The valley lay before them with its scattered lights, and they pressed on through the twilight--two dim and spectral figures--spirits it seemed, who had been on the heights sharing ambrosial feasts with the Immortals, and had but just descended to the common earth again.
* * * * * Nelly spent the next three days, outside their walks and boatings on the lake, in whatever wifely offices to her man still remained to her--marking his new socks and khaki shirts, furnishing a small medicine chest, and packing a tin of special delicacies, meat lozenges, chocolate, various much advertised food tabloids, and his favourite biscuits.

Sarratt laughed over them, but had not the heart to dissuade her.

She grew paler every day, but was always gay and smiling so long as his eyes were on her; and his sound young sleep knew nothing of her quiet stifled weeping at those moments of the night, when the bodily and nervous forces are at their lowest, and all the future blackens.

Miss Martin paid them several visits, bringing them books and flowers.

Books and flowers too arrived from Carton--with a lavish supply of cigarettes for the departing soldier.