The allusion touched a spring of mirth in both their minds, and they
exchanged a laughing look.

"Only you must promise not to rush things. You must give me time to
prepare Adelaide too," Mrs. Leath went on.

"Prepare her too?" He drew away for a better look at her. "Prepare her
for what?"

"Why, to prepare your grandmother! For your marriage. Yes, that's what I
mean. I'm going to see you through, you know----"

His feint of indifference broke down and he caught her hand. "Oh, you
dear divine thing! I didn't dream----"

"I know you didn't." She dropped her gaze and began to walk on slowly.
"I can't say you've convinced me of the wisdom of the step. Only I
seem to see that other things matter more--and that not missing things
matters most. Perhaps I've changed--or YOUR not changing has convinced
me. I'm certain now that you won't budge. And that was really all I ever
cared about."

"Oh, as to not budging--I told you so months ago: you might have been
sure of that! And how can you be any surer today than yesterday?"

"I don't know. I suppose one learns something every day----"

"Not at Givre!" he laughed, and shot a half-ironic look at her. "But you
haven't really BEEN at Givre lately--not for months! Don't you suppose
I've noticed that, my dear?"

She echoed his laugh to merge it in an undenying sigh. "Poor Givre..."

"Poor empty Givre! With so many rooms full and yet not a soul in
it--except of course my grandmother, who is its soul!"

They had reached the gateway of the court and stood looking with a
common accord at the long soft-hued facade on which the autumn light was
dying. "It looks so made to be happy in----" she murmured.

"Yes--today, today!" He pressed her arm a little. "Oh, you darling--to
have given it that look for me!" He paused, and then went on in a lower
voice: "Don't you feel we owe it to the poor old place to do what we can
to give it that look? You, too, I mean? Come, let's make it grin
from wing to wing! I've such a mad desire to say outrageous things to
it--haven't you? After all, in old times there must have been living
people here!"

Loosening her arm from his she continued to gaze up at the house-front,
which seemed, in the plaintive decline of light, to send her back the
mute appeal of something doomed.

"It IS beautiful," she said.

"A beautiful memory! Quite perfect to take out and turn over when I'm
grinding at the law in New York, and you're----" He broke off and look