of embroidery. Yes, to me, too, these things
were wistfully precious, for it seemed as if part of her had passed into
them. It would have been like tearing out my heart-strings to part with
the smallest of them.

"_Husband_, I'm so happy," she sighed.

"Wife, dear, dear wife, I too."

There was no need for words. Our lips met in passionate kisses, but the
next moment we started apart. Some one was coming up the garden path--a
tall figure of a man. I started as if I had seen a ghost. Could it
be?--then I rushed to the door.

There on the porch stood Garry.

CHAPTER XVIII

As he stood before me once again it seemed as if the years had rolled
away, and we were boys together. A spate of tender memories came over
me, memories of the days of dreams and high resolves, when life rang
true, when men were brave and women pure. Once more I stood upon that
rock-envisaged coast, while below me the yeasty sea charged with a roar
the echoing caves. The gulls were glinting in the sunshine, and by their
little brown-thatched homes the fishermen were spreading out their nets.
High on the hillside in her garden I could see my mother idling among
her flowers. It all came back to me, that sunny shore, the whitewashed
cottages, the old grey house among the birches, the lift of
sheep-starred pasture, and above it the glooming dark of the heather
hills.

And it was but three years ago. How life had changed! A thousand things
had happened. Fortune had come to me, love had come to me. I had lived,
I had learned. I was no longer a callow, uncouth lad. Yet, alas! I no
longer looked futurewards with joy; the savour of life was no more
sweet. It was another "me" I saw in my mirror that day, a "me" with a
face sorely lined, with hair grey-flecked, with eyes sad and bitter.
Little wonder Garry, as he stood there, stared at me so sorrowfully.

"How you've changed, lad!" said he at last.

"Have I, Garry? You're just about the same."

But indeed he, too, had changed, had grown finer than my fondest
thoughts of him. He seemed to bring into the room the clean, sweet
breath of Glengyle, and I looked at him with admiration in my eyes.
Coming out of the cold, his colour was dazzling as that of a woman; his
deep blue eyes sparkled; his fair silky hair, from the pressure of his
cap, was moulded to the shape of his fine head. Oh, he was handsome,
this brother of mine, and I was proud, proud of him!

"By all that's wonderful, what brought y