“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。