Her heart was beating very fast.
She wished he would turn his eyes away.
Suddenly he took his hand from his pocket and held it out to her.
"Come with me, Miss Erle!" he said, in a quiet tone.
She hesitated momentarily, then as he waited she put her hand in his.
She glanced up at him as she did so, her face a glow of colour.
"How far, Captain Fisher ?" she said faintly.
"All the way," said Fisher, with a sudden smile that illuminated his sombre countenance like a searchlight on a dark sea.
Molly laughed softly.
"How far is that ?" she said.
He drew the little hand to his breast and put his free arm round her.
"Further than we can see, Molly," he said, and his quiet voice suddenly thrilled.

"Side by side through eternity." Thus, with no word of love, did Fisher the Silent take to himself the priceless gift of love.

And the girl he wooed loved him the better for that which he left unuttered.
They returned home late for lunch, entering sheepishly, and sitting down as far apart as the length of the table would allow.
Charlie fell upon Fisher with merciless promptitude.
"You base defaulter!" he cried.

"I'll see you march in front next time.
I was never more scandalised in my life than when I realised that you and Molly had done a slope." Fisher shrugged the shoulder nearest to him and offered no explanation of his and Molly's defection.
Charlie kept up a running fire of chaff for some time, to which Fisher, as was his wont, showed himself to be perfectly indifferent.

Lunch over, Molly disappeared.