIsobel，whichwasadismalfailure，totellthetruth，sincehecouldthinkofnosatisfactoryrhymetohername，except“Owell!“
which，howeverheputit，soundedsilly。
Atlast，rathertooearly，hethrewthesheetofpaperintothefireplaceandstarted，onlytofindthatalthoughitstilllackedaquarterofanhourtoeleven，Isobelwasalreadyseatedonthattree。
“Whathaveyoubeendoingtoyourself？“sheasked，“puttingonthosesmartLondonclothes？Iliketheoldgreythingsyouhadonlastnighteversomuchbetter，andIwantedyoutoclimbatreetogetmesomeyoungjackdaws。And——goodgracious!Godfrey，yourheadsmellslikeawholehairdresser’sshop。Pleasecometotheotherside，toleewardofme。“
Hemurmuredsomethingaboutlikingtolooktidy，andthenremarkedthatsheseemedratherfinelydressedherself。
“It’sonlymyMexicanhat，“sheanswered，touchingthebigsombrero，wovenfromthefinestPanamagrass，whichshewaswearing，“andthenecklaceismadeoflittlegoldAztecidolsthatwerefoundinagrave。Theyareveryrare；agentlemangavethemtome，andafterwardsIwashorrifiedtofindthathehadpaidanawfullotforthem，￡200，Ibelieve。DoyouunderstandabouttheAztecgods？IfnotIwillexplainthemalltoyou。ThisbigoneinthemiddleisHuitzilcoatl，thegodof——“
“No，no，“interruptedGodfrey，“Idon’tandIdon’twantto。Ithinkthemveryugly，andIalwaysunderstoodthatladiesdidnotacceptsuchexpensivepresentsfromgentlemen。Whowashe？“
“AnAmericanmillionairewhodidn’tweararmour，“sheansweredblandly。Thenshechangedthesubjectwiththeoriginalremarkthattheswallowswereflyinghigherthantheyhaddoneonthepreviousevening，whentheylookedasthoughonecouldalmostcatchthemwithone’shand。
Godfreyreflectedtohimselfthatotherthingswhichhadseemedquitecloseonthepreviousnightwerenowliketheswallows，faroutofreach。Onlyhetookcomfortintheremembrancethatswallows，howevernear，areevasivebirds，noteasytoseizeunlessyoucanfindthemsleeping。NextshebegantotellhimallabouttheMexicangods，whetherhewantedtolistenornot，andhesatthereinthegloryofhisnewclothesandbrilliantinedhair，andgazedathertillsheaskedhimtodesistasshefeltasthoughshewerebeingmesmerised。
Thisledhimtohisspiritualisticexperiencesofwhichhetoldherallthestory，andbythetimeitwasfinished，behold!itwastheluncheonhour。
“Itisveryinteresting，“shesaidastheyenteredtheHall，“andI
can’tlaughatitallasIshouldhavedoneonce，Idon’tquiteknowwhy。ButIhope，Godfrey，thatyouwillhavenomoretodowithspirits。“
“No，notwhile——“andhelookedather。
“Whilewhat？“
“While——therearesuchnicebodiesintheworld，“hestammered，colouring。
Shecolouredalso，tossedherhead，andwenttowashherhands。
Theafternoontheyspentinhuntingforimaginaryyoungjackdawsinatotallynebuloustree。Isobelgrewrathercrossoveritsnon-
discovery，swearingthatsheremembereditwellyearsago，andthattherewerealwaysyoungjackdawsthere。
“Perhapsithasbeencutdown，“suggestedGodfrey。“Iamtoldthatyourfatherhasbeenimprovingtheplaceagreatdealinthatkindofway，soastomakeituptodateandscientificandprofitable，andalltherestofit。Alsoifithasn’t，therewouldhavebeennoyoungjackdaws，sincetheymusthaveflownquitesixweeksago。“
“Thenwhycouldn’tyousaythatatonce，insteadofmakinguswasteallthistime？“askedIsobelwithindignation。
“Idon’tknow，“repliedGodfreyinasomewhatvacuousfashion。“Itwasallthesametomeifwewerehuntingforyoungjackdawsorthemaninthemoon，aslongasweweretogether。“
“Godfrey，itisevidentthatyouhavebeenoverworkingandaregrowingfoolish。Imakeexcusesforyou，sinceanybodywhopassedfirstoutofSandhurstmusthaveoverworked，butitdoesnotalterthefact。NowI
mustgohomeandseeaboutthathouse，forasyetIhavearrangednothingatall，andtheplaceisinanawfulstate。Rememberthatmyfatheriscomingdownpresentlywitheithersixoreightterriblepeople，Iforgetwhich。AllIknowaboutthemisthattheyareextremelyrichandexpecttobewhatiscalled’donewell。’“
“Mustyou？“remarkedGodfrey，lookingdisappointed。
“Yes，Imust。Andsomustyou。/Your/fatheriscomingbackbythefiveo’clocktrain，andIadviseyoutobetheretomeethim。PerhapsIshallseeyouto-morrowsometime。“
“Ican’t，“exclaimedGodfreyinakindofwail。“Iamtobetakenofftoaschoolinsometownorother，Iforgetwhich，thatmyfatherhasbeenexamining。Isupposeitisthespeechday，andheproposestointroducemeasakindofobjectlessonbecauseIhavepassedfirstinanexamination。“
“Yes，asashiningexampleand——anadvertisement。Well，perhapsweshallmeetlater，“andwithoutgivinghimanopportunityofsayingmoreshevanishedaway。