don't fuss!' And suddenly he remembered with extreme
vividness that night on the stoep at High Constantia, and thought with
dismay: 'I could have plunged in over head and ears then; and now--I
can't! That's life all over! Poor Leila! Me miserum, too, perhaps--who
knows!'

IV

When Leila opened her door to Edward Pierson, her eyes were smiling, and
her lips were soft. She seemed to smile and be soft all over, and she
took both his hands. Everything was a pleasure to her that day, even the
sight of this sad face. She was in love and was loved again; had a
present and a future once more, not only her own full past; and she must
finish with Edward in half an hour, for Jimmy was coming. She sat down
on the divan, took his hand in a sisterly way, and said:

"Tell me, Edward; I can see you're in trouble. What is it?"

"Noel. The boy she was fond of has been killed."

She dropped his hand.

"Oh, no! Poor child! It's too cruel!" Tears started up in her grey
eyes, and she touched them with a tiny handkerchief. "Poor, poor little
Noel! Was she very fond of him?"

"A very sudden, short engagement; but I'm afraid she takes it desperately
to heart. I don't know how to comfort her; only a woman could. I came
to ask you: Do you think she ought to go on with her work? What do you
think, Leila? I feel lost!"

Leila, gazing at him, thought: 'Lost? Yes, you look lost, my poor
Edward!'

"I should let her go on," she said: "it helps; it's the only thing that
does help. I'll see if I can get them to let her come into the wards.
She ought to be in touch with suffering and the men; that kitchen work
will try her awfully just now: Was he very young?"

"Yes. They wanted to get married. I was opposed to it."

Leila's lip curled ever so little. 'You would be!' she thought.

"I couldn't bear to think of Nollie giving herself hastily, like that;
they had only known each other three weeks. It was very hard for me,
Leila. And then suddenly he was sent to the front."

Resentment welled up in Leila. The kill-Joys! As if life didn't kill
joy fast enough! Her cousin's face at that moment was almost abhorrent
to her, its gentle perplexed goodness darkened and warped by that monkish
look. She turned away, glanced at the clock over the hearth, and
thought: 'Yes, and he would stop Jimmy and me! He would say: "Oh, no!
dear Leila--you mustn't love--it's sin!" How I hate that word!'

"I think the most dreadfu