shall not try in vain."

Major Edward shaded his eyes with his hand. "God forbid that I should
wish the murder of Ludwell Cary unavenged! But--but--shame and
sorrow--and Henry Churchill's child"--He rose from his chair and stalked
across the room. "I am tired of it all," he said, "tired of the world,
life, death, pro and con, affections, hatreds, sweets that cloy,
bitterness that does not nourish, the gash of events, and the salt with
which memory rubs the wound! Man that is born of woman--Pah!" He
straightened himself, flung up his grey head, and moved stiffly to a
bookcase. "Where's Gascoigne's Steel Glasse? I know you've got a
copy--Ludwell told me so."

"It is on the third shelf, the left side. Major Churchill, you
understand that, for all that has been said, I must yet go my way?"

"Yes, Fair, I understand," said the other. "Do what you must--and God
help us all!"

CHAPTER XXXIV

FAIRFAX CARY

The December frost lay hard upon the ground, and a pale winter sky
gleamed above and between bare limbs of trees. In Vinie Mocket's garden
withered and bent stalk showed where had been zinnia and prince's
feather, and the grapevine over the porch was but a mass of twisted
stems. The sun shone bright, however, on this day, and as there was no
wind, it was not hard to imagine it warm out-of-doors and the spring
somewhere in keeping. It was the week before Christmas, and the season
unwontedly mild.

Vinie, seated upon the doorstep in the sun, a grey shawl around her
shoulders and her pink chin in her hand, stared at the Ragged Mountains
and wondered when Tom was coming to dinner. A grey cat purred in the sun
beside her. Smut the dog, lying in a patch of light upon the porch
floor, broke out of a dream, got up, and wagged his tail.

"Who do you hear, Smut?" asked Vinie. "_I_ think it ith Mr. Adam."

Adam came through the gate that had never been mended and up the little,
sunny path. He had his gun, and in addition a great armful of holly and
mistletoe, and he deposited all alike upon the porch floor. "A green
Christmas we're having," he announced cheerfully, "so we might as well
make it greener! I thought these would look pretty over your chimney
glass."

"They'll be lovely," answered Vinie. "I just somehow didn't think of
fixing things up this Christmas. I'll put them all around the parlour,
Mr. Adam."

"I'll put them for you," said Adam. "This isn't mistletoe like you get
in the big trees south, and it is