It was now October, and the night air was chill. After looking to see that she was well wrapped up, Knight took her along the hillside path they had ascended so many times in each otherвАЩs company, when doubt was a thing unknown. On reaching the church they found that one side of the tower was, as the vicar had stated, entirely removed, and lying in the shape of rubbish at their feet. The tower on its eastern side still was firm, and might have withstood the shock of storms and the siege of battering years for many a generation even now. They entered by the side-door, went eastward, and sat down by the altar-steps. + 

The heavy arch spanning the junction of tower and nave formed tonight a black frame to a distant misty view, stretching far westward. Just outside the arch came the heap of fallen stones, then a portion of moonlit churchyard, then the wide and convex sea behind. It was a coup-dвАЩoeil which had never been possible since the medieval masons first attached the old tower to the older church it dignified, and hence must be supposed to have had an interest apart from that of simple moonlight on ancient wall and sea and shoreвБ†вАФany mention of which has by this time, it is to be feared, become one of the cuckoo-cries which are heard but not regarded. Rays of crimson, blue, and purple shone upon the twain from the east window behind them, wherein saints and angels vied with each other in primitive surroundings of landscape and sky, and threw upon the pavement at the sittersвАЩ feet a softer reproduction of the same translucent hues, amid which the shadows of the two living heads of Knight and Elfride were opaque and prominent blots. Presently the moon became covered by a cloud, and the iridescence died away. + 

вАЬThere, it is gone!вАЭ said Knight. вАЬIвАЩve been thinking, Elfride, that this place we sit on is where we may hope to kneel together soon. But I am restless and uneasy, and you know why.вАЭ + 

Before she replied the moonlight returned again, irradiating that portion of churchyard within their view. It brightened the near part first, and against the background which the cloud-shadow had not yet uncovered stood, brightest of all, a white tombвБ†вАФthe tomb of young Jethway. + 

Knight, still alive on the subject of ElfrideвАЩs secret, thought of her words concerning the kiss that it once had occurred on a tomb in this churchyard. + 

вАЬElfride,вАЭ he said, with a superficial archness which did not half cover an undercurrent of reproach, вАЬdo you know, I think you might have told me voluntarily about that pastвБ†вАФof kisses and betrothingвБ†вАФwithout giving me so much uneasiness and trouble. Was that the tomb you alluded to as having sat on with him?вАЭ + 

She waited an instant. вАЬYes,вАЭ she said. + 

The correctness of his random shot startled Knight; though, considering that almost all the other memorials in the churchyard were upright headstones upon which nobody could possibly sit, it was not so wonderful. + 

Elfride did not even now go on with the explanation her exacting lover wished to have, and her reticence began to irritate him as before. He was inclined to read her a lecture. + 

вАЬWhy donвАЩt you tell me all?вАЭ he said somewhat indignantly. вАЬElfride, there is not a single subject upon which I feel more strongly than upon thisвБ†вАФthat everything ought to be cleared up between two persons before they become husband and wife. See how desirable and wise such a course is, in order to avoid disagreeable contingencies in the form of discoveries afterwards. For, Elfride, a secret of no importance at all may be made the basis of some fatal misunderstanding only because it is discovered, and not confessed. They say there never was a couple of whom one had not some secret the other never knew or was intended to know. This may or may not be true; but if it be true, some have been happy in spite rather than in consequence of it. If a man were to see another man looking significantly at his wife, and she were blushing crimson and appearing startled, do you think he would be so well satisfied with, for instance, her truthful explanation that once, to her great annoyance, she accidentally fainted into his arms, as if she had said it voluntarily long ago, before the circumstance occurred which forced it from her? Suppose that admirer you spoke of in connection with the tomb yonder should turn up, and bother me. It would embitter our lives, if I were then half in the dark, as I am now!вАЭ + 

Knight spoke the latter sentences with growing force. + 

вАЬIt cannot be,вАЭ she said. + 

вАЬWhy not?вАЭ he asked sharply. + 

Elfride was distressed to find him in so stern a mood, and she trembled. In a confusion of ideas, probably not intending a wilful prevarication, she answered hurriedlyвБ†вАФ + 

вАЬIf heвАЩs dead, how can you meet him?вАЭ + 

вАЬIs he dead? Oh, thatвАЩs different altogether!вАЭ said Knight, immensely relieved. вАЬBut, let me seeвБ†вАФwhat did you say about that tomb and him?вАЭ + 

вАЬThatвАЩs his tomb,вАЭ she continued faintly. + 

вАЬWhat! was he who lies buried there the man who was your lover?вАЭ Knight asked in a distinct voice. + 

