Then  I  stepped  forward  to  explain.
She  started,  and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,
as  if  she  would  have  hidden  herself.
"It's  only  me,  Cicely,  Olive  Drayton,"  I  said,  as
plainly  as  I  could  for  weeping.  "  You've  come
back  among  those  that  know  vou  and  trust  you,
Cicely."

Then,  after  giving  her  such  explanation  as  I  could
of  the  events  of  the  night,  and  after  Aunt  Gretel
had  made  up  the  fire,  we  bade  them  farewell,  and
left  the  three  together  to  go  over  the  mournful
history  that  lay  between  their  meetings;  while
we  hastened  away  to  assure  those  at  home  of  our
safety.
"  What  a  night,  Aunt  Gretel !"  I  said,  as  we  went.
"  It  seems  like  a  life-time."

"  Things  come  often  thus  in  life,"  said  she,  "  as
far  as  I  have  seen ;  the  fruits  ripened  through  the
long  silent  year,  reaped  in  a  day."  I  scarcely  un-


348  THE  DRA  YTONS  AND

derstood  her  then,  but  since,  I  have  often  thought
she  was  right.  Sowing-times  and  growing-times,
long,  silent,  underground ;  and  then  bursts  of  flow
ering  days,  reapings  and  gatherings ;  a  life-time  in
a  day ;  a  thousand  long-prepared  events  bursting
into  flower  in  a  moment.  A  thousand  ghosts  of
forgotten  deeds  gathered  together  and  confronting
us  at  one  point.  The  probation  thousands  of  years ;
the  Judgment  a  day.
