Page 178 - Fairbrass

g o d ' s h o u s e

permitted to say our last good-bye by his
grave-side/

That was all they said, but hand-in-
hand, as heart-to-heart, they stood there

silently for some time under the pale moon.
They did not know that they were

watched by another silent, grief-laden man
and woman, who, perceiving them, had

stepped into the shadow of one of the old

church buttresses. At last the lovers turned
to go, and were confronted by her father

and mother.
The father was the first to speak.

‘ If,’ he said in a broken voice to the
lover— ‘ if you are not too proud to forgive

me, yon need not say good-bye. Fairbrass
loved you, you are worthy of his sister;

for his sake forgive and forget the past,
and stay to make her life happy.1 Then,

turning to his wife ; ‘ You feel all this with

me ? *
‘ Oh yes,' she said. *1 am more than

thankful that you had the chance to
speak, and that you have spoken. Since