“Ican’tremember，“hemurmuredagain。
“Ofcourseyoucan’t，sodon’ttry，foryouseeyougotitinthehead，abitofshell；andaniceoperation，orratheroperations，theyhadoveryou。Ifitwasn’tforthatcleversurgeon——butthere，nevermind。“
“ShallIrecover？“
“Ofcourseyouwill。Wehavehadnodoubtaboutthatforthelastweek；youhavebeenherenearlythree，youknow；only，yousee，wethoughtyoumightbeblind，somethingtodowiththenervesoftheeyes。Butitappearsthatisn’tso。Nowbequiet，forIcan’tstoptalkingtoyouwithtwodyingjustoutside，andanotherwhomIhopetosave。“
“Onething，Nurse——aboutthewar。HavetheGermansgotParis？“
“That’sasillyquestion，Major，whichmakesmethinkyouain’tsorightasIbelieved。IfthosebruteshadParisdoyouthinkyouwouldbeatVersailles？Or，atanyrate，thatIshould？Don’tyoubotheraboutthewar。It’sallright，orasrightasitislikelytobeformanyalongday。“
Thenshewent。
AweeklaterGodfreywasallowedtogetoutofbedandwasevencarriedtositintheautumnsunshineamongothershatteredmen。Nowhelearnedalltherewastoknow；thattheGermanrushhadbeenstayed，thattheyhadbeenheadedofffromCalais，andthatthearmieswereentrenchingoppositetoeachotherandpreparingforthewinter，theAlliedcausehavingbeensaved，asitwere，byamiracle，atanyrateforthewhile。Hewasstillveryweak，withgreatpaininhishead，andcouldnotreadatall，whichgrievedhim。
Sothetimewentby，tillatlasthewastoldthathewastobesenttoEngland，ashisbedwaswantedandhecouldrecoverthereaswellasinFrance。Twodayslaterhestartedinahospitaltrainandsufferedmuchuponthejourney，althoughitwasbrokenforanightatBoulogne。StillhecamesafelytoLondon，andwastakentoacentralhospitalwherenextdayseveraldoctorsheldaconsultationoverhim。
WhenitwasovertheyaskedhimifhehadfriendsinLondonandwishedtostaythere。HerepliedthathehadnofriendsexceptanoldnurseatHampstead，ifshewerestillthere，andthathedidnotlikeLondon。Thentherewastalkamongthem，andthewordTorquaywasmentioned。Theheaddoctorseemedtoagree，butashewasleaving，changedhismind。
“Toolongajourney，“hesaid，“itwouldknockhimup。Givemethatlist。Here，thisplacewilldo；quitecloseandgotupregardless，I
amtold，forshe’sveryrich。That’swhathewants——comfortandfirst-
classfood，“andwithanodtoGodfrey，whowaslisteninginanidlefashion，quiteindifferentastohisdestination，hewasgone。
NextdaytheycarriedhimoffinanambulancethroughthecrowdedStrand，andpresentlyhefoundhimselfatLiverpoolStreet，wherehewasputintoaninvalidcarriage。Heaskedtheorderlywherehewasgoing，butthemandidnotseemtoknow，orhadforgottenthename。Sotroublingnomoreaboutithetookadoseofmedicineashehadbeenordered，andpresentlywenttosleep，asnodoubtitwasintendedthatheshoulddo。Whenhewokeupagainitwastofindhimselfbeingliftedfromanotherambulanceintoahousewhichwasverydark，perhapsbecauseofthelightingorders，fornownighthadfallen。Hewascarriedinachairupsomestairsintoaverynicebedroom，andthereputtobedbytwomen。Theywentaway，leavinghimalone。
Somethingpuzzledhimabouttheplace；atfirsthecouldnotthinkwhatitwas。Thenheknew。Thesmellofitwasfamiliartohim。Hedidnotrecognisetheroom，butthesmellhedidseemtorecognise，thoughbeingweakandshakenhecouldnotconnectitwithanyparticularhouseorlocality。Nowtherewerevoicesinthepassage，andheknewthathemustbedreaming，fortheonlyonethathecouldreallyhearsoundedexactlyliketothatofoldMrs。Parsons。Hesmiledatthethoughtandshuthiseyes。ThevoicethatwasliketothatofMrs。
Parsonsdiedaway，sayingasitwent：
“No，Ihaven’tgotthenames，butIdaresaytheyaredownstairs。I’llgoandlook。“
Thedooropenedandheheardsomeoneenter，awomanthistimebyhertread。Hedidnotsee，bothbecausehiseyeswerestillalmostclosedandforthereasonthattheelectriclightwasheavilyshaded。Sohejustlaythere，wonderingquitevaguelywherehewasandwhothewomanmightbe。Shecameneartothebedandlookeddownathim，forheheardherdressrustleasshebent。Thenhebecameawareofaverystrangesensation。Hefeltasthoughsomethingwereflowingfromthatwomantohim，somestrangeandconcentratedpowerofthoughtwhichwaschangingintoakindofagonyofjoy。Thewomanabovehimbegantobreathequickly，insighsasitwere，andheknewthatshewasstirred；heknewthatshewaswondering。
