“Soyouhavecomeback，mydear，“shesaid，“andonlyhalfdead。Well，wewon’thavenoyoungwomanpushingbetweenyouandmejustatpresent，Commandantornot。Timeenoughforlove-makingwhenyouarestronger。Oh!andIneverthoughttoseeyouagain。TheremustbeagoodGodsomewhereafterall，althoughHedidmakethemGermans。“
Thenagainshefelltokissingandblessinghim，herhottearsdroppingonhisfaceandupsettinghimtentimesasmuchasIsobelhaddone。
Sinceinthistopsy-turvyworldoftenthingsworkbycontraries，oddlyenoughnoharmcametoGodfreyfromthesefierceexcitements。Indeedhesleptbetterthanhehaddonesincehefoundhismindagain，andawoke，stillweakofcourse，butwithoutanytemperatureorpainsinhishead。Nowitwasthattherebeganthemostblissfulperiodofallhislife。Isobel，whenshehadrecoveredherbalance，madehimunderstandthathewasapatient，andthatexcitingtalkoractsmustbeavoided。Heonhispartfellinwithherwishes，andindeedwaswellcontenttodoso。Forawhilehewantednothingmorethanjusttoliethereandwatchhermovinginandoutofhisroom，withhisfoodorflowers，orwhateveritmightbe，foraburstofbadweatherpreventedhimfromgoingoutofdoors。Then，ashestrengthenedshebegantotalktohimwhichMrs。Parsonsdidlongbeforethatevent，tellinghimallthatforyearshehadlongedtoknow；no，notall，butsomethings。Amongothermattersshedescribedtohimthedetailsofherfather’send，whichoccurredinaverycharacteristicfashion。
“Yousee，dear，“shesaid，“ashegrewolderhispassionformoney-
makingincreasedmoreandmore；why，IamsureIcannotsay，seeingthatHeavenknowshehadenough。“
“Yes，“saidGodfrey，“Isupposeyouareaveryrichwoman。“
Shenodded，saying：“SorichthatIdon’tknowhowrich，forreallyI
haven’ttroubledeventoreadallthefigures，andasyettheyarenotcomplete。Moreover，IbelievethatsoonIshallbemuchricher。I’lltellyouwhypresently。Theoddthingis，too，thatmyfatherdiedintestate，soIgeteveryfarthing。Ibelievehemeanttomakeawillwithsomeratherpeculiarprovisionsthatperhapsyoucanguess。Butthiswillwasnevermade。“
“Whynot？“askedGodfrey。
“Becausehediedfirst，that’sall。Itwasthisway。He，orratherhisfirm，whichisonlyanothernameforhim，forheownedthree-fourthsofthecapital，gotsometremendousshippingcontractwiththeGovernmentarisingoutofthewar，thatsecuresanenormousprofittothem；howmuchIcan’ttellyou，buthundredsandhundredsofthousandsofpounds。Hehadbeenveryanxiousaboutthiscontract，forhistermsweresostiffthattheofficialswhomanagesuchaffairshesitatedaboutsigningthem。AtlastonedayafteralongandI
gather，stormyinterviewwithIdon’tknowwhom，inthecourseofwhichsomeratherstronglanguageseemstohavebeenused，thecontractwassignedanddeliveredtothefirm。Myfathercamehometothishousewithacopyofitinhispocket。Hewasverytriumphant，forhelookedatthemattersolelyfromabusinesspointofview，notatallfromthatofthecountry。Alsohewasverytired，forhehadagedmuchduringthelastfewyears，andsufferedoccasionallyfromheartattacks。Tokeephimselfuphedrankagreatdealofwineatdinner，firstchampagneandthenthebestpartofabottleofport。
Thismadehimtalkative，andhekeptmesittingtheretolistentohimwhileheboasted，poorman，ofhowhehad’walkedround’theofficialswhothoughtthemselvessoclever，butneversawsometrapwhichhehadsetforthem。“
“Andwhatdidyoudo？“askedGodfrey。
“YouknowverywellwhatIdid。Igrewangry，Icouldnothelpit，andtoldhimIthoughtitwasshamefultomakemoneywrongfullyoutofthecountryatsuchatime，especiallywhenhedidnotwantitatall。
Thenhewasfuriousandansweredthathedidwantit，tosupportthepeeragewhichhewasgoingtoget。Hesaidalso，“sheaddedslowly，“thatIwas’anignorant，interferingvixen，’yes，thatiswhathecalledme，avixen，whohadalwaysbeenadisappointmenttohimandthwartedhisplans。’However，’hewenton，’asyouthinksolittleofmyhard-earnedmoney，I’lltakecarethatyoudon’thavemoreofitthanIcanhelp。Iamnotgoingtoleaveittobewastedonsillycharitiesbyasouroldmaid，forthat’swhatyouare，sinceyoucan’tgetholdofyourpreciousparson’sson，whoIhopewillbesenttothewarandkilled。I’llseethelawyersto-morrow，andmakeawill，whichIhopeyou’llfindpleasantreadingoneday。’
“Iansweredthathemightmakewhatwillheliked，andlefttheroom，thoughhetriedtostopme。
“AbouthalfanhourlaterIsawthebutlerrunningaboutthegardenwhereIwas，lookingformeinthegloom，andheardhimcalling：’CometoSirJohn，miss。CometoSirJohn!’
