lookingcouplehadbeenwedinthatancientfane。
Oddlyenough，withthestrangeinconsequenceofthehumanmind，especiallyinmomentsofsuppressedexcitement，itwasofthisnamelessladyandherlordthatGodfreykeptthinkingthroughouttheservice，oncemorewonderingwhotheywereandwhatwastheirstory。
HerememberedtoohowthegravesofthatunknownpairhadbeenconnectedwithhisfortunesandthoseofIsobel。Hereitwasthattheyplightedthetrothwhichnowtheywereabouttofulfil。HereitwasthathehadbiddenherfarewellbeforehewenttoSwitzerland。Hecouldseehernowasshewasthen，tallandslenderinherwhiterobe，andtheredrayofsunshinegleaminglikeasplashofblooduponherbreast。Heglancedatherbyhissideassheturnedtowardshim，andbehold!thereitshoneagain，splendidyetominous。
Heshiveredalittleatthesightofit——heknewnotwhy——andwasgladwhenadenseblacksnow-cloudhidthefaceofthesunandkilledit。
Itwasoveratlast，andtheyweremanandwife。
“Dothesewordsandvowsandceremoniesmakeanydifferencetoyou？“
shewhisperedastheywalkedsidebysidedownthechurch，theobservedofallobservers。“Theydonottome。Ifeelasthoughalltheritesintheworldwouldbequitepowerlessandwithoutmeaninginfaceofthefactofoureternalunity。“
Itwasaqueerlittlespeechforhertomake，withitsthoughtandbalance；Godfreyoftenreflectedafterwards，expressingasitdidagreattruthsofarastheywereconcerned，sincenoceremonial，howeverhallowed，couldincreasetheirexistingonenessortakeawaytherefrom。Atthemoment，however，hescarcelyunderstoodit，andonlysmiledinreply。
Thentheywentintothevestryandsignedtheirnames，andeverythingwasover。HereGodfrey’sformertrustee，GeneralCubitte，grownveryoldnow，butasbustlingandemphaticasofyore，whosignedthebookasoneofthewitnesses，buttonholedhim。AtsomelengthheexplainedhowhehadbeentoseeaneminentswellattheWarOffice，a“dug-out“
whowasanoldfriendofhis，andimpresseduponhimhis，Godfrey’s，extraordinaryabilitiesasasoldier，pointingoutthatheoughtatoncetobegivencommandofaregiment，andhowtheeminentswellhadpromisedthathewouldseetoitforthwith。Oh!ifhehadonlyknown，hewouldnothavethankedhim。
Atlasttheystartedforthemotor-car，whichwastodrivetheminpompthreehundredyardstotheHall。Somedelayoccurred。Anothermotor-caratthechurchgatewouldnotstart，andhadtobedrawnoutoftheway。ThreeorfourofthenursesfromthehospitalandcertainlocalladiessurroundedIsobel，andburstintotalkandcongratulations，thusseparatingherfromGodfrey。
Overhearingcomplimentaryremarksabouthimself，hedrewbackalittlefromtheporchintothechurchwhichhadnowemptied。Ashestoodtheresomeonetappedhimontheshoulder。Thetouchdisturbedhim；itwasunpleasanttohimandheturnedimpatientlytoseefromwhomitcame。Thereinfrontofhim，bundledupinarustyblackcloakofwhichthehoodcoveredthehead，wasashortfatwoman。Herfacewashidden，butfromthecavernousrecessesofthehoodtwopiercingblackeyesshoneliketothoseofatigerinitsden。AfterallthoseyearsGodfreyrecognisedthematonce；indeedsubconsciouslyhehadknownwhohadtouchedhimevenbeforeheturned。ItwasMadameRiennes。
“Ah!“shesaid，inherhateful，rememberedvoice，“somylittleGodfreywhohasgrownsuchabigGodfreynow——yes，bigineveryway，hadrecognitionofhisdearGodmamma，didhe？Oh!donotdenyit；I
sawyoujumpwithjoy。Well，Iknewwhatwashappening——nevermindhowIknew——andthoughIamsopoornow，Itravelledheretoassistandgivemyfelicitations。Eleanor，too，shesendshers，thoughyouguessofwhatkindtheyare，forremember，asItoldyoulongago，speeritsarejustasjealousaswewomen，because，yousee，theywerewomenbeforetheywerespeerits。“
“Thankyou，“brokeinGodfrey；“IamafraidImustbegoing。“
“Oh!yes。Youareinagreathurry，fornowyouhavegottheplum，myGodfrey，haveyounot，andwanttoeatit？Well，Ihaveamessageforyou，suckithard，forvery，verysoonyoucometothestone，whichyouknowissharpandcoldwithnotaste，andmustbethrownaway。Oh!
