h it was nothing but a useless, broken ring.

So much did this seem to her to be so, that notwithstanding her lack of
faith in matters beyond proof and knowledge, she never conceived of
this passion of hers as having had a beginning, or of being capable of
an end. This contradictory woman would argue against the possibility of
any future existence, yet she was quite certain that her love for
Godfrey _had_ a future existence, and indeed one that was endless. When
at length he put it to her that her attitude was most illogical, since
that which was dead and dissolved could not exist in any place or
shape, she thought for a while and replied quietly:

"Then I must be wrong."

"Wrong in what?" asked Godfrey.

"In supposing that we do not live after death. The continuance of our
love I _know_ to be beyond any doubt, and if it involves our
continuance as individual entities--well, then we continue, that is
all."

"We might continue as a single entity," he suggested.

"Perhaps," she answered, "and if so this would be better still, for it
must be impossible to lose one another while that remained alive,
comprising both."

Thus, and in these few words, although she never became altogether
orthodox, or took quite the same view of such mysteries as did Godfrey,
Isobel made her great recantation, for which probably there would never
have been any need had she been born in different surroundings and
found some other spiritual guide in youth than Mr. Knight. As the
cruelties and the narrow bitterness of the world had bred unfaith in
her, so did supreme love breed faith, if of an unusual sort, since she
learned that without the faith her love must die, and the love she knew
to be immortal. Therefore the existence of that living love presupposed
all the rest, and convinced her, which in one of her obstinate nature
nothing else could possibly have done, no, not if she had seen a
miracle. Also this love of hers was so profound and beautiful that she
felt its true origin and ultimate home must be elsewhere than on the
earth.

That was why she consented to be married in church, somewhat to
Godfrey's surprise.

In due course, having practically recovered his health, Godfrey
appeared before a Board in London which passed him as fit for service,
but gave him a month's leave. With this document he returned to Hawk's
Hall, and there showed it to Isobel.

"And when the month is up?" she asked, looking at him.

"Then I suppose