not be any answer....

The boy went off, looking back at them now and then, over his shoulder.

"Shall I open it, Mary!" Henry said.

"Do you think?..." She did not complete her sentence for she was afraid
to utter the thought that was in her mind.

"If it should be bad news," Henry said, "we'd ... we'd better prepare
her for it!"

They stood there, holding the telegram still unopened, as if they could
not make a decision....

"Open it, Quinny!" Mary said at last, and he opened the buff envelope
and took out the form.

_The Secretary for War regretted!..._

He looked up from the telegram, and saw that Mary was standing in a
strained attitude, waiting for him to speak.

"Is it ... is it _that_?" she said, almost in a whisper.

He bowed his head. "Yes," he said.

She did not speak. She stood quite still, looking at him as if she were
trying to find something, but did not know where to look for it. He
moved nearer to her, and took hold of her hand and drew her close to
him, and she lay quietly in his arms.... There was a bird singing very
clearly over their heads, and suddenly, while they stood there, silently
consoling each other, two wood pigeons flew out of the highest tree,
making a great beating of wings as they flew off across the fields.
There was a robin in the hedge, turning its head this way and that, and
regarding them with curiosity....

She stirred, and then withdrew herself from his arms.

"We must go home," she said, "and tell mother!"

3

Mrs. Graham was in the garden, and she came to the gate as she saw them
approaching, waving her hand and smiling at them.

"Will you tell her, Quinny," Mary said, and she slackened her pace
slightly and dropped behind him.

He turned to look for her. "Come with me," he said. "I can't tell her
... alone!"

There was a chilly fear over both of them. They felt that this blow
would strike her down, that she would not survive it. Ninian was the
beginning and the end of her life. If Ninian were gone, everything was
gone. This house, the farm, the fields were without purpose if Ninian
were not there to own them.... They went slowly forward, and as they
approached they saw her smile vanish, and a puzzled look come in its
place. She had waved her hand and smiled at them, but they had not waved
back to her, they had not answered her smile ... and then she saw the
telegram in Henry's hand. She made a quick movement, opening the gate
and coming rapidly to th