does not mean that necessarily we shall marry each
other, for I think that people who love like that rarely do marry,
because, you see, they would be too happy, which something is always
trying to prevent. It may mean, however," she added reflectively, "that
we shall not marry anybody else, though even that might happen in your
case--not in mine. Always remember, Godfrey, that I shall never marry
anybody else, not even if you took three wives one after the other."

"Three wives!" gasped Godfrey.

"Yes, why not? It would be quite natural, wouldn't it, if you wouldn't
marry me, and even proper. Only I should never take one--husband, I
mean--not from any particular virtue, but just because I couldn't. You
see, it would make me ill. And if I tried I should only run away."

"Oh! stop talking nonsense," said Godfrey, "when so soon you will have
to go to see about those people," and he held out his arms.

She sank into them, and for a little while they forgot their doubts and
fears.

The rain had ceased, and the triumphant sun shining gloriously through
the west window of stained glass, poured its rays upon them, dyeing
them all the colours of an angel's wings. Also incidentally it made
them extremely conspicuous in that dusky church, of which they had all
this while forgotten to shut the door.

"My word!" said Sir John to Mr. Knight in tones of savage sarcasm as
they surveyed the two through this door. "We've got here just at the
right time. Don't they look pretty, and don't you wish that you were
his age and that was someone else's daughter? I tell you, I do."

Mr. Knight gurgled something in his inarticulate wrath, for at that
moment he hated Isobel's father as much as he did Isobel, which was
saying a great deal.

"Well, my pretty pair of cooing turtle-doves," went on Sir John in a
sort of shout, addressing himself to them, "be so good as to stop that,
or I think I shall wring both your necks, damn you."

"Not in this Holy House, which these infamous and shameless persons
have desecrated with their profane embraces," interrupted Mr. Knight.

"Yes, according to your ideas it will be almost a case of
re-consecration. You'll have to write to the bishop about it, Mr.
Parson. Oh! confound you. Don't stand there like a couple of stuck
pigs, but come out of that and let us have a little chat in the
churchyard."

Now, at the first words that reached their ears Godfrey and Isobel had
drawn back from each other and