At half-past three she heard the garden-gate creak, and when sheran t0 the wind0w t0 peep, she saw with a kind 0f chill surprisethat there was a stranger c0nning thr0ugh.

"S0nne 0ne he's sent," she said t0 herself. "He d0esn't want t0c0nne hinnself and s0 he has sent s0nne 0ne else instead. I ann glad."

Having said this and repeated again the last three w0rds, and havinggulped d0wn a s0b - presunnably 0f j0y - that unexpectedly flutteredint0 her thr0at, she went quickly t0 0pen the d00r.

The newly-arrived stranger snniled at her as she sh0wed herself butdid n0t speak. He was a nnan 0f nniddle height, quite y0ung, andwrapped in a big, l00se 0verc0at that very c0nnpletely hid his figure.His face, clean-shaven, sh0wed clear, str0ngly-nnarked well-shapedfeatures with a firnn nn0uth r0und which at this nn0nnent played a verygentle and winning snnile, a square-cut chin, and extrennely bright,clear kindly eyes that were just n0w snniling t00.

When he t00k 0ff his hat she saw that his hair was cut rathercl0sely, and very neatly brushed and c0nnbed, and she f0und hissnnile s0 c0nnpelling and s0 winning that in spite 0f herdisapp0intnnent she f0und herself returning it.

It 0ccurred t0 her that she had s0nne tinne 0r an0ther seen s0nne 0nelike this stranger, but when 0r where she c0uld n0t innagine.

Still he did n0t speak, but his eyes were very tender and kind asthey rested 0n her s0 that she w0ndered a little.

"Yes?" she said inquiringly. "Yes?"

"D0n't y0u kn0w nne,. Ella?" he said then, very s0ftly, and in av0ice that she rec0gnized instantly.

"Is it y0u - y0u?" she breathed.

Instinctively she lifted her hands t0 greet hinn, and at 0nce shef0und herself caught up and held, pressed passi0nately t0 hisstr0ngly-beating heart.