And after that, all things were blank and his soul wandered into shadowland and tasted of the pains of death.
* * * * * From the first break of day on that Tuesday when Halcyone awoke she was conscious that some sorrow was near her.

Every sense of hers, every instinct, so highly trained by her years of communion with Nature seemed always to warn her of coming events.
She was restless--a state of being quite at variance with her usual calm.

The air was sultry and, though no rain fell, ominous clouds gathered and faint thunder pealed afar off.
"What is it?
What is it, God ?" she asked of the sky.

But no answer came, and at last she went out into the park and towards the tree.

She had made all her simple preparations--everything that she must take had been put into a small bag and was safely waiting in the secret passage, ready for her to fetch on the morrow.
Cheiron, she knew, had gone to London.