вАЬYes; and I didnвАЩt love him or encourage him.вАЭ + 

вАЬBut you let him kiss youвБ†вАФyou said so, you know, Elfride.вАЭ + 

She made no reply. + 

вАЬWhy,вАЭ said Knight, recollecting circumstances by degrees, вАЬyou surely said you were in some degree engaged to himвБ†вАФand of course you were if he kissed you. And now you say you never encouraged him. And I have been fancying you saidвБ†вАФI am almost sure you didвБ†вАФthat you were sitting with him on that tomb. Good God!вАЭ he cried, suddenly starting up in anger, вАЬare you telling me untruths? Why should you play with me like this? IвАЩll have the right of it. Elfride, we shall never be happy! ThereвАЩs a blight upon us, or me, or you, and it must be cleared off before we marry.вАЭ Knight moved away impetuously as if to leave her. + 

She jumped up and clutched his arm. + 

вАЬDonвАЩt go, HarryвБ†вАФdonвАЩt!вАЭ + 

вАЬTell me, then,вАЭ said Knight sternly. вАЬAnd remember this, no more fibs, or, upon my soul, I shall hate you. Heavens! that I should come to this, to be made a fool of by a girlвАЩs untruthsвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬDonвАЩt, donвАЩt treat me so cruelly! O Harry, Harry, have pity, and withdraw those dreadful words! I am truthful by natureвБ†вАФI amвБ†вАФand I donвАЩt know how I came to make you misunderstand! But I was frightened!вАЭ She quivered so in her perturbation that she shook him with her. + 

вАЬDid you say you were sitting on that tomb?вАЭ he asked moodily. + 

вАЬYes; and it was true.вАЭ + 

вАЬThen how, in the name of Heaven, can a man sit upon his own tomb?вАЭ + 

вАЬThat was another man. Forgive me, Harry, wonвАЩt you?вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat, a lover in the tomb and a lover on it?вАЭ + 

вАЬOhвБ†вАФOhвБ†вАФyes!вАЭ + 

вАЬThen there were two before me?вАЭ + 

вАЬIвБ†вАФsuppose so.вАЭ + 

вАЬNow, donвАЩt be a silly woman with your supposingвБ†вАФI hate all that,вАЭ said Knight contemptuously almost. вАЬWell, we learn strange things. I donвАЩt know what I might have doneвБ†вАФno man can say into what shape circumstances may warp himвБ†вАФbut I hardly think I should have had the conscience to accept the favours of a new lover whilst sitting over the poor remains of the old one; upon my soul, I donвАЩt.вАЭ Knight, in moody meditation, continued looking towards the tomb, which stood staring them in the face like an avenging ghost. + 

вАЬBut you wrong meвБ†вАФOh, so grievously!вАЭ she cried. вАЬI did not meditate any such thing: believe me, Harry, I did not. It only happened soвБ†вАФquite of itself.вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, I suppose you didnвАЩt intend such a thing,вАЭ he said. вАЬNobody ever does,вАЭ he sadly continued. + 

вАЬAnd him in the grave I never once loved.вАЭ + 

вАЬI suppose the second lover and you, as you sat there, vowed to be faithful to each other forever?вАЭ + 

Elfride only replied by quick heavy breaths, showing she was on the brink of a sob. + 

вАЬYou donвАЩt choose to be anything but reserved, then?вАЭ he said imperatively. + 

вАЬOf course we did,вАЭ she responded. + 

вАЬвАКвАШOf course!вАЩ You seem to treat the subject very lightly?вАЭ + 

вАЬIt is past, and is nothing to us now.вАЭ + 

вАЬElfride, it is a nothing which, though it may make a careless man laugh, cannot but make a genuine one grieve. It is a very gnawing pain. Tell me straight throughвБ†вАФall of it.вАЭ + 

вАЬNever. O Harry! how can you expect it when so little of it makes you so harsh with me?вАЭ + 

вАЬNow, Elfride, listen to this. You know that what you have told only jars the subtler fancies in one, after all. The feeling I have about it would be called, and is, mere sentimentality; and I donвАЩt want you to suppose that an ordinary previous engagement of a straightforward kind would make any practical difference in my love, or my wish to make you my wife. But you seem to have more to tell, and thatвАЩs where the wrong is. Is there more?вАЭ + 

вАЬNot much more,вАЭ she wearily answered. + 

Knight preserved a grave silence for a minute. вАЬвАКвАШNot much more,вАЩвАКвАЭ he said at last. вАЬI should think not, indeed!вАЭ His voice assumed a low and steady pitch. вАЬElfride, you must not mind my saying a strange-sounding thing, for say it I shall. It is this: that if there were much more to add to an account which already includes all the particulars that a broken marriage engagement could possibly include with propriety, it must be some exceptional thing which might make it impossible for me or anyone else to love you and marry you.вАЭ + 