“Iwentinandtherewasmyfatherfallenforwardonthedining-roomtable，withbloodcomingfromhislips，thoughIbelievethiswascausedbyacrushedwineglass。Hispocket-bookwasopenbeneathhim，inwhichhehadbeenwritingfiguresofhisestate，and，Ithink，headingsforthewillhemeanttomake，buttheseIcouldnotreadsincethefaintpencillingwasblottedoutwithblood。Hewasquitedeadfromsomekindofastrokefollowedbyheartfailure，asthedoctorssaid。“
“Isthatallthepleasantstory？“askedGodfrey。
“Yes，exceptthattherebeingnowillIinheritedeverything，orshalldoso。Itriedtogetthatcontractcancelled，butcouldnot；first，becausehavingoncemadeittheGovernmentwouldnotconsent，sincetodosowouldhavebeenareflectiononthoseconcerned，andsecondly，forthereasonthattheotherpartnersintheshippingbusinessobjected。Soweshallhavetogiveitbackinsomeotherway。“
Godfreylookedather，andsaid：
“Youmeanttosaythat/you/willhavetogiveitback。“
“Idon’tknowwhatImeant，“sheanswered，colouring；“buthavingsaid/we/，IthinkIwillbeliketheGovernmentandsticktoit。Thatis，unlessyouobjectverymuch，mydear。“
“Object!/I/object!“andtakingthehandthatwasnearesttohim，hecovereditwithkisses。Ashedidsohenotedthatforthefirsttimesheworethelittleringwithturquoiseheartsuponherthirdfinger，theringthatsomanyyearsbeforehehadboughtatLucerne，theringthatthroughMrs。Parsonshehadsentherinthepill-boxontheeveningoftheirseparation。
Thiswastheonlyformofengagementthateverpassedbetweenthem，thetruthbeingthatfromthemomentheenteredtheplaceitwasalltakenforgranted，notonlybythemselves，butbyeveryoneinthehouse，includingthewounded。Withthisdevelopmentofanintelligentinstinct，itispossiblethatMrs。Parsonshadsomethingtodo。
InthatatmosphereofperfectblissGodfrey’scurewasquick。Forblissitwas，saveonlythattherewasanotherblissbeyondtobeattained。Rememberthatthisman，nowapproachingmiddlelife，hadneverdrunkofthecupofwhatisknownasloveupontheearth。
Somemightanswerthatsuchistheuniversalexperience；thattrue，completelovehasnoexistence，exceptitbethatloveofGodtowhichafewatlastattain，sinceinwhatweknowasGodcompletenessandabsoluteunitycanbefoundalone。Otherlovesallhavetheirflaws，withoneexceptionperhaps，thatoftheloveofthedeadwhichfondlyweimaginetobeunchangeable。Fortherestpassion，howeverexalted，passesoratleastbecomesdullwithyears；themostcherishedchildrengrowup，andinsodoing，bythelawofNature，growaway；
friendsareestrangedandlostintheirownlives。
Upontheearththereisnoperfectlove；itmustbesoughtelsewhere，sincehavingthechangefulshadows，weknowthereisaskywhereinshinesthesunthatcaststhem。
Godfrey，asitchanced，omittingIsobel，hadwalkedlittleeveninthesesweetshadows。Therewerebutthreeothersforwhomhehadfeltdevotioninallhisdays，Mrs。Parsons，histutor，MonsieurBoiset，andhisfriend，ArthurThorburn，whowasgone。ThereforetohimIsobelwaseverything。Asachildhehadadoredher；asawomanshewashisdesire，hisfaithandhisworship。
Ifthisweresowithhim，stillmorewasitthecasewithIsobel，whointruthcaredfornootherhumanbeing。Somethinginhernaturepreventedherfromcontractingviolentfemalefriendships，andtoallmen，exceptafewofability，eachofthemoldenoughtobeherfather，shewastotallyindifferent；indeedmostofthemrepelledher。
OnGodfrey，andGodfreyalone，fromthefirstmomentshesawhimasachildshehadpouredallthedeeptreasureofherheart。Hewasatonceherdivinityandherotherself，thesegmentthatcompletedherlife’scircle，withoutwhichitwasnothingbutauseless，brokenring。
Somuchdidthisseemtohertobeso，thatnotwithstandingherlackoffaithinmattersbeyondproofandknowledge，sheneverconceivedofthispassionofhersashavinghadabeginning，orofbeingcapableofanend。Thiscontradictorywomanwouldargueagainstthepossibilityofanyfutureexistence，yetshewasquitecertainthatherloveforGodfrey/had/afutureexistence，andindeedonethatwasendless。
Whenatlengthheputittoherthatherattitudewasmostillogical，sincethatwhichwasdeadanddissolvedcouldnotexistinanyplaceorshape，shethoughtforawhileandrepliedquietly：
“ThenImustbewrong。“
“Wronginwhat？“askedGodfrey。
“Insupposingthatwedonotliveafterdeath。ThecontinuanceofourloveI/know/tobebeyondanydoubt，andifitinvolvesourcontinuanceasindividualentities——well，thenwecontinue，thatisall。“
“Wemightcontinueasasingleentity，“hesuggested。
“Perhaps，“sheanswered，“andifsothiswouldbebetterstill，foritmustbeimpossibletoloseoneanotherwhilethatremainedalive，comprisingboth。“
Thus，andinthesefewwords，althoughsheneverbecamealtogetherorthodox，ortookquitethesameviewofsuchmysteriesasdidGodfrey，Isobelmadehergreatrecantation，forwhichprobablytherewouldneverhavebeenanyneedhadshebeenbornindifferentsurroundingsandfoundsomeotherspiritualguideinyouththanMr。