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counted the strokes of the bell And when they counted midday,

they understood that it was midday, in the world, and for

thery She had been getting

hungrier for a lifetime But even yet it was not sufficiently

real to rouse her A long way off she could hear the words, "I

aer" Yet she lay still, separate, at peace, and

the words were unuttered There was still another lapse

And then, quite calmly, even a little surprised, she was in

the present, and was saying: "I aer"

"So anificance And they relapsed into the warolden stillness

And the minutes flowed unheeded past theoutside

Then suddenly she stirred against hier," she said

It was a slight pain to hi

And she sank her head on to hi Half consciously, he heard the clock chiet up," she

to eat"

"Yes," he said, and he put his arms round her, and she lay

with her face on him They were faintly astonished that they did

not move The minutes rustled louder at the