Her breath fluttered a little, but she went on resolutely.  ’But I must say it—­I must tell you what I feel.  It seems the right opportunity.  So often, Aubrey, I don’t seem to understand you!  I say the wrong thing.  I’m not clever.  I haven’t any deep thoughts—­like you or Arthur.  It would be terrible if you married me, and then—­I felt you were disappointed.’

He moved a little away from her and, propping his chin on his hands, looked gravely through the thinning branches of the wood.

‘I wonder why you say that—­I wonder what I’ve done!’

‘Oh, you’ve done nothing!’ cried Beryl.  ’It’s only I feel—­sometimes—­that—­that you don’t let me know things—­share things.  You seem sometimes so sad—­and I can’t be any help—­you won’t let me!  That’s what I mind so much—­so dreadfully!’

He was silent a moment.  Then without any attempt at caresses, he said, ’I wonder, Beryl, whether you—­whether you—­ever realize—­what we soldiers have seen?  No!—­thank God!—­you don’t—­you can’t.’

She pressed her hands to her eyes, and shuddered.

‘No, of course I can’t—­of course I can’t!’ she said passionately.

Then, while her eyes were still hidden, there passed through his worn features a sharp spasm, as of some uncontrollable anguish—­passed and was gone.

He turned towards her, and she looked up.  If ever love, all-giving, self-forgetting, was written on a girl’s face, it was written on Beryl’s then.  Her wild-rose colour came and went; her eyes were full of tears.  She had honestly made her attempt, but she could not carry it through, and he saw it.  Some vague hope—­of which he was ashamed—­died away.  Profoundly touched, he put out his arms, and making nothing of her slight resistance, gathered her close to him.

‘Did you ever read Sintram, Beryl?’

‘Yes, years ago.’

’Do you remember his black fits—­how they came upon him unexpectedly—­and only Verena could help him?  It’s like that with me sometimes.  Things I’ve seen—­horrible sufferings and death—­come back on me.  I can’t get over it—­at least not yet.  But I’ll never let it come really between us.  And perhaps—­some day’—­he hesitated and his voice dropped—­’you shall help me—­like Verena!’

She clung to him, not knowing what he meant, but fascinated by his deep voice, and the warm shelter of his arms.  He bent down to kiss her, in the most passionate embrace he had ever given her.

Then he released her, and they both looked at each other with a new shyness.

‘So that’s all right!’ he said, smiling.  ’You see you can’t drop me as easily as you think.  I stick!  Well, now, you take me as a pauper—­not exactly a pauper—­but still—­I’ve got to settle things with your father, though!’

Beryl proposed that they should go and look for the others.

They went hand in hand.

* * * * *