"If we could circumvent the first question he could live the other down."
"Why should he be forced to live down my—sins?"
"The alternative is Burma, and, there, you and I have much to live down, whatever course we take."
"Ferlie! For God's sake reassure me on one point."
To that stifled passion she instinctively reached out comforting hands.
"You—you are not thinking of separation?"
She said, "I hardly know. It seems to me we cannot go back now on what we have done. As we might tell Peter, 'there must be pioneers!' ... But I do think our pioneering is going to lie along a very rough road and I am afraid—for you."
The sight of Jellybrand on his way from the school checked Cyprian's reply. The padre beamed joyously as Ferlie waved him to the second straw chair.
"W-would you believe it? My choir can now sing the w-whole of 'There's a Friend for little children,' by heart. W-we are going to have it at Benediction to-night. The Bishop is not quite certain w-whether I ought to be allowed Benediction, as an extra service, but I hope to be able to persuade him to my point of view when he visits us. He's not a very Protestant Bishop, and most w-wide minded."
"Does it make any difference to Friend-of-England and Co. which you have?" asked Cyprian.