atching from the upper window, saw them drive away together,
never had they seemed better friends. The cloud had passed completely
away, and so too had all Helen's plans; yet she did not know it.

CHAPTER XLVII

"AS WE FORGIVE--"

Slotman opened dazed eyes and looked up into a face that might well have
been the face of an angel, so soft, so pitying, so tender was its
expression.

"Joan!" he whispered.

She nodded and smiled.

"But," he said--"but--" and hesitated. "Joan, I went to Buddesby to
see--"

"I know."

"And yet you come here?"

"Of course. Hush! you must not talk. You are going to get well and
strong again. The Matron says I am allowed to come sometimes and see
you, and sit beside you, but you must not talk yet. Later on we are
going to talk about the future."

He lay staring at her. He could not understand. How could such a mind as
his understand the workings of such a mind as hers? But she was here,
she knew and she forgave, and there was comfort in her presence.

God knew he had suffered. God knew it.

"When you are better, stronger, you and I are going to talk, not till
then; but I want to tell you this now. I want to help you, all the past
is past. I knew about that night, about your visit. It does not matter;
it is all gone by. It is only the future that matters, and in the future
you may find that I will give and help willingly what I would not have
given under compulsion. Now, hush for the Matron is coming." She smiled
down at him.

"I don't understand," Slotman said; "I'll try and understand." He
turned his face away, realising a sense of shame such as he had never
felt before.

He had been her enemy, and yet perhaps in his way, a bad and vile way,
selfish and dishonourable, he had loved her; but as she had said, all
that was of the past. Now she sat beside the man, broken in limb and in
fortune, a wreck of what he had been; and for him her only feeling was
of pity, and already in her mind she was forming plans for his future.
For she had said truly she could give of her own free will and in
charity and sympathy that which could never be forced from her.

Connie looked at her brother curiously.

* * * * *

"I saw you just now. You drove past the gate with Joan. You took her to
Langbourne, didn't you?"

"To the hospital. She went to see that fellow, Con."

"He told you something about Joan last night, Johnny?"

"He lied about the truest,