"To be George Delarry's wife? Oh, yes!" answered Ann, and her face flushed.
"Then take him," said Patience, "and thank God."
So that same evening, as she came down the steps of St. Paul's, her hand sought Delarry's, and he knew what his answer was.
To find a minister, to go in the early morning to plight their troth one to another, with only Patience and Lord Craven as witnesses, was an easy matter, and did not interfere with the work of the day which followed after; only, as Patience had said, some of the sadness passed out of their hearts, and joy crept in. The knowledge of the tie which bound them, the union of two in one, seemed to strengthen both their hands and hearts for the work they had to accomplish.
It was decided that they should stay at Somerset House with Patience because of that hope, which was nevertheless growing vaguer and vaguer each day, that Agnes would come home.
A few days later Delarry came in quite excited. He found Patience and his young wife picking lint, making bandages, and doing other things which were necessary for their vast hospital. They never stopped their labours, those two women, but when Ann looked up with a smile to greet her husband, she saw something in his face which startled her.
"What has happened?" she asked.
He came and sat down beside her.
"I have found a clue," he said. "It is only a little one, but it may lead to something bigger."
"About Agnes?" asked Patience.