“Icannotseehisface，Icannotseehisface!“shewhisperedinastrained，unnaturaltone。Thenwithsomeswiftmovementsheliftedtheshadethatwasoverthelamp。He，too，turnedhisheadandopenedhiseyes。
Oh，God!thereoverhimleantIsobel，cladinanurse’srobes——yes，Isobel——unlessheweremad。
Nextmomentheknewthathewasnotmad，forshesaidoneword，onlyone，butitwasenough。
“Godfrey!“
“Isobel!“hegasped。“Isityou？“
Shemadenoanswer，atleastinwords。Onlyshebentdownandkissedhimonthelips。
“Youmustn’tdothat，“hewhispered。“Remember——ourpromise？“
“Iremember，“sheanswered。“AmIlikelytoforget？Itwasthatyouwouldneverseemenorcomeintothishousewhilemyfatherlived。
Well，hediedamonthago。“Thenadoubtstruckher，andsheaddedswiftly：“Didn’tyouwanttocomehere？“
“Want，Isobel!WhatelsehaveIwantedfortenyears？ButIdidn’tknow；mycomingherewasjustanaccident。“
“Aretheresuchthingsasaccidents？“shequeried。“WasitanaccidentwhentwentyyearsagoIfoundyousleepingintheschoolroomattheAbbeyandkissedyouontheforehead，orwhenIfoundyousleepingafewminutesagotwentywholeyearslater——？“andshepaused。
“Andkissedme——/not/upontheforehead，“saidGodfreyreflective，adding，“Ineverknewaboutthatfirstkiss。Thankyouforit。“
“Notupontheforehead，“sherepeatedafterhim，colouringalittle。
“YouseeIhavefaithandtakeagreatdealforgranted。IfIshouldbemistaken——“
“Oh!don’ttroubleaboutthat，“hebrokein，“becauseyouknowitcouldn’tbe。Tenyears，ortenthousand，anditwouldmakenodifference。“
“Iwonder，“shemused，“oh!howIwonder。Doyouthinkitpossiblethatweshallbelivingtenthousandyearshence？“
“Quite，“heansweredwithcheerfulassurance，“muchmorepossiblethanthatIshouldbelivingto-day。What’stenthousandyears？It’squiteahundredthousandsinceIsawyou。“
“Don’tlaughatme，“sheexclaimed。
“Whynot，dear，whenthere’snothinginthewholeworldatwhichI
wouldn’tlaughatjustnow？althoughIwouldratherlookatyou。AlsoIwasn’tlaughing，Iwasloving，andwhenoneislovingverymuch，thetruthcomesout。“
“Thenyoureallythinkittrue——aboutthetenthousandyears，Imean？“
“Ofcourse，dear，“heanswered，andthistimehisvoicewasseriousenough。“DidwenottelleachotheryonderintheAbbeythatourswastheloveeternal？“
“Yes，butwordscannotmakeeternity。“
“No，butthoughtsandthewillbehindthemcan，forwereapwhatwesow。“
“Whydoyousaythat？“sheaskedquickly。
“Ican’ttellyou，exceptbecauseIknowthatitisso。Wecometostrangeconclusionsoutyonder，whereonlydeathseemstobetrueandalltherestadream。Whatwecalltherealandtheunrealgetmixed。“
Akindofwaveofhappinesspassedthroughher，soobviousthatitwasvisibletothewatchingGodfrey。
“IfyoubelieveitIdaresaythatitisso，foryoualwayshadwhattheycallvision，hadyounot？“Thenwithoutwaitingforananswer，shewenton，“Whatnonsensewearetalking。Don’tyouunderstand，Godfrey，thatIamquiteold？“
“Yes，“heanswered，“gettingon；sixmonthsyoungerthanIam，I
think。“
“Oh!it’sdifferentwithaman。AnotherdozenyearsandI’mfinished。“
“Possibly，exceptforthateternitybeforeyou。“
“Also，“shecontinued，“Iameven——“
“Evenmorebeautifulthanyouweretenyearsago，atanyratetome，“
hebrokein。
“YoufoolishGodfrey，“shemurmured，andmovedalittleawayfromhim。
Justthenthedooropened，andMrs。Parsons，lookingveryoddinanurse’sdresswiththecapawryuponhergreyhair，entered，carryingabitofpaper。
“ThehuntIhad!“shebegan；“thatsilly，new-fangledkindofagirl-
clerkhavingstuckthepaperawayundertheletterO——forofficers，youknow，Miss——insomefancyboxofhers，andthengoneofftotea。
Herearethenames，butIcan’tseewithoutmyspecs。“
Atthispointsomethingintheattitudeofthetwostruckher，somethingthatherinstinctstoldherwasuncommon，andshestoodirresolute。Isobelsteppedtoherasthoughtotakethelist，and，bendingdown，whisperedintoherear。
“What？“saidMrs。Parsons。“SurelyIdidn’tunderstand；youknowI’mgettingdeafaswellasblind。Saythenameagain。“
Isobelobeyed，stillinawhisper。
“/Him/!“exclaimedtheoldwoman，“him!OurGodfrey，andyou’vebeenandletonwhoyouwere——youwhocallyourselfanursingCommandant？
Why，Idaresayyou’llbethedeathofhim。Outyougo，Miss，anyway；
I’lltakechargeofthiscaseforthepresent，“andasitseemedtoGodfrey，watchingfromthefarcorner，literallyshebundledIsobelfromtheroom。
Thensheshutandlockedthedoor。Comingtothebedsideshekneltdownratherstiffly，lookedathimforawhiletomakesure，andkissedhim，notonce，butmanytimes。