“Lackingproof，Idonotacceptthesestoriesasfacts，although，asthereisnosmokewithoutfire，Ithinkitprobablethatthereissomethinginthemandthatyouaredriftingintoundesirablecompanionships。AtanyrateIamsurethatthetimehascomeforyoutoreturnhomeandtocommenceyourstudiesfortheChurch。I
　　havetorequest，therefore，thatyouwilldothisatonceasIamenteringyournameatmyowncollegeforthenexttermandhavesoinformedthetrusteesunderMissOgilvy’swill，whowillnodoubtmeettheexpenseandgiveyouasuitableallowance。IamwritingtothePasteurBoisettothesameeffect。Lookingforwardtoseeingyou，whenwecandiscussallthesemattersinmoredetail，——Iam，youraffectionatefather，“RichardKnight。“
　　IndismayGodfreytookthislettertothePasteur。ForthelastthingGodfreywishedtodowastoleaveKleindorfandthehouseinwhichhewassowelcomeandsowelltreated，inordertoreturntothestonybosomofMonk’sAcreAbbey。
　　“Ihavealsoreceivedaletter，“saidMonsieurBoiset；“itseemsthatyouandIalwaysreceivedisagreeableletterstogether。Thelastwerefromthewitch-womanRiennes，andthesearefromyourfather。Hehasanunpleasantwayofwriting，thisfatherofyours，althoughheisagoodman，forherehesuggeststhatIamtryingtotrapyouforason-
　　in-law，whereinIseethefatfingerofthatwitchRiennes，whohassogreatapassionfortheanonymousepistle。Well，ifhehadsaidthatI
　　wishedtotrapyouforason，hewouldhaveshotnearertothebulls’-
　　eye，butforason-in-law，asyouknow，itisnotso。Still，youmustgo；indeed，itistimethatyouwent，nowthatyoutalkFrenchsowell，andhave，Ihope，learntotherthingsalso，youtowhomthebigworldopens。Butsee，yourfathertalksofyourenteringtheChurch。
　　Tellme，isthisso？Ifso，ofcourse，Ishallbehappy。“
　　“No，“saidGodfrey，shakinghishead。
　　“Then，“repliedthePasteur，“ImaysaythatIamequallyhappy。Itisnoteveryonethathasacallforthisvocation，andtherearemorewaysofdoinggoodintheworldthanfromthefloorofapulpit。
　　Myself，Ihavewonderedsometimes——butletthatbe；itisthelotofcertainofus，whothinkinourvanitythatwecouldhavedonegreatthings，tobeobligedtodothesmallthings，becauseGodhassodecreed。TooneHegivesthetentalents，totheotheronlyonetalent，orevenbutafranc。Whateveritbe，ofitwemustmakethebest，andsolongaswedonotburyit，wehavedonewell。IcanonlysaythatIhavetriedtousemyfranc，ormyfiftycentimes，tosuchadvantageasIcould，andhopethatinsomeotherplaceandtimeImaybeentrustedwithalargersum。Oh!myboy，weareallofusdrawnbythehorsesofCircumstance，but，asIbelieve，thosehorseshaveadriverwhoknowswhitherheisguidingus。“
　　AfewdayslaterGodfreywent。HislastmiddaymealattheMaisonBlanche，beforehedepartedtocatchthenighttrainforParis，wasratheramelancholyfunction。Madame，whohadgrownfondofhiminhersomewhatfrivolousway，openlydroppedtearsintohersoup。Juliettelookedsadand/distraite/，thoughinwardlysupportedbytheknowledgethatherdistantcousin，thenotaryJules，wasarrivingonthemorrowtospendhisvacationattheMaisonBlanche，sothatGodfrey’sroomwouldnotbewithoutanoccupant。Indeed，inherprettylittleheadshewasalreadyplanningcertainalterationsinthearrangementofthefurniture，tomakeitmorecomfortabletotheverydifferenttastesofthenewcomer。
　　Still，shewastrulysorrytoloseherfriendthe/Hibou/，althoughshehadnotbeenabletofulfilhermother’swish，andmakehimfallinlovewithher，oreventofallinlovewithhimherself。AssheexplainedtoMadameBoiset，itwasofnousetotry，sincebetweentheirnaturestherewerefixednotonlyagreatgulf，butseveralwholerangesoftheAlps，andwhereasthe/Hibou/satgazingatthestarsfromtheirtopmostpeak，shewaspickingflowersintheplainandsingingasshepickedthem。
