He sat and held her hands, and saw her bite her lips and fight to keep back the tears in her eyes. Their hearts had grown together, so that it was like tearing their flesh to separate them. They had never imagined that such a thing could come into their lives. “Thyrsis,” she whispered--“you’ll forget me!” He pressed her hands more tightly. “No, dear! No!” he said. “But you’ll get used to living without me!” she cried. “And it’s the time in my life when I need you most!” “I will stay, dearest, if you say so.” She exclaimed, “No, no! I must stand it!” And seeing her grief, his heart breaking with pity, a strange impulse came to Thyrsis. He took her hands in his, and knelt down before her, and began to pray. It had been years since he had thought of prayer, and Corydon had never thought of it in her life. It came from the deeps of him--a few stammering words, simple, almost childish, yet exquisite as music. He prayed that they might have courage to keep up the fight, that they might be able to hold their love before them, that nothing might ever dim their vision of each other. It was a prayer without theology or metaphysics--a prayer to the unknown gods; but it set free the well-spring of tenderness and pity within them; and when he finished Corydon was sobbing upon his shoulder. BOOK IX THE CAPTIVE IN LEASH _They were standing on the hill-top, watching the last glimmer of the sinking moon. As the faint perfume of the clover came to them upon the warm evening wind, she sighed, and whispered-- “Too rare, too rare, grow now my visits here! ‘Mid city noise, not as with thee of yore, Thyrsis! in reach of sheep-bells is my home!” She paused. “Go on,” he said, and she quoted-- “Then through the great town’s harsh, heart-wearying roar, Let in thy voice a whisper always come, To chase fatigue and fear: Why faintest thou? I wandered till I died. Roam on! The light we sought is shining still.”_ Section 1. Thyrsis made his plans and packed his few belongings. There came another pass from the “higher regions”, and he took the night-train once more, and came to the little town upon the shores of Lake Ontario. Once more the sun shone on the crystal-green water, and the cold breeze blew from off the lake. There was still snow in the ravines of the deep woods, but Thyrsis got his tent out of the farmer’s barn, and patched up the holes the mice had gnawed, and put it up on the old familiar spot.