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“Idon’tlosethings，“saidHewet。“Imislaythem。ThatwasthereasonwhyHirstrefusedtoshareacabinwithmeonthevoyageout。“
“Youcameouttogether？“Helenenquired。
“Iproposethateachmemberofthispartynowgivesashortbiographicalsketchofhimselforherself，“saidHirst，sittingupright。
“MissVinrace，youcomefirst；begin。“
Rachelstatedthatshewastwenty-fouryearsofage，thedaughterofaship-owner，thatshehadneverbeenproperlyeducated；
playedthepiano，hadnobrothersorsisters，andlivedatRichmondwithaunts，hermotherbeingdead。
“Next，“saidHirst，havingtakeninthesefacts；hepointedatHewet。
“IamthesonofanEnglishgentleman。Iamtwenty-seven，“
Hewetbegan。“Myfatherwasafox-huntingsquire。HediedwhenI
wasteninthehuntingfield。Icanrememberhisbodycominghome，onashutterIsuppose，justasIwasgoingdowntotea，andnoticingthattherewasjamfortea，andwonderingwhetherI
shouldbeallowed——“
“Yes；butkeeptothefacts，“Hirstputin。
“IwaseducatedatWinchesterandCambridge，whichIhadtoleaveafteratime。Ihavedoneagoodmanythingssince——“
“Profession？“
“None——atleast——“
“Tastes？“
“Literary。I’mwritinganovel。“
“Brothersandsisters？“
“Threesisters，nobrother，andamother。“
“Isthatallwe’retohearaboutyou？“saidHelen。Shestatedthatshewasveryold——fortylastOctober，andherfatherhadbeenasolicitorinthecitywhohadgonebankrupt，forwhichreasonshehadneverhadmucheducation——theylivedinoneplaceafteranother——
butanelderbrotherusedtolendherbooks。
“IfIweretotellyoueverything——“shestoppedandsmiled。
“Itwouldtaketoolong，“sheconcluded。“ImarriedwhenIwasthirty，andIhavetwochildren。Myhusbandisascholar。Andnow——
it’syourturn，“shenoddedatHirst。
“You’veleftoutagreatdeal，“hereprovedher。“MynameisSt。JohnAlaricHirst，“hebeganinajauntytoneofvoice。
“I’mtwenty-fouryearsold。I’mthesonoftheReverendSidneyHirst，vicarofGreatWappynginNorfolk。Oh，Igotscholarshipseverywhere——Westminster——King’s。I’mnowafellowofKing’s。Don’titsounddreary？Parentsbothalive(alas)。
Twobrothersandonesister。I’maverydistinguishedyoungman，“headded。
“Oneofthethree，orisitfive，mostdistinguishedmeninEngland，“
Hewetremarked。
“Quitecorrect，“saidHirst。
“That’sallveryinteresting，“saidHelenafterapause。
“Butofcoursewe’veleftouttheonlyquestionsthatmatter。
Forinstance，areweChristians？“
“Iamnot，““Iamnot，“boththeyoungmenreplied。
“Iam，“Rachelstated。
“YoubelieveinapersonalGod？“Hirstdemanded，turningroundandfixingherwithhiseyeglasses。
“Ibelieve——Ibelieve，“Rachelstammered，“Ibelievetherearethingswedon’tknowabout，andtheworldmightchangeinaminuteandanythingappear。“
AtthisHelenlaughedoutright。“Nonsense，“shesaid。“You’renotaChristian。You’veneverthoughtwhatyouare——Andtherearelotsofotherquestions，“shecontinued，“thoughperhapswecan’taskthemyet。“Althoughtheyhadtalkedsofreelytheywerealluncomfortablyconsciousthattheyreallyknewnothingabouteachother。
“Theimportantquestions，“Hewetpondered，“thereallyinterestingones。
Idoubtthatoneeverdoesaskthem。“
Rachel，whowasslowtoacceptthefactthatonlyaveryfewthingscanbesaidevenbypeoplewhoknoweachotherwell，insistedonknowingwhathemeant。
“Whetherwe’veeverbeeninlove？“sheenquired。“Isthatthekindofquestionyoumean？“
AgainHelenlaughedather，benignantlystrewingherwithhandfulsofthelongtasselledgrass，forshewassobraveandsofoolish。
“Oh，Rachel，“shecried。“It’slikehavingapuppyinthehousehavingyouwithone——apuppythatbringsone’sunderclothesdownintothehall。“
Butagainthesunnyearthinfrontofthemwascrossedbyfantasticwaveringfigures，theshadowsofmenand
