e
slept in the time of winter to dream of the summer days, and then we
remembered the history of birds and men we had seen making--all the
things that, now we are people, we have to read in books. No words of
the love did we speak after those first minutes of surprise, but we
could have sat forever, not tiring of our talk.

At last I had to say, "Now we _must_ go!" And Peter did not keep me. We
shook hands like the friends. And then the divine hour was over, except
in memory. There it will always live for me. I can always call it back,
with every word and look, even if things do not come right for us, as
Peter thinks they will.

I wish, oh, _how_ I wish, I could be as sure as he seems to be! But I
cannot help telling myself that perhaps, as he is used to being poor, he
does not realize how much money Larry needs.

It has done me good to write to you of this, my Adrienne, for love is
coming to you, too, even if it has not yet come as it has to me.

YOUR PATRICE.

XXIX

MOLLY WINSTON TO MERCEDES LANE

_Awepesha, Long Island._

DEAREST MERCEDES:

I haven't written to you since Bretton Woods, because the little details
of our travels might have seemed an aggravation while I kept the
_Secret_ up my sleeve, and had no particular personal news with which to
embroider the story of the days. Now, it's different. I can't tell you
the Secret yet, it's true; but there's some rather big news--news which
brought us all back to Long Island in a hurry after Great Barrington.
I'm debating with myself whether to blurt it out now, or to lead up to
it gradually. I'll ask Jack's advice!

* * * * *

I have asked, and Jack says, "I think Monty and Mercedes would rather
finish our travels with us, and see the things that happened as we saw
them, instead of being made to play Providence and reach the end before
it arrives."

So I'll take his word for it, and begin where I left off at Bretton
Woods, only hurrying on, perhaps, a little faster than I should if there
were no bombshell to explode later.

We didn't hurry our journey, however. No presentiment warned us of what
was to come. We stayed two days at Bretton Woods, and adored the place.
Fancy drinking water from a spring at Mount Echo! The name turned water
into champagne. And fancy having nice college boys disguised as waiters,
to se