They are leaving the church now, the bridegroom and his bride, arm in arm, but they turn from the path to the wicket, and Harold will not let even Matilda follow them.  Just by the south wall of the church there are three graves, one a very long one, one quite short, one of middle length.  The large one has a head-stone, with the names of Charles King, aged forty years, and Charles King, aged seven years.  The middle-sized one has a stone cross, and below it ’Alfred King, aged sixteen years,’ and the words, ’In all their afflictions He was afflicted.’

It was Matilda who paid the cost of that stone, Miss Selby who drew the pattern of it, and ‘Mother’ who chose the words, as what Alfred himself loved best.  At the bottom of Ellen’s best work-box is a copy of verses about that very cross.  She thinks they ought to have been carved out upon it, but Paul knows a great deal better, so all she could do was to write them out on a sheet of note-paper with a wide lace border, and keep them as her greatest treasure.  Perhaps she prizes them even more than the handsome watch that Mr. Shaw gave Paul, though less, of course, than the great Bible and Prayer-book, in which Mr. Cope has waited till this morning to write the names of Paul and Ellen Blackthorn.

So they stand beside the cross, and read the words, and they neither of them can say anything, though the white sweet face is before the eyes of their mind at the same time, and Ellen thinks she loves Paul twice as much for having been one of his great comforts.

‘Good-bye, Alfred dear,’ she whispers at last.

‘No, not good-bye,’ says Paul.  ’He is as much with us as ever, wherever we are.  Remember how we were together, Ellen.  I have always thought of him at every Holy Communion since, and have felt that if till now, no one living—­at least one at rest, were mine by right.’

Ellen pressed his arm.

‘Yes,’ said Paul; ’the months I spent with Alfred were the great help and blessing of my life.  I don’t believe any recollection has so assisted to guard me in all the frets and temptations there are in a life like mine.’