d his heart. Here he was, a man
who knew his own worth, his faithfulness, his unchangeableness, cast
over the wall of the universe, into the waste places, among the broken
shards of ruin! If there was a God--and the rage in his heart declared
his being--why did he make him? To make him for such a misery was pure
injustice, was willful cruelty! Henceforward he would live above what
God or woman could do to him! He rose and went to the hay-field, whence
he did not return till after midnight.

He did not sleep, but he came to a resolution. In the morning he told
his mother that he wanted a change; now that the hay was safe, he would
have a run, he hardly knew where--possibly on the Continent; she must
not be uneasy if she did not hear from him for a week or two; perhaps
he would have a look at the pyramids. The old lady was filled with
dismay; but scarcely had she begun to expostulate when she saw in his
eyes that something was seriously amiss, and held her peace--she had
had to learn that with both father and son. Godfrey went, and courted
distraction. Ten years before, he would have brooded: that he would not
do now: the thing was not worth it! His pride was strong as ever, and
both helped him to get over his suffering, and prevented him from
gaining the good of it. He intrenched himself in his pride. No one
should say he had not had his will! He was a strong man, and was going
to prove it to himself afresh!

Thus thought Godfrey; but he is in reality a weak man who must have
recourse to pride to carry him through. Only, if a man has not love
enough to make a hero of him, what is he to do?

He was away a month, and came back in seeming health and spirits. But
it was no small relief to him to find on his arrival that Letty was no
longer at Thornwick.

She had gone through a sore time. To have made Godfrey unhappy, made
her miserable; but how was she to help it? She belonged to Tom! Not
once did she entertain the thought of ceasing to be Tom's. She did not
even say to herself, what would Tom do if she forgot and forsook
him--and for what he could not help! for having left her because death
took him away! But what was she to do? She must not remain where she
was. No more must she tell his mother why she went.

She wrote to Mary, and told her she could not stay much longer. They
were very kind, she said, but she must be gone before Godfrey came back.

Mary suspected the truth. The fact that Letty did not give her any