somethingmakemesaythistoo；Iknownotwhat。Perhapsthatstonemustbeplanted，notthrownaway；yes，Ithinkitmustbeplanted，andthatitwillgrowintothemostbeautifulofplumtreesinanotherland。“
Shethrewbackherhood，showingherenormousforeheadandflabby，sunkenface，whichlookedasthoughshehadlivedforyearsinacellar，andyethadaboutitanairofinspiration。“Yes，“shewenton，“Iseethattreewhitewithblossom。Iseeitbendingwiththegoldenfruit——thousandsuponthousandsoffruits。Oh!Godfrey，itistheTreeofLife，andunderneathitsityouandthatladywholookslikeaqueen，andwhomyoulovesodear，andlookintoeachother’seyesforeverandforever，becauseyouseethattreeimmortaldonotgrowupontheearth，myGodfrey。“
Thehorribleoldwomanmadehimafraid，especiallydidherlastwordsmakehimafraid，becausehewhowasexperiencedinsuchmattersknewthatshehadcomewithnointentionofutteringthem，thattheyhadburstfromherlipsinasuddensemi-trancesuchasovertakeshersisterhoodfromtimetotime。Heknewwhatthatmeant，thatDeathhadmarkedthem，andthattheywerecalledelsewhere，heorIsobel，orboth。
“Imustbegoing，“herepeated。
“Yes，yes，youmustbegoing——youwhoaregoingsofar。Thehungryfishmustgoafterthebait，mustitnot，andoh!thehookitdoesnotsee。But，myleetlebigGodfrey，onemoment。YourlovingoldGodmamma，shetumbleontheevildayeversincethatcursedoldPasteur“——hereherpalefacetwistedandhereyesgrewwicked——“letloosethelaw-
dogsonme。Iwantmoney，mygodson。Hereisanaddress，“andshethrustapieceofpaperuponhim。
Hethrewitdownandstampedonit。Inhispocketwasaleathercasefullofbank-notes。Hedrewoutahandfulofthemandheldthemtoher。Shesnatchedthemasahungryhawksnatchesmeat，withafierceandcuriousswiftness。
Thenatlastheescaped，andinanotherminute，amidstthecheersofthecrowd，wasdrivingawayatthesideofthestatelyIsobel。
AttheHall，whereoneofthewardshadbeenclearedforthepurpose，therewasalittleinformalreception，atwhichforawhileGodfreyfoundhimselfofficiatingalone，sinceIsobelhaddisappearedwithGeneralCubitteandthebrotherofficerwhohadactedashisbestman。
Whenatlengththeyreturnedheaskedherwhereshehadbeen，rathersharplyperhaps，forhisnerveswereonedge。
“Toseetosomebusinesswiththelawyer，“sheanswered。
“Whatbusiness，dear？“heinquired。“Ithoughtyousettledallthatthismorning？“
“Itcouldnotbesettledthismorning，Godfrey，becauseawillcanonlybesignedaftermarriage。“
“Goodgracious!“heexclaimed。“Givemeaglassofchampagne。“
AnhourlatertheyweremotoringtoLondonalone，atlastalone，andtothispairHeavenopeneditsseventhdoor。
Theydinedintheprivatesitting-roomofthesuitwhichundertheinspirationofIsobelhehadtakenataLondonhotel，andthenafterthecurious-eyedwaitershadclearedthetable，sattogetherinfrontofthefire，handinhand，butnottalkingverymuch。AtlengthIsobelroseandtheyembracedeachother。
“Iamgoingtobednow，“shesaid；“butbeforeyoucome，andperhapsweforgetaboutsuchmatters，Iwantyoutokneeldownwithmeandsayaprayer。“
Heobeyedasachildmight，thoughwondering，forsomehowhehadneverconnectedIsobelandPrayerinhismind。Theretheykneltinfrontofthefire，asreverentlyasthoughitburneduponanaltar，andIsobelsaidherprayeraloud。Itranthus：
“OUnknownGodWhomalwaysIhavesoughtandWhomnowIthinkthatI
havefound，oramneartofinding；OPowerthatsentmeforthtotasteofLifeandgatherKnowledge，andWhoatThineownhourwiltcallmebackagain，heartheprayerofIsobelandofGodfreyherlover。ThisiswhattheyaskofThee：thatbetheirtimetogetherontheearthlongorshort，itmayendureforeverinthelivesandlandsbeyondtheearth。Theyaskalsothatalltheirsins，knownandunknown，greatorsmall，maybeforgiventhem，andthatwithThygiftstheymaydogood，andthatifchildrencometothem，theymaybeblessedinsuchfashionasThouseestwell，andafterwardsendurewiththemthroughalltheexistencestobe。OGiverofLifeandLoveEternal，hearthis，thesolemnmarriageprayerofGodfreyandofIsobel。“
Thensheroseandwithonelonglook，lefthim，seemingtohiseyesnomoreawoman，astenthousandwomenare，butaveryFireofspiritualloveincarnateinaveilofflesh。