What was it?
Was there something else; something that she did not know and he did?
Why was he so kind and forbearing and patient?
All her old doubts and questionings returned.

She had resolutely kept them from her thoughts, but they had been there, in the background, always.

When, after the long siege, she had at last yielded and said yes to Malcolm, she felt that that question, at least, was settled.

She would marry him.

He was one whom she had known all her life, the son of the dearest friend she had; he and his mother had been faithful at the time when she needed friends.