ame down to meet
him.

'It _is_ Dolly, then!' she cried as she saw Mark's face. 'Oh, let us
go back at once, Mark, let us go back!'

'It's not from home,' said Mark: 'it's private; go up again, Mabel, I
will come to you presently.'

Mabel turned without a word, wounded that he should have troubles
which she might not share with him.

When Mark read the telegram he could scarcely believe his eyes at
first. Could it really be that the miracle had happened? For the words
ran, '_H. of his own accord decided to leave England without further
delay. Started yesterday._' That could only mean one thing after what
Caffyn had said when they met last. Vincent had gone with Gilroy. In
India he would be comparatively harmless; it would be even possible
now to carry out some scheme by which the book could be restored
without scandal. At last the danger was past! He crumpled up the
telegram and threw it away, and then sprang up to rejoin Mabel, whose
fears vanished as she met his radiant look. 'I hope I didn't frighten
you, darling,' he said. 'It was a business telegram, about which I
was getting anxious. I was really afraid to read it for a time; but
it's all right, it's good news, Mabel. You don't know what a relief it
is to me! And now what shall we do? I feel as if I couldn't stay up
here any longer. Shall we go and explore the surrounding country? It
won't tire you?'

Mabel was ready to agree to anything in her delight at seeing Mark his
old self again, and they went up the narrow street of Klein Laufingen,
and through the gatehouse out upon the long white tree-bordered main
road, from which they struck into a narrow path which led through the
woods to the villages scattered here and there on the distant green
slopes.

Mark felt an exquisite happiness as they walked on; the black veil
which clouded the landscape was rent. Nature had abandoned her irony.
As he walked through the pine-woods and saw the solemn cathedral
dimness suddenly chased away as the sunbeams stole down the stately
aisles, dappling the red trunks with golden patches and lighting the
brilliant emeralds of the moss below, he almost felt it as intended in
delicate allusion to the dissipation of his own gloom. Mabel was by
his side, and he need tremble no longer at the thought of resigning
the sweet companionship, he could listen while she confided her plans
and hopes for the future, with no inward foreboding that a day would
scatter them to the winds! His