‘Greek is more than I can undertake, Mr. Athel,’ she said in a quietly decided tone.  ‘I must be content with translations.’

’Translations You would not say that so calmly if you knew what you were renouncing.  Everything, everything in literature, I would give up to save my Greek.  You will learn it, I know you will; some day I shall hear you read the hexameters as beautifully as you read English poetry to the girls.  Will you not begin if I beg you to?’

The elbow on which he rested moved a few inches nearer to her.  He saw the pearly shadows waver upon her throat, and her lips tremble into rigidity.

‘My time in the holidays will be very limited,’ she said.  ’I have undertaken to give some help to a friend who is preparing to become a teacher, and’—­she tried to smile—­’I don’t think I must do more work whilst at home than is really necessary.’

‘No, that is true,’ Wilfrid assented unwillingly.  ’Never mind, there is plenty of time.  Greek will be overcome, you will see.  When we are all back in town and the days are dull, then I shall succeed in persuading you.’

She looked about her as if with thought of quitting her place.  Her companion was drawn into himself; he stroked mechanically with his finger-tips the fronds of bracken near him.

‘I suppose I shall go up again in October,’ he began.  ’I wish there were no necessity for it.’

‘But surely it is your one desire?’ the other replied in genuine surprise.

’Not to return to Oxford.  A few months ago it would have been, but this crisis in my life has changed me.  I don’t think I shall adapt myself again to those conditions.  I want to work in a freer way.  I had a positive zeal even for examinations; now that seems tame—­well, boyish.  I believe I have outgrown that stage; I feel a reluctance to go back to school.  I suppose I must take my degree, and so on, but it will all be against the grain.’

’Your feeling will most likely alter when you have thoroughly recovered your health.’

’No, I don’t think it will.  Practically my health is all right.  You don’t,’ he added with a smile, ’regard me as an irresponsible person, whose feeble remarks are to be received with kind allowance?’

‘No, I did not mean that.’

He gazed at her, and his face showed a growing trouble.

’You do not take too seriously what I said just now about the weakness of my mind?  It would be horrible if you thought I had worked myself into a state of amiable imbecility, and was incapable henceforth of acting, thinking, or speaking with a sound intellect.  Tell me, say in plain words that is not your way of interpreting me.’

He had become very much in earnest.  Raising himself to a position in which he rested on one hand, lie looked straight into her face.

‘Why don’t you reply?  Why don’t you speak?’

’Because, Mr. Athel, it is surely needless to say that I have no such thought.’