the rub of wings, birds' songs,
and the callings of beasts everywhere beneath the sky.

In spite of suffering because love was not the first emotion in his
heart, the girl could only feel he was right not to be loving her; that
she ought to be glad of what was eating up all else within him. It was
ungenerous, unworthy, to want to be loved at such a moment. Yet she
could not help it! This was her first experience of the eternal tug
between self and the loved one pulled in the hearts of lovers. Would
she ever come to feel happy when he was just doing what he thought
was right? And she drew a little away from him; then perceived that
unwittingly she had done the right thing, for he at once tried to take
her hand again. And this was her first lesson, too, in the nature of
man. If she did not give her hand, he wanted it! But she was not one of
those who calculate in love; so she gave him her hand at once. That
went to his heart; and he put his arm round her, till he could feel the
emotion under those stays that would not be drawn any closer. In this
nest beneath the ash-tree they sat till they heard the organ wheeze and
the furious sound of the last hymn, and saw the brisk coming-forth with
its air of, 'Thank God! And now, to eat!' till at last there was no
stir again about the little church--no stir at all save that of nature's
ceaseless thanksgiving....

Tod, his brown face still rueful, had followed those two out into the
air, and Sheila had gone quickly after him. Thus left alone with his
sister-in-law, Felix said gravely:

"If you don't want the boy to get into real trouble, do all you can to
show him that the last way in the world to help these poor fellows is
to let them fall foul of the law. It's madness to light flames you can't
put out. What happened this morning? Did the man resist?"

Her face still showed how bitter had been her mortification, and he was
astonished that she kept her voice so level and emotionless.

"No. He went with them quite quietly. The back door was open; he could
have walked out. I did not advise him to. I'm glad no one saw his face
except myself. You see," she added, "he's devoted to Derek, and Derek
knows it; that's why he feels it so, and will feel it more and more. The
boy has a great sense of honour, Felix."

Under that tranquillity Felix caught the pain and yearning in her voice.
Yes! This woman really felt and saw. She was not one of those who make
disturbance with their brains