ther
note of childishness in it, that of complete exhaustion, which it is so
hard to hear. The tears rose to his own eyes; he would have liked to go
to her, to lay his hand on her head, and treat her tenderly, to make
her cease and be happy once more; but he did not dare. Had he done so,
she might not have repelled him; for, in all intensely passionate
grief, there comes a moment of subsidence, when the grief and its
origin are forgotten, and the one overruling desire is the desire to be
comforted, no matter who the comforter and what his means, so long as
they are masterful and strong.

She grew calmer; and soon she was only shaken at widening intervals by
a sob. Then these, too, ceased, and Maurice held his breath. But as,
after a considerable time had elapsed, she still lay without making
sound or movement, he crossed the room to look at her. She was fast
asleep, half sitting, half lying, with her head on the cushions, and
the tears wet on her cheeks. He hesitated between a wish to see her in
a more comfortable position, and an unwillingness to disturb her.
Finally, he took an eider-down quilt from the bed, and wrapped it round
her; then slipped noiselessly from the room.

It was past eight o'clock.

* * * * *

Ephie ran down the stairs as if a spectre were at her heels, and even
when in the street, did not venture to slacken her speed. Although the
dusk was rapidly passing into dark, a good deal of notice was attracted
by the sight of a well-dressed young girl running along, holding a
handkerchief to her face, and every now and then emitting a loud sob.
People stood and stared after her, and some little boys ran with her.
Instead of dropping her pace when she saw this, Ephie grew confused,
and ran more quickly than before. She had turned at random, on coming
out of the house; and she was in a part of the town she did not know.
In her eagerness to get away from people, she took any turn that
offered; and after a time she found that she had crossed the river, and
was on what was almost a country road. A little further off, she knew,
lay the woods; if once she were in their shelter, she would be safe;
and, without stopping to consider that night was falling, she ran
towards them at full speed. On the first seat she came to she sank
breathless and exhausted.

Her first sensation was one of relief at being alone. She unpinned and
took off the big, heavy hat, and laid it on the seat beside her, in
order to be m