f the tree, folded her hands in her lap and smiled
down at him under her half-shut lids. He also moved his position a
very little so that he could see her better.

"First, then, Patricia, I have actually done something in Belgium. The
roads of which I have dreamed are not quite such fantastic fancies
now as they were a year ago."

She sat erect at once, alert and brimming over with interest.

"Oh, Christopher!"

"It is not done yet," he went on slowly, "but it is on the way to be
done. It means that all the roads here, and the roads all over the
world, will one day be made easy to travel upon. It means that mud,
dirt and noise will be evils of the past, and they will be roads that
will last down the ages." He stopped with a little catch in his breath
and looked at her half ashamed, half pleadingly.

But Patricia was gazing past him through a gap in the trees at a white
flinty road that struggled up to the distant downs. "Yes," she said
very softly, as if fearing to quench a vision she saw there, "yes,
that is a great and a good thing, and like you."

"Thank you," he answered laughing--the spell of their mutual
earnestness pressed him too sorely.

"Don't laugh," she returned swiftly with a frown; "it is not the
goodness that's like you. It's a sort of strongness about
it--something to hold on to for all time." She stopped abruptly,
looking at him gravely.

This time he did not laugh, but he put one hand on hers, and his was
shaking.

"Christopher," she said coaxingly, "will you really take me down to
the sea when I like?"

"Whenever you like."

"Then do it this afternoon. Now, at once," she cried pleadingly, and
seeing his face of amazement, added, "you promised, Christopher."

"Of course. I'll do it; but why not to-morrow, when we can have a long
day?"

"Because--because to-day is all my own," she said softly, "and
to-morrow isn't. Christopher, I did not mean to tell anyone to-day,
but I must tell you, I am going to marry Geoffry,"--she flushed rosy
red, but he did not see it--"it was last night--he wanted to see Nevil
at once, but I wouldn't let him. I wanted this day to myself. It was
nice of you to come and make it complete."

His hand still held hers, but it was still and motionless now. She
stroked it softly. Christopher drew it gently away.

"You ought to wish me happiness or something, ought you not?" she
said.

"I do, Patricia," he said, looking up at her.

He wanted to say more; self-pre