　　ThePasteurdidnotmakemattersbetterbytheextremelyforcedgaietyofhisdemeanour。HetoldstoriesandcrackedbadjokesintheintervalsofcongratulatingGodfreyathisreleasefromsodullaplaceasKleindorf。Godfreysaidlittleornothing，butreflectedtohimselfthatthePasteurdidnotknowMonk’sAcre。
　　Atlastthemomentcame，andhedepartedwithaheavyheart，forhehadlearnedtolovethesesimple，kindlyfolk，especiallythePasteur。
　　Howgladhewaswhenitwasoverandhehadlostsightofthehandkerchiefsthatwerebeingwavedathimfromthegateasthehiredvehiclerolledaway。Notthatitwasquiteover，forthePasteuraccompaniedhimtothestation，inorder，ashesaid，totakehislastinstructionsabouttheVillaOgilvy，although，intruth，Godfreyhadnonetogive。
　　“Pleasedowhatyouthinkbest，“wasallthathecouldsay。Also，whenseveralmilesfurtheron，theycametoaturnintheroad，there，pantingonarock，stoodJuliette，whohadreachedtheplace，runningatfullspeed，byashortcutthroughthewoods。Theyhadnotimetostop，becausethePasteurthoughtthattheywerelateforthetrain，which，asamatteroffact，didnotleaveforhalf-an-houraftertheyreachedthestation。Sotheycouldonlymakemutualsignalsofrecognitionandfarewell。Juliette，wholookedasthoughshewerecrying，kissedherhandtohim，callingout：
　　“Adieu，adieu!/cherami/，“whilehesoughtrefugeintheEnglishman’susualexpedientoftakingoffhishat。
　　“Itisnothing，nothing，“saidthePasteur，whohadalsonotedJuliette’stear-swolleneyes，“to-morrowshewillhaveJulestoconsoleher，amostworthyyoungman，thoughmehebores。“
　　Here，itmaybeadded，thatJulesconsoledhersowell，thatwithinayeartheyweremarried，andmosthappily。
　　YetGodfreywasdestinednevertoseethatgracefulfigureandgaylittlefaceagain，sincelongbeforeherevisitedLucerneJuliettediedonthebirthofherthirdchild。Andsoon，whothoughtofJulietteexceptperhapsGodfrey，forherhusbandmarriedagainveryshortly，asaworthyanddomesticpersonofthesortwoulddo。Herchildrenweretooyoungtorememberher，andhermother，notlongafterwards，wascarriedoffbyasuddenillness，pneumonia，tojoinherintheShades。ExceptthePasteurhimselfnonewasleft。
　　Well，suchisthewayofthissadworldofchangeanddeath。ButGodfreyneverforgotthepictureofherstandingbreathlessontherockandkissingherslimhandtohim。Itwasoneofthoseincidentswhich，whentheyhappentoamaninhisyouth，remainindeliblyimpresseduponhismind。
　　Atthestationthereweremorefarewells，forherewasthenotary，whohadmanagedMissOgilvy’sSwissaffairsandnow，underthedirectionofMonsieurBoiset，attendedtothoseofGodfrey。AlsosuchoftheservantswerepresentashadbeenkeptonattheVilla，whileamongthosewalkingabouttheplatformhesawBrotherJosiahSmithandProfessorPetersen，whohadcomeevidentlytoseethelastofhim，andmakereporttoacertainquarter。
　　ThePasteurtalkedcontinually，inhishigh，thinvoice，tocoveruphisagitation，butwhatitwasallaboutGodfreycouldneverremember。
　　Allherecollectedofthepartingwasbeingtakenintothoselongarms，embracedupontheforehead，andmostferventlyblessed。
　　Thenthetrainsteamedoff，andhefeltgladthatallwasover。
