CHAPTER XLI

THE next morning Ghristophe knelt by his mother
in the ancient church with its open belfry, and
the Cure offered to each the Host: 'Corpus Domini
1 nostri Jesu Christi . . .' And Christophe no longer
felt dread for himself at the moment when he received
his Lord, but instead must feel a great fear for his
mother.
Her shoulder touched his; he was suddenly con-
scious of that poorly clad, patient and ageing shoulder.
He thought: There is something which she must
endure — it is something from which I cannot protect
her,5 And his heart beat wildly against his side as
though it would break with her load of grief. Then
they rose and together they left the altar.
After Mass they stood looking out at the sea that
lay placid and vast in the July sunshine: CI love it/
he said, cit has been like a friend, though sometimes
I have not asked for its friendship, I have just let it
take me and do what it would.' For now he wished
them to share the sea so that she might look at it
when he was gone, and because it had comforted
him, take comfort.
Presently they went to call on Elise who would be
unable to go to the station. Goundran was with her,
he was back on leave, very stalwart but very white at
the temples. Two children there were now for
Goundran to play with; Aurano had acquired a small,
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