should reach that
place of peace beyond, as he had done before, and find Rachel waiting
for him, her arms round him again.

"It is the only way," he said, over and over again, "the only way."

He reached the wood. The moon was up now, and smote white and sharp down
the long winding aisle of the cathedral, which God builds Him in every
forest glade, where the hoar-frost and the snow held now their solemn
service of praise.

Hugh saw the little light of the keeper's cottage, and instinctively
edged his way to the left. He was pressed for time. A wheel was turning
in his head, so quickly, so quickly in this great heat that, unless he
were quicker than it, it would out-distance him altogether.

At last he saw the water, and ran down swiftly towards it. The white
tree-trunks were in league against him, and waylaid him, striking him
violently. But he struck back, and got through them. They fell behind at
last. His shadow was beside him now, short and nimble. He looked round
once or twice to make sure it was still with him.

He reached the water's edge and then stopped short, aghast. Where was
the water gone? It had deceived him and deserted him, like everything
else. It was all hard as iron, one great white sheet of ice stretching
away in front of him. He had thought of the little lake as he had last
seen it, cool and deep, and with the shadows of the summer trees in it.
It was all changed and gone. There was no help here. The way of escape
was closed. With a hoarse cry he set off, running across the ice in the
direction of the place where he had been nearly drowned before.

It was here, opposite that clump of silver birch. The ice was a
different color here. It tilted and creaked suddenly beneath his feet.
He flung himself down upon it and struck it wildly with his fist. "Let
me through," he stammered. But the ice resisted him. It made an ominous
dry crackling, as if in mockery. It barely resisted him, but it did
resist him. And he had no time, no time. He scrambled to his feet again,
and it gave way instantly. The other self pounced suddenly upon him and
came through with him, and they struggled furiously together in deep
water.

"I must, I must," gasped Hugh, between his clinched teeth.

"You shall not," said the other self, mad with terror. "Hold on to the
ice."

Hugh saw his bleeding hands holding tightly to the jagged edge. It
broke. He clutched another piece. It broke again. The current was
sucking him slow