'The things have just come from France, Miss,' he said in a low
voice.
Elizabeth hesitated, and was turning back, when the library door
opened and the Squire called her.
'Yes, Mr. Mannering.'
'Will you come here, please, a moment?'
She entered the room, and the Squire closed the door behind her,
pointing mutely to the things on the floor.
The tears sprang to her eyes. She knelt down to look at them.
'Do you remember anything about this?' he said, holding out a little
book. It was the pocket Anthology she had found for Desmond on the
day of his going into camp. As she looked through it she saw a
turned-down leaf, and seemed still to hear the boy's voice, as he
hung over her shoulder translating the epigram--
'_Shame on you, mountains and seas!_'
With a swelling throat she told the story. The Squire listened, and
when afterwards she offered the book to him again, he put it back
into her hand, with some muttered words which she interpreted as
bidding her keep it.
She put it away in the drawer of her writing-table, which had been
brought back to its old place only that morning.
Pages:
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461