But the sweetness of her nearness could not for him wipe out the fact that before them lay parting and long heartache.
"Good-bye," he said, brokenly.
She drew back before the kiss was more than inhaled.
"Good-bye!" she echoed. "No; I will never kiss you 'good-bye'" She freed herself from his prisoning arms. "Never, never, never!" She sprang up. "To get that kiss from me you must be lying dead."
And she fled out of the room.
A little later he made his farewells to the assembled household in the hall. Having kissed Emmie, he turned to Val.
She grasped his hand as she averted her white face, whispering:
"I will kiss you when you come again."