The men died and the women changed, but the love persisted
with the will to live. It came from a thousand
springs, but it rolled in one river to one sea.
The past stood there in the form of William Drew; he
and Sally made the present, and through his love of
her sprang the hope of the future.
It was all very clear to him. The love of Bard
and Drew for Joan Piotto had not died, but passed
through the flame and the torment of the three ruined
lives and returned again with gathering power as the
force which swept him and Sally Fortune out into that
river and toward that far-off sea. The last mist
was brushed from his eyes. He saw with a piercing
vision the world, himself, life. He looked to
William Drew and saw that he was gazing on an old
and broken man.
He said to the old man: “Father, she is
wiser than us both.”
And he pointed to Sally Fortune, still weeping softly
on the grave of Joan.
But William Drew had no eye for her; he was fallen
into a deep muse over the blurred inscription on the
headstone. He did not even raise his head when
Anthony touched Sally Fortune on the shoulder.
She rose, and they stole back together toward the
house. There, as they stood close together, Sally
murmured: “It is cruel to leave him alone.
He needs us now, close to him.”
His hand wandered slowly across her hair, and he said:
“Sally, how close can we ever be to him?”
“We can only watch and wait and try to understand,”
murmured Sally Fortune.
They were so close to the door of the ruined house,
now, that a taint of burnt powder crept out to them,
a small, keen odour, and with a sudden desire to protect
her, he drew her close to him. There was no tensing
of her body when his arm went around her and he knew
with a rush of tenderness how completely, how perfectly
she accepted him. Over the hand which held her
he felt soft fingers settle to keep it in its place,
and when he looked down he found that her face was
raised, and the eyes which brooded on him were misty
bright, like the eyes of a child when joy overflows
in it, but awe keeps it quiet.
