Part 43 (2/2)
”That fourth feather,” she said
He drew his letter-case from his coat, and shook two feathers out into the paler one, the ostrich feather, he held out to her But she said:--
”Both”
There was no reason why he should keep Castleton's feather any longer
He handed them both to her, since she asked for theainst her breast
”I have the four feathers now,” she said
”Yes,” answered Feversham; ”all four What will you do with theh
”Do with the with them I shall keep them I am very proud to have them to keep”
She kept them, as she had once kept Harry Feversha perhaps in Durrance's contention that woather up their experiences and live upon the backwards Feversham, at all events, would now have dropped the feathers then and there and crushed them into the dust of the path with his heel; they had done their work They could no longer reproach, they were no longer needed to encourage, they were dead things Ethne, however, held theht in her hand; to her they were not dead
”Colonel Trench was here a fortnight ago,” she said ”He toldit back to me”
”But he did not know of the fourth feather,” said Feversham ”I never told any man that I had it”
”Yes You told Colonel Trench on your first night in the House of Stone at Oer hate him,” she added, but without a sh it was an inition
”I areat friend of mine”
Ethne was silent for a moment or two Then she said:--
”I wonder whether you have forgotten our drive from Ramelton to our house when I ca-cart, and we spoke--”
”Of the friends whom one knows for friends the first h one has never seen them before,”
interrupted Feversham ”Indeed I remember”
”And whom one never loses whether absent or dead,” continued Ethne ”I said that one could always be sure of such friends, and you answered--”
”I answered that one could ain Fevershareed I said that onewhile, but that in the end one would be proved not to have ht of those words I reht to reat deal of reh I have no rooht, you see, and I should have clung firmly to my faith But I did not” Her voice shook a little, and pleaded as she went on: ”I was young I knew very little I was unaware how little I judged hastily; but to-day I understand”
She opened her hand and gazed for a while at the white feathers Then she turned and went inside the church Feversham followed her
CHAPTER xxxII