KnightвАЩs disturbed mood led him much further than he would have gone in a quieter moment. And, even as it was, had she been assertive to any degree he would not have been so peremptory; and had she been a stronger characterвБ†вАФmore practical and less imaginativeвБ†вАФshe would have made more use of her position in his heart to influence him. But the confiding tenderness which had won him is ever accompanied by a sort of self-committal to the stream of events, leading every such woman to trust more to the kindness of fate for good results than to any argument of her own. + 

вАЬWell, well,вАЭ he murmured cynically; вАЬI wonвАЩt say it is your fault: it is my ill-luck, I suppose. I had no real right to question youвБ†вАФeverybody would say it was presuming. But when we have misunderstood, we feel injured by the subject of our misunderstanding. You never said you had had nobody else here making love to you, so why should I blame you? Elfride, I beg your pardon.вАЭ + 

вАЬNo, no! I would rather have your anger than that cool aggrieved politeness. Do drop that, Harry! Why should you inflict that upon me? It reduces me to the level of a mere acquaintance.вАЭ + 

вАЬYou do that with me. Why not confidence for confidence?вАЭ + 

вАЬYes; but I didnвАЩt ask you a single question with regard to your past: I didnвАЩt wish to know about it. All I cared for was that, wherever you came from, whatever you had done, whoever you had loved, you were mine at last. Harry, if originally you had known I had loved, would you never have cared for me?вАЭ + 

вАЬI wonвАЩt quite say that. Though I own that the idea of your inexperienced state had a great charm for me. But I think this: that if I had known there was any phase of your past love you would refuse to reveal if I asked to know it, I should never have loved you.вАЭ + 

Elfride sobbed bitterly. вАЬAm I such aвБ†вАФmere characterless toyвБ†вАФas to have no attracвБ†вАФtion in me, apart fromвБ†вАФfreshness? HavenвАЩt I brains? You saidвБ†вАФI was clever and ingenious in my thoughts, andвБ†вАФisnвАЩt that anything? Have I not some beauty? I think I have a littleвБ†вАФand I know I haveвБ†вАФyes, I do! You have praised my voice, and my manner, and my accomplishments. Yet all these together are so much rubbish because IвБ†вАФaccidentally saw a man before you!вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, come, Elfride. вАШAccidentally saw a manвАЩ is very cool. You loved him, remember.вАЭ + 

вАФвАЬAnd loved him a little!вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd refuse now to answer the simple question how it ended. Do you refuse still, Elfride?вАЭ + 

вАЬYou have no right to question me soвБ†вАФyou said so. It is unfair. Trust me as I trust you.вАЭ + 

вАЬThatвАЩs not at all.вАЭ + 

вАЬI shall not love you if you are so cruel. It is cruel to me to argue like this.вАЭ + 

вАЬPerhaps it is. Yes, it is. I was carried away by my feeling for you. Heaven knows that I didnвАЩt mean to; but I have loved you so that I have used you badly.вАЭ + 

вАЬI donвАЩt mind it, Harry!вАЭ she instantly answered, creeping up and nestling against him; вАЬand I will not think at all that you used me harshly if you will forgive me, and not be vexed with me any more? I do wish I had been exactly as you thought I was, but I could not help it, you know. If I had only known you had been coming, what a nunnery I would have lived in to have been good enough for you!вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, never mind,вАЭ said Knight; and he turned to go. He endeavoured to speak sportively as they went on. вАЬDiogenes Laertius says that philosophers used voluntarily to deprive themselves of sight to be uninterrupted in their meditations. Men, becoming lovers, ought to do the same thing.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhy?вБ†вАФbut never mindвБ†вАФI donвАЩt want to know. DonвАЩt speak laconically to me,вАЭ she said with deprecation. + 

вАЬWhy? Because they would never then be distracted by discovering their idol was secondhand.вАЭ + 

She looked down and sighed; and they passed out of the crumbling old place, and slowly crossed to the churchyard entrance. Knight was not himself, and he could not pretend to be. She had not told all. + 

He supported her lightly over the stile, and was practically as attentive as a lover could be. But there had passed away a glory, and the dream was not as it had been of yore. Perhaps Knight was not shaped by Nature for a marrying man. Perhaps his lifelong constraint towards women, which he had attributed to accident, was not chance after all, but the natural result of instinctive acts so minute as to be undiscernible even by himself. Or whether the rough dispelling of any bright illusion, however imaginative, depreciates the real and unexaggerated brightness which appertains to its basis, one cannot say. Certain it was that KnightвАЩs disappointment at finding himself second or third in the field, at ElfrideвАЩs momentary equivoque, and at her reluctance to be candid, brought him to the verge of cynicism. + 