(_He is just about to go out when the house door opens and the ringing laughter of BILL and CLARE brings him to a standstill. They enter, followed by the voice of MRS. O’FARREL: “Be off—both of you!” and her laugh._) BILL. I say, darling, weren’t they corking? CLARE. (_Pointing to the motionless MICHAEL and LADY PATRICIA and putting a finger to her lips._) S-sh!... BILL. Oh.... (_Very sedately they pass up the path to the gateway, but just as they go out BILL passes his arm through CLARE’S and squeezes it. They disappear. MRS. O’FARREL and the DEAN enter from the house, followed later by JOHN and ROBERT._) DEAN. (_Jovially._) So much for tact and diplomacy! MRS. O’FARREL. And common-sense! DEAN. (_Lowering his voice and indicating the rigid MICHAEL and LADY PATRICIA._) And these two? MRS. O’FARREL. Best leave them alone. DEAN. No, no!... (_Goes up to MICHAEL and LADY PATRICIA, while MRS. O’FARREL goes out; JOHN, standing near the door, waits for the DEAN._) Are you not going to join us in church? (_A pause._) My dear friends, on such a morning as this we should all sing the _Te Deum_, and forget everything but the joy of being alive.... (_He looks smilingly from one to the other, then goes out, followed by JOHN. ROBERT waits at the door. A pause. BALDWIN stands hesitating. LADY PATRICIA turns to MICHAEL._) LADY PATRICIA. Michael!... MICHAEL. Yes. LADY PATRICIA. Under the great rose window in the south transept our pew is now full of purple and amber lights and shafts of chrysoprase. Shall we not sit there again together? MICHAEL. I don’t see what else there is to do.... Patricia! LADY PATRICIA. Michael!... Repentance is very exquisite, and how beautiful is forgiveness. Come.... (_Followed at a respectful distance by BALDWIN, they go out together in silence side by side, and the Curtain falls as they pass under the gateway._) THE END. The Gresham Press, UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED, WOKING AND LONDON End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Lady Patricia, by Rudolf Besier