.

.

"Stand up to it, little old pal!" She bit back the sob that climbed to her throat, and stood silently facing the enemy, as it were.
This was the end, then, of one chapter of her existence--the chapter of sheltered, happy life at Barrow, and in these quiet moments, alone for the last time with Patrick Lovell, Sara tried to gather strength and courage from her memories of his cheery optimism to face gamely whatever might befall her in the big world into which she must so soon adventure..