He sickened a little at the thought; some dread fell upon him like a
shadow of Fate's uplifted and pointed finger, stopping his breath and
causing his knees to loosen. In a moment it was gone, to be replaced
by another that was nearer and more natural. He was to be sent away
for a year, and this meant that he would not see Isobel for a year. It
would be a very long year in which he did not see Isobel. He had
forgotten that when his father told him that he was to go to
Switzerland. Now the fact was painfully present.

He came on up the long nave and Isobel, awakening, saw him.

"You are late," she said in a softer voice than was usual to her.
"Well, I don't mind, for I have been dreaming. I think I went to sleep
upon my feet. I dreamed," she added, pointing to the brass, "that I
was that lady and--oh! all sorts of things. Well, she had her day no
doubt, and I mean to have mine before I am as dead and forgotten as
she is. Only I would like to be buried here. I'll be cremated and have
my ashes put under that stone; they won't hurt her."

"Don't talk like that," he said with a little shiver, for her words
jarred upon him.

"Why not? It is as well to face things. Look at all these monuments
about us, and inscriptions, a lot of them to young people, though now
it doesn't matter if they were old or young. Gone, every one of them
and quite forgotten, though some were great folk in their time. Gone
utterly and for always, nothing left, except perhaps descendants in a
labourer's cottage here and there who never even heard of them."