“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。