"Last winter, believing that she cared for you, I did an
extraordinary thing--in fact I intimated to her that it was
agreeable for me to believe you cared for each other. And she
told me very sweetly that I was in error.

"So I'm not going to place Constance Palliser in such a position
again. If there's any chance of her caring for you you ought to
know it and act accordingly. Personally I think there is and that
you should take that chance and take it now. But for goodness'
sake don't act on my advice. I'm a perfect fool to meddle this
way; besides I'm having troubles of my own which you know nothing
about.

"O Garry, dear, if you'll come down I may perhaps have something
very, very foolish to tell you.

"Truly there is no idiot like an old one, but--I'm close, I
think, to being happier than I ever was in all my life. God help
us both, my dear, dear boy.

"Your faithful
"CONSTANCE."

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXIX

CALYPSO'S GIFT

Two days later as his pretty aunt stood in her chamber shaking out the
chestnut masses of her hair before her mirror, an impatient rapping at
the living-room door sent her maid flying.

"That's Garry," said Constance calmly, belting in her chamber-robe of
silk and twisting up her hair into one heavy lustrous knot.

A moment later they had exchanged salutes and, holding both his hands in
hers, she stood looking at him, golden brown eyes very tender, cheeks
becomingly pink.

"That miserable train is early; it happens once in a century. I meant to
meet you, dear."

"Wayward met me at the station," he said.

There was a silence; under his curious and significant gaze she flushed,
then laughed.

"Wayward said that you had something to tell me," he added....
"Constance, is it--"

"Yes."

"You darling!" he whispered, taking her into his arms. And she laid her
face on his shoulder, crying a little, laughing a little.

"After all these years, Garry--all these years! It is a long time to--to
care for a man--a long, long time.... But there never was any other--not
even through that dreadful period--"

"I know."

"Yes, you know.... I have cared for him since I was a little girl."

They stood a while talking tenderly, intimately of her new happiness and
of the new man, Wayward.

Both knew that he must bear his scars for ever, that youth had died in