son with Leila commenced; had even let Leila sweep him
away on, an evening when he had been in Noel's company. For that he felt
a real disgust with himself. And all the way back to the station he kept
thinking: 'How could I? I deserve to lose her! Still, I shall try; but
not now--not yet!' And, wearily enough, he took the train back to town.

III

Both girls rose early that last day, and went with their father to
Communion. As Gratian had said to George: "It's nothing to me now, but
it will mean a lot to him out there, as a memory of us. So I must go."
And he had answered: "Quite right, my dear. Let him have all he can get
of you both to-day. I'll keep out of the way, and be back the last thing
at night." Their father's smile when he saw them waiting for him went
straight to both their hearts. It was a delicious day, and the early
freshness had not yet dried out of the air, when they were walking home
to breakfast. Each girl had slipped a hand under his arm. 'It's like
Moses or was it Aaron?' Noel thought absurdly Memory had complete hold of
her. All the old days! Nursery hours on Sundays after tea, stories out
of the huge Bible bound in mother-o'pearl, with photogravures of the Holy
Land--palms, and hills, and goats, and little Eastern figures, and funny
boats on the Sea of Galilee, and camels--always camels. The book would
be on his knee, and they one on each arm of his chair, waiting eagerly
for the pages to be turned so that a new picture came. And there would
be the feel of his cheek, prickly against theirs; and the old names with
the old glamour--to Gratian, Joshua, Daniel, Mordecai, Peter; to Noel
Absalom because of his hair, and Haman because she liked the sound, and
Ruth because she was pretty and John because he leaned on Jesus' breast.
Neither of them cared for Job or David, and Elijah and Elisha they
detested because they hated the name Eliza. And later days by firelight
in the drawing-room, roasting chestnuts just before evening church, and
telling ghost stories, and trying to make Daddy eat his share. And hours
beside him at the piano, each eager for her special hymns--for Gratian,
"Onward, Christian Soldiers," "Lead, Kindly Light," and "O God Our Help";
for Noel, "Nearer, My God, to Thee," the one with "The Hosts of Midian"
in it, and "For Those in Peril on the Sea." And carols! Ah! And
Choristers! Noel had loved one deeply--the word "chorister" was so
enchanting; and because