　　Aboutforty-eighthourslaterGodfreyarriveddulyatthelittleEssexstationthreemilesfromMonk’sAcre。Therewasnobodytomeethim，whichwasnotstrange，asthehourofhiscomingwasunknown。Still，unreasonableasitmightbe，thecontrastbetweenthewarmthandaffectionthathaddistinguishedhisdeparture，andthecoldvacuumthatgreetedhisarrival，chilledhim。Hesaidafewwordstothegrumpyoldporterwhowasthesoleoccupantoftheplatform，butthatworthy，althoughheknewhimwellenough，didnotseemtorealisethathehadeverbeenaway。DuringtheyearinwhichsomanythingshadhappenedtoGodfreynothingatallhadhappenedtotheporter，andthereforehedidnotappreciatethelapseoftime。
　　Leavinghisbaggagetobebroughtbythecarrier’scart，Godfreytookthealpenstockthat，inamomentofenthusiasm，theguidehadgivenhimasasouvenirofhisgreatadventure，andstartedforhome。Itwasaveryfamousalpenstock，whichthisguideandhisfatherbeforehimhadusedalltheirlives，onethathadbeenplantedinthetopmostsnowsofeverypeakinSwitzerland。Indeedthenamesofthemostunclimbableofthese，togetherwiththedatesoftheirconquestbyitsowners，sometimesfollowedbycrossestoshowthatonsuchorsuchanexpeditionlifehadbeenlost，wereburntintothetoughwoodwithahotiron。Asthefirstofthesedateswasasfarbackas1831，Godfreyvaluedthisstaffhighly，anddidnotliketoleaveittothechancesofthecarrier’scart。
　　HisroadthroughthefieldsranpastHawk’sHall，ofwhichheobservedwithathrillofdismay，thattheblindsweredrawnasthoughinitsomeonelaydead。Therewasnoreasonwhyheshouldhavebeendismayed，sincehehadheardthatIsobelhadgoneawaytosomewherein“Ameriky，“asMrs。Parsonshadexpresseditinabriefandillspeltletter，andthatSirJohnwaslivingintown。Yetthesightdepressedhimstillfurtherwithitssuggestionofdeath，orofseparation，whichisalmostasbad，for，beitremembered，hewasatanagewhensuchimpressionscomehome。
　　AfterleavingtheHallwithitsblindedandshutteredwindows，hisquickestroadtotheAbbeyHouseranthroughthechurchyard。Herethefirstthingthatconfrontedhimwasagiganticmonument，ofwhichthenewmarbleglitteredintheafternoonsun。Itwasaconfusedaffair，andallhemadeoutofit，withoutcloseexamination，wasalife-sizedangelwithanearly-Victoriancountenance，leaningagainstthebrokenstumpofanoaktreeandscatteringfromabasket，ofthekindthatisusedtocollectnutsorwindfallapples，ontoasarcophagusbeneathaprofusionofmarbleroses，someofwhichseemedtohavebeenarrestedandfrozeninmid-air。Heglancedattheinscriptioningoldletters。
　　Itwas“TothebelovedmemoryofLadyJaneBlake，wifeofSirJohnBlake，Bart。，J。P。，anddaughteroftheRightHon。TheEarlofLynfield，whosebereavedhusbanderectedthismonument——’Herhusband……praisethher。’“
　　Godfreylooked，andrememberingthegentlelittlewomanwhosecrumblingfleshlaybeneath，shiveredattheawfulandcrushingerectionabove。Inlife，asheknew，shehadbeenunhappy，butwhathadshedonetodeservesuchamemorialindeath？Still，shewasdead，ofthattherewasnodoubt，andoh!thesadnessofitall。
　　HewentontotheAbbey，resistingaqueertemptationtoenterthechurchandlookatthetombofthePlantagenetladyandherunknownknight，whoslepttheresoquietlyfromyeartoyear，throughspring，summer，autumnandwinter，foreverandforever。Thefrontdoorwaslocked，soherangthebell。Itwasansweredbyanewservant，ratheraforbidding，middle-agedwomanwithalimp，whoinformedhimthatMr。
　　Knightwasout，andnotwithstandinghisexplanations，declinedtoadmithimintothehouse。Doubtlessshethoughtthatayoungman，wearingaforeign-lookinghatandcarryingsuchastrangelongstick，mustbeathief，orworse。Theendofitwasthatsheslammedthedoorinhisfaceandshottheold-fashionedbolts。