The Choir Invisible

It was some time before either spoke. Then her voice was very quiet.

"You found out your mistake in time; suppose it had been too late? But this

is all so sad; we will never speak of it again. Only you ought to feel that

from this time you can go on with the plans of your life uninterrupted.

Begin with all this as small defeat that means a larger victory! There is no

entanglement now, not a drawback; what a future! It does look as though you

might now have everything that you set your heart on."

She glanced up at him with a mournful smile, and taking the knitting which

had lain forgotten in her lap leaned over again and measured the stitches

upon his wrist.

"When do you start?" she asked, seeing a terrible trouble gathering in his

face and resolved to draw his thoughts to other things.

"Next week."

The knitting fell again.

"And you have allowed all this time to go by without coming to see us! You

are to come everyday till you go: promise!"

He had been repeating that he would not trust himself to come at all again,

except to say good-bye.

"I can't promise that."

"But we want you so much! The major wants you, I want you more than the

major. Why should meeting Amy be so hard? Remember how long it will be

before you get back. When will you be back?"

He was thinking it were better never.

"It is uncertain," he said.

"I shall begin to look for you as soon as you are gone. I can hear your

horse's feet now, rustling in the leaves of October. But what will become of

me till then? Ah, you don't begin to realize how much you are to me!"

"Oh!"

He stretched his arms out into vacancy and folded them again quickly.

"I'd better go."

He stood up and walked several paces into the garden, where he feigned to be

looking at the work she had left. Was he to break down now? Was the strength

which he had relied on in so many temptations to fail him now, when his need

was sorest?

In a few minutes he wheeled round to the bench and stopped full before her,

no longer avoiding her eyes. She had taken up the book which he had laid on

his end of the seat and was turning the pages.

"Have you read it?"

"Over and over."

"Ah! I knew I could trust you! You never disappoint. Sit down a little

while."