A low sound of singing came through the door. Peggy beguiled the vigil with a song. Airey held up his hand for silence. Trix listened; the tears gathered in her eyes. 'Does that say nothing to you?' he asked as the song died away. 'Does that give you no hint of our mistake? No clue to where the rest of life lies? Life isn't taking in only, it's giving out too. And it's not giving out only work, or deeds, or things we've made. It's giving ourselves out too--freely, freely!' 'Giving ourselves out?' 'Yes, to other people. Giving ourselves in comradeship, in understanding, in joy, in love. Oh, good Lord, fancy not having found that out before! What a roundabout road to find it! Hedges and briars and bleeding shins!' He laughed gently. 'But she knows it,' he said, pointing to the door. 'She goes on the royal road to it--straight on the King's highway. She goes blindfold too, which is a funny thing. She couldn't even tell you where she was going.' Another snatch of song came. It was sentimental in character, but it ended abruptly in uncontrolled gurgles of a mirth free from all such weakness. 'Yes, she gets there, dainty, trim, serene!' He shook his head, smiling with an infinite affection. Trix Trevalla leant her head on her hand and regarded him with searching eyes. 'Yes, that's true of her,' she said, 'that's true. You've found out the meaning of it.' 'Everything's so plain to find out to-day.' 'Then surely you must be in love with her?' Her eyes were grave and curious still. 'How can you help it? She mayn't love you, but that makes no difference. How can you help loving her?' 'Does it make no difference? I don't know.' He came across to Trix. 'We've travelled the bad road together, you and I,' he said softly. 'I may have seen her far off--against the sky--and steered a course by hers. The course isn't everything. But for your arm I should have fallen by the way. And--should you never have fallen if you'd been quite alone? Or did you fall and need to be picked up again?' He took both her hands and she let them lie in his; but she still looked at him in fear and doubt, unable to rise to his serenity, unable to put the past behind her as he did. The spectres rose and seemed to bar the path, crying to her that she had no right to tread it. 'I've grown so hard, I've been so hard. Can I forget what I've been and what I've done? Sha'n't I always hear them accusing me? Can I trust myself not to want to go back again? It seems to me that I've lost the power of doing what you say.' 'Never,' said Airey confidently. 'Never!' His smile broke out again. 'Well, certainly not your side of thirty,' he amended, trying to make her laugh. 'Oh, ask Mrs. Bonfill, or Lord Mervyn, or Beaufort Chance of me!' 'They'd all tell me the truth of what they know, I don't doubt it.' 'And you know it too!' she cried, in a sort of shrinking wonder. 'To be sure I know it,' he agreed cheerfully. 'Wasn't I walking beside you all the way?'