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“Whynot？Itisaswelltofacethings。Lookatallthesemonumentsaboutus，andinscriptions，alotofthemtoyoungpeople，thoughnowitdoesn’tmatteriftheywereoldoryoung。Gone，everyoneofthemandquiteforgotten，thoughsomeweregreatfolkintheirtime。Goneutterlyandforalways，nothingleft，exceptperhapsdescendantsinalabourer’scottagehereandtherewhoneverevenheardofthem。“
“Idon’tbelieveit，“hesaidalmostpassionately，Ibelievethattheyarelivingforeverandever，perhapsasyouandI，perhapselsewhere。“
“IwishIcould，“sheanswered，smiling，“forthenmydreammighthavebeentrue，andyoumighthavebeenthatknightwhosebrassislost，“
andshepointedtoanemptymatrixalongsidethatofthegreatPlantagenetlady。
GodfreyglancedattheinscriptionwhichwasleftwhentheCromwellianstoreupthebrass。
“Hewasherhusband，“hesaid，translating，“whodiedonthefieldofCrecyin1346。“
“Oh!“exclaimedIsobel，andwassilent。
MeanwhileGodfrey，quiteundisturbed，wasspellingouttheinscriptionbeneaththefigureoftheknight’swife，andremarkedpresently：
“Sheseemstohavediedayearbeforehim。Yes，justaftermarriage，themonkishLatinsays，and——whatisit？Oh!Isee，’/insanguine/，’
thatis，inblood，whateverthatmaymean。Perhapsshewasmurdered。I
say，Isobel，Iwishyouwouldcopysomeoneelse’sdressforyourparty。“
“Nonsense，“sheanswered。“Ithinkitsawfullyinteresting。Iwonderwhathappenedtoher。“
“Idon’tknow。Ican’trememberanythingintheoldhistory，anditwouldbealmostimpossibletofindout。Therearenocoatsofarms，andwhatismore，nosurnameisgivenineitherinscription。Theonesays，’PrayforthesoulofEdmundus，Knight，husbandofPhillippa，andtheother，’PrayforthesoulofPhillippa，Dame，wifeofEdmundus。’Itlooksasthoughthesurnameshadbeenleftoutonpurpose，perhapsbecauseofsomequeerstoryaboutthepairwhichtheirrelationswishedtobeforgotten。“
“ThenwhydotheysaythatonediedinbloodandtheotheronthefieldofCrecy？“
Godfreyshookhisheadbecausehedidnotknow。Norindeedwasheeverabletofindout。Thatsecretwaslosthundredsofyearsago。Thentheconversationdiedawayandtheygottotheirwork。
Atlengththerubbing，asitistermedtechnically，wasfinishedandthetwopreparedtodepartoutofthegloomofthegreatchurchwhichhadgatheredaboutthemastheeveningclosedin。Solitaryandsmalltheylookedinitsurroundedbyallthosemementoesofthedead，envelopedasitwereintheveryatmosphereofdeath。WhohasnotfeltthatatmospherestandingaloneatnightfallinoneofourancientEnglishchurchesthatembodyinbaptism，marriageandburialthehopes，thedesires，andthefearsofunnumberedgenerations？
Forremember，thatinamajorityofinstances，longbeforetheCrossroseabovethesesites，theyhadbeenthesacredplacesoffaithafterfaith。Sun-worshippers，Nature-worshippers，Druids，votariesofJoveandVenus，servantsofOdin，ThorandFriga，earlyChristianswhowerehalfonethingandhalfanother，allhaveherebowedtheirbrowstoearthinadorationofGodastheyunderstoodHim，andinthesehallowedspotsliesmingledthedustofeveryoneofthem。
SoGodfreyfeltinthathourandthesameinfluencesimpingeduponandaffectedeventhegirl’sbold，denyingsoul。Sheacknowledgedthemtoherself，andafterawoman’sway，turnedandalmostfiercelylaidtheblameuponhercompanion。
“Youhaveinfectedmewithyoursillysuperstitions，“shesaid，stampingherfootastheyshutandlockedthedoorofthechurch。“I
feelafraidofsomething，Idon’tknowwhat，andIwasneverafraidofanythingbefore。“
“Whatsuperstitions？“heasked，apologetically。“Idon’tremembermentioningany。“
“Thereisnoneedforyoutomentionthem，theyoozeoutofyou。AsthoughIcouldnotreadyourmind!There’snoneedforyoutotalktotellmewhatyouarethinkingof，death——andseparationswhichareasbad，andunknownthingstocome，andallsortsofhorrors。“
