love thee," I said. "The song is old, but it is sweet.
See! I wear thy color, my lady."

The hand that had touched the ribbon upon my arm stole upwards to my
lips. "An old song, but a sweet one," she said. "I love thee. I will
always love thee. My head may lie upon thy breast, but my heart lies at
thy feet."

There was joy in the haunted wood, deep peace, quiet thankfulness, a
springtime of the heart,--not riotous like the May, but fair and grave
and tender like the young world in the sunshine without the pines. Our
lips met again, and then, with my arm around her, we moved to the giant
pine beneath which stood the minister. He turned at our approach, and
looked at us with a quiet and tender smile, though the water stood
in his eyes. "'Heaviness may endure for a night,'" he said, "'but joy
cometh in the morning.' I thank God for you both."

"Last summer, in the green meadow, we knelt before you while you blessed
us, Jeremy," I answered. "Bless us now again, true friend and man of
God."

He laid his hands upon our bowed heads and blessed us, and then we three
moved through the dismal wood and beside the sluggish stream down to
the great bright river. Ere we reached it the pines had fallen away, the
haunted wood was behind us, our steps were set through a fairy world of
greening bough and springing bloom. The blue sky laughed above, the late
sunshine barred our path with gold. When we came to the river it lay in
silver at our feet, making low music amongst its reeds.

I had bethought me of the boat which I had fastened that morning to the
sycamore between us and the town, and now we moved along the river bank
until we should come to the tree. Though we walked through an enemy's
country we saw no foe. Stillness and peace encompassed us; it was like a
beautiful dream from which one fears no wakening.

As we went, I told them, speaking low, for we knew not if we were yet
in safety, of the slaughter that had been made and of Diccon. My wife
shuddered and wept, and the minister drew long breaths while his hands
opened and closed. And then, when she asked me, I told of how I had been
trapped to the ruined hut that night and of all that had followed.
When I had done she turned within my arm and clung to me with her face
hidden. I kissed her and comforted her, and presently we came to the
sycamore tree reaching out over the clear water, and to the boat that I
had fastened there.

The sunset was nigh at hand, and all the