"Or all your special associates?"
"Why, no! Not by several and many."
"Magnus, suppose this pretty place was suddenly peopled with aliens, and not an American left but the one in charge of the colours. What should he do?"
"Hang out the garrison flag, if it blew to tatters!" said Magnus.
Mrs. Kindred laughed, but her eyes filled and her lips trembled.
"Yes, dear," she said. "So do."
XXI
ME ONLY
"Everything goes away," said the Dryad: "goes away as the clouds go, never to return." —Hans Andersen.
That was the last long talk they had together. A brief walk next morning before eight o'clock; another—ah, how short—to the brow of the hill where they had met that first day; and then Magnus pulled his cap over his eyes and strode away to his hidden nook, and the mother went quietly sobbing down the hill. Alas! how fast the minutes flew now that had seemed so loitering when she came.