Love Eternal

onversation, Godfrey found himself standing

five miles away by the road. I think you had better come to my house an

ire, with a very large hooked nose and wearing a pa

seen a leetle, leetle Engleesh boy, who should arrive out of this train? I look everywhere and I cannot find him, and the conducteur, he says

method of address, that Miss Ogilvy, who had a sense of humour, wa

rey, who stood gazing at his future instructor open-mouthed. Whoever he had met in his visions, the

at Godfrey, studying

and want many things. Well, he will be bon compagnon for Juliette, and Madame too, she like the big bett

which he had left in the carriage. Then she explained that she had become friendly with this young gentlem

fine house. I have heard of her. Mais voyons! Mademoiselle is not Ca

olic," (though, perhaps, if you knew all, you would think

ey said

the last of it. Also, I should have had to go hungry from London here, since I promised my father not to buy anything on the journey, and you know I forgot

you as a companion-and a friend," she added me

meanwhile, please wait a minute

going to do, Godfrey? I

a card. I am going to

Ogilvy, a vague vision of half-

, and the sexton gave it to me when he discovered that it was only stone. You will see it has a hole in it, so he must have worn it as an ornament. The grave he lay in was that of a Crusader

object, and exa

, probably a magic formula. No doubt the old Crusader got it in the East, perhaps as a gift from some Saracen in whose

glad," sa

ke it from you. Well, I'll l

ie before me, and why should yo

e smile. "I look stronger than I am. Meanwhile y

ou all I know,

calling that the diligence is coming. Good-bye. I'll se

omen with baskets. Also there was a Roman Catholic priest who sat opposite to the Pasteur. For a while th

laboured each other, with words, not fists, for the rest of the journey. Godfrey's French was sadly to seek, still before it was done, he did wonder whether all their language was strictly Christian, for such words as Sapristi, and Nom de Dieu, accompanied by snapping of the

d at each other, they waved their arms, and incidentally their baskets, one of

ter a glance through his little window he took no further n

ndorf, descendez. Vi

nnatural calm. Indeed, at the door he turned and bowed politely to his adversary, wishing hi

e way to the gate of a little shrubbery, "but he do try to steal my s

covered with large cherries or small plums, as Godfrey had described to Miss Ogilvy, and beyond it stood the long white house, old, and big, and peaceful looking. What he had not described

apron and a black dress hooked awry, accompanied by a snub-nosed little girl with straight hair, and a cold in the head. In place of these he saw a fashionably-dressed, Parisian-l

ed breeding, as did her manners and presence. The observant Godfrey, at his first sight of Juliette, for such was her name, marvelled how it was possible that she should be the daughter of that plain and ungainly old pasteur. On this point it is enough to

that of a superannuated duck, followed at some distan

ce, "I have found our new little friend;

uliette look

m not," s

. "Still at the gate? And say then, my father," this in lo

e Pasteur, chuckling at his joke, "b

dame, "I wonder if his b

musing," rema

as they spoke rapidly in French, was somewhat lost on Godfrey. Recognizing their kind in

only words in the Gallic tongue

" said Juliette, w

eplied Godfrey, "and I parle F

ifferent directions. Thus, he was an excellent astronomer, and the possessor of a first-rate telescope, mounted in a little observatory, on a rocky peak of ground which rose up a hundred feet or more in the immediate neighbourhood of the house, that itself stood high. This instrum

s odd old tutor, who had been obliged hitherto to pursue his astral researches in solitude, since to Madame and to Juliette these did not appeal. Night by night, especially after the winter snows began to fall, they woul

ng of the vast suns that burn beyond them in the depths of space, weighing their bulk and measuring their differences, and trembled with mingled joy and awe. Were these the heritage of man? Would he ever visit

ld question: Are we merely the spawn of our little earth, destined to perish, as the earth itself must do one day, or, through whatever changes we must pass, are we as immortal as the universe and the Might that made it, whatever that may be? T

shining on his face. Instantly, in her quick fashion, she christened him, Hibou, and Hibou or Owl, became his nickname in that establishment. Indeed, with his dark eyes and strongly marked feat

king of, Monsieur

k to earth

Man," he answ

man is enough to study without the

know that, M

they are there, far, far away. Al

re death and time?" querie

it grows cold," but to herself she added, "He is an odd bird

d enough French in which Madame and Juliette proved efficient instructors, he

e answer, yo

does not quite satisfy; I feel that

ved his blue spectac

," he said. "Believe me, God

fault with the Roman

ch applied to a haystack. A

"What foundation have they for much of their belie

is good and tolerant old man could not endure was

last the Pasteur, having burnt himself

s puzzle and tire me. I, too, Monsieur, believe in God and a future life, but I do not

ed at him alarme

y I have observed that cunning and plausible curé trying to t

But all the same I think the Roman Catholics very good people, and that

e to slip away, leavi

ut all the same, let it be admitted that the boy

ong direction, or prove impassable, or wind through caverns, or along the edge of precipices, down which sooner or later the traveller

morning service in the little church where the Pasteur ministered. Madame sighed when she saw it, for she would have loved dearly to possess such an e

ment, who can keep it? And why should some people have fine horses and others not even a pony?

ey entered the carriage and was whirled away in style, looking like the prince in a fairy book, as Juliette remarked

ms were large and lofty, with parquet floors, and in some of them were really good pictures that their owner had inherited, also collections of beautiful old French furniture. In short, it was a stately

g grey gown and, as Godfrey noticed at once, wore round her neck the old Gnostic tali

odfrey," she said in her

artiness, "I mean to see you. But," he added

athetically, and sa

am rather an invalid, which is why I live he

s head, the word

rry set. It is characteristic of our complaint. But never mind about me. There are two or three people here. I dare

at is of a modern house, and it impressed him with sensations that at the moment he did not try to analyse. All he knew was that they were mingled with some spiritual quality, such as once or twice he had felt in ancient chur

d, beneath which shone piercing black eyes. Her rather ungainly figure was clothed in what he thought an ugly green dress, and she wore a necklet of emeralds in an old-fashioned setting, which he also thought ugly but striking. Fro

is Madame Riennes, the n

ice, for he did not quite understand

overwhelmed with shyness, he was led by Miss Ogilvy to make their acquaintance. He felt that their demeanour portended he knew not what, more at any rate than hope of deriving pleasure from his society; in fact, that they expected to get something out of him. Sudde

ked for the pot, but saw none, except one of the flowers which stood on a little table in a recess, and

ul room, where they were served with a perfect meal. The conversation at table was general, and in English, but presently it

e places of the world, alleged that such increase was great, which Professor Petersen, who dwelt much among German intel

mentals,' although they do not know it, and soon those Elementals will have the m

very remarkable prophecy, but at the time, not kn

emed, was half French and half Russi

he spirituality, or otherwise, of this little world matters nothing to us. Who will be the first to learn the truths, I wonder?" and she stared in turn at the

ions. Having investigated Godfrey till he felt cold down the back, Madame turned her searchlight eyes upo

ill be the first, Sister Helen. I see you among the immort

Ogilvy's face. At any rate, she went deadly pale and rested her hand upon Godfrey's

does it matter though the

and suggested that they shoul

d one after the other very rapidly. Presently Miss Ogilvy rang the bell, and when the butle

him lock the door behin