her hand to him. Through her tears his meagre face showed as a
seraph's who spoke the truth and forbade her to juggle with her
soul. "Dear Rickie--but for the rest of my life what am I to do?"

"Anything--if you remember that the greatest thing is over."

"I don't know you," she said tremulously. "You have grown up in a
moment. You never talked to us, and yet you understand it all.
Tell me again--I can only trust you--where he is."

"He is in heaven."

"You are sure?"

It puzzled her that Rickie, who could scarcely tell you the time
without a saving clause, should be so certain about immortality.



VI

He did not stop for the funeral. Mr. Pembroke thought that he had
a bad effect on Agnes, and prevented her from acquiescing in the
tragedy as rapidly as she might have done. As he expressed it,
"one must not court sorrow," and he hinted to the young man that
they desired to be alone.

Rickie went back to the Silts.

He was only there a few days. As soon as term opened he returned