Page:Gilbert Parker--The Lane that had No Turning.djvu/340

324 answered leagues away towards the city by another beacon.

Two hours after sunset of this day the fire in front of Tinoir’s home was lighted, and was not put out, and Tinoir sat and watched it till it died away. So he lay in the light of his own great war-fire till morning, for he could not travel at night, and then, his duty over, he went back to his home. He found Dalice lying beside the ashes of her fire, past hearing all he said in her ear, unheeding the kiss he set upon her lips.

Two nights afterwards, coming back from laying her beside her children, he saw a great light in the sky towards the city, as of a huge fire. When the courier came to him bearing the Governor’s message and the praise of the people, and told of the enemy’s fleet destroyed by the fire-rafts, he stared at the man, then turned his head to a place where a pine cross showed against the green grass, and said:

"Dalice—my wife—is dead."

"You have saved your country, Tinoir," answered the courier kindly.

"What is that to me!" he said, and fondled the rosary Dalice used to carry when she lived; and he would speak to the man no more.