out across th' pa-assage. And the two o' them they've met by
now. Are ye any nearer, Master Costrell?"

For a moment no idea fructified. Then astonishment caught and held him.
"Not unless," he exclaimed, "not unless you are meaning that this old
la-ady is Widow Thrale's mother!"

"You've gotten hold of it now, Master Costrell."

"But 'tis impossible--'tis _impossible_! If she were she would be my
wife's grandmother!--her grandmother that died in Australia.... Well,
Keziah Solmes, ye may nod and look wise--but ..."

"But that is th' vairy thing she is, safe and sure, John Costrell. I
told ye--Australia. Australia be the Colonies."

John gave the longest whistle a single breath would support. Why he was
ready to accept the relation of old Phoebe and Maisie, and revolt
against his wife's inevitable granddaughtership, Heaven only knows! "But
I'm not to say a word of it to the mistress," said he, meaning his wife.

"The Gra-anny said so, and she'll be right.... Was that her voice?..." A
sound had come from the cottage. Keziah might be wanted. She wished the
farmer good-night; and he drove off, no longer mystified, but
dumfoundered with what had removed his mystification.

* * * * *

Old Phoebe had passed on into the house. She was satisfied that her
message would account quite reasonably for the vacant seat in the
returning cart. Besides, medical sanction--Dr. Nash's--had been given
for her absence.

Now that the moment was close, a great terror came upon her, and she
trembled. She knew that Ruth, her daughter for so long, was beyond that
closed door across the passage, with ... With whom? With what?

Who can say except he be a twin that has lost a twin, what more of
soul-stress had to be borne by these two than would have been his lot,
or ours, in their place? And the severance of Death itself could not
have been more complete than theirs for forty-odd years past; nor the
reunion beyond the grave, that Gwen had likened theirs to, be stranger.
Indeed, one is tempted to imagine that inconceivable palliations may
attend conditions of which our ignorance can form no image. On this side
one only knows that such a meeting is all the sadder for the shadow of
Decay.

She could hardly believe herself the same as when, so few days since,
she quitted this old room, that still remained unchanged; so intensely
the same as when she, and her memories in it were left alone with a Past
that seemed