“That’sodd，“heremarked，stillwithoutemotion，forhewasusedtotheseattacksfromIsobelwhich，asheknew，whenshewasupset，alwaysmeantanythingbutwhatshesaid，“forasamatteroffactI
wasthinkingofaseparation。Iamgoingaway，Isobel，orrather，myfatherissendingmeaway。“
Heturned，andpointingtothestormywesternskywherethedaydiedinsplendour，addedsimplyinthepoeticimagerythatsooftenspringstothelipsofyouth：
“Theresetsoursun；atleastitisthelastweshalllookupontogetherforawholeyear。YougotoLondonto-morrow，don’tyou？
BeforeyoucomebackIshallbegone。“
“Gone!Why？Where？Oh!what’stheuseofasking？Iknewsomethingofthesortwascoming。Ifeltitinthathorribleoldchurch。Andafterall，whyshouldImind？Whatdoesitmatterifyougoawayforayearortenyears——exceptthatyouaretheonlyfriendIhave——especiallyasnodoubtyouaregladtogetoutofthisdreadfulhole？Don’tstandtherelookingatmelikeamoon-calf，whateverthatmaybe，buttellmewhatyoumean，orI’ll，I’ll——“andshestopped。
Thenhetoldher——well，notquiteeverything，forheomittedhisfather’sdisparagingremarksaboutherself。
Shelistenedinherintentfashion，andfilledinthegapswithoutdifficulty。
“Isee，“shesaid。“YourfatherthinksthatIamcorruptingyouaboutreligion，asthoughanybodycouldcorruptyouwhenyouhavegotanideaintoyourstupidhead；atleast，onthosesubjects。Oh!Ihatehim，worseeventhanIdomyown，worsethanyoudoyourself。“
Godfrey，thinkingaloud，begantoquotetheFourthCommandment。Shecuthimshort：
“Honourmyfather!“shesaid。“Whyshouldwehonourourfathersunlesstheyareworthyofhonour？Whathavewetothankthemfor？“
“Life，“suggestedGodfrey。
“Why？YoubelievethatlifecomesfromGod，andsodoIinaway。Ifso，whathasafathertodowithitwhoisjustafatherandnomore？
Withmothersperhapsitisdifferent，butyouseeIlovemymotherandhetreatsherlike——likeadog，orworse，“andhergreyeyesfilledwithtears。“However，itisyourfatherwearetalkingof，andthereisnocommandmenttellingmetohonour/him/。IsayIhatehimandhehatesme，andthat’swhyheissendingyouaway。Well，Ihopeyouwon’tfindanyonetocontaminateyouinSwitzerland。“
“Oh!Isobel，Isobel，“hebrokeout，“don’tbesobitter，especiallyasitisofnouse。Besidesafterallyouhavegoteverythingthatagirlcanhave——moneyandpositionandlooks——“
“Looks!“sheexclaimed，seizingonthelastword，“whenyouknowIamasuglyasatoad。“
Hestaredather。
“Idon’tknowit；Ithinkyoubeautiful。“
“Waittillyouseesomeoneelseandyouwillchangeyourmind，“shesnapped，flushing。
“Andyouaregoingtocomeout，“hewentonhastily。
“Yes，atafancyballinthisPlantagenetlady’sdress，butIalmostwishIwas——togooutinstead——likeher。“
“AndIdaresayyouwillsoonbemarried，“heblurted，losinghisheadforshebewilderedhim。
“Married!Oh!youidiot。Doyouknowwhatmarriagemeans——toawoman？
Married!Icanbearnomoreofthis。Goodbye，“andturningshewalked，orratherranintothedarkness，leavinghimamazedandalone。
ThiswasthelasttimethatGodfreyspokewithIsobelforalongwhile。Nextmorninghereceivedanoteaddressedinherclearandpeculiarwriting，whichfromtheangularformationofthelettersandtheirregularity，atadistancelookednotunlikeasheetoffigures。
Itwasshortandran：——
DearOldGodfrey，——Don’tbevexedwithmebecauseIwassocrossthisevening。Somethinginthatoldchurchupsetme，andyouknowIhaveadreadfultemper。Ididn’tmeananythingIsaid。Idaresayitisagoodthingyoushouldgoawayandseetheworldinsteadofstickinginthishorridplace。LeaveyouraddresswithMotherParsons，andIwillwritetoyou；butmindyouanswermylettersorIshan’twriteanymore。Good-bye，oldboy。
YouraffectionateIsobel。
Whoisalwaysthinkingofyou。
P。S——I’llgetthistotheAbbeywithyourmilk。Can’tleaveitmyself，aswearestartingfortownathalf-pastsevento-morrowmorningtocatchtheearlytrain。
