Now , when he had lost her , he knew that he did . She was everything to him -- everything ! And he must put her out of his life completely . Even friendship was impossible now . Life stretched before him in intolerable dreariness . He must go on -- there was his work -- his children -- but the heart had gone out of him . He sat alone all that evening in his dark , cold , comfortless study with his head bowed on his hands . Up on the hill Rosemary had a headache and went early to bed , while Ellen remarked to St. George , purring his disdain of foolish humankind , who did not know that a soft cushion was the only thing that really mattered , `` What would women do if headaches had never been invented , St. George ? But never mind , Saint . We 'll just wink the other eye for a few weeks . I admit I do n't feel comfortable myself , George . I feel as if I had drowned a kitten . But she promised , Saint -- and she was the one to offer it , George . Bismillah ! '' CHAPTER XXIII . THE GOOD-CONDUCT CLUB A light rain had been falling all day -- a little , delicate , beautiful spring rain , that somehow seemed to hint and whisper of mayflowers and wakening violets . The harbour and the gulf and the low-lying shore fields had been dim with pearl-gray mists . But now in the evening the rain had ceased and the mists had blown out to sea . Clouds sprinkled the sky over the harbour like little fiery roses . Beyond it the hills were dark against a spendthrift splendour of daffodil and crimson .
A great silvery XXXXX star was watching over the bar .
Bismillah GOOD-CONDUCT George Saint XXIII daffodil evening harbour mayflowers weeks