cheek；　but　a　kiss　full　upon　the　parted　lips；　a　kiss　of　worship　and
  amazement；　such　as　that　with　which　Adam　in　all　probability　awakened
  Eve。
  Her　eyes　opened；　and；　just　a　little　sleepily；　she　looked　at　him。
  There　could　have　been　no　doubt　in　her　mind　as　to　what　had　happened。
  His　lips　were　still　pressing　hers。　　But　she　did　not　seem　in　the
  least　surprised；　and　most　certainly　not　angry。　　Raising　herself　to　a
  sitting　posture；　she　smiled　and　held　out　her　hand　that　he　might　help
  her　up。　　And；　alone　in　that　vast　temple；　star…roofed　and　moon…
  illumined；　beside　that　grim　grey　altar　of　forgotten　rites；　hand　in
  hand　they　stood　and　looked　at　one　another。
  〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　Commander　Raffleton。　　〃I'm　afraid　I　have
  disturbed　you。〃
  He　remembered　afterwards　that　in　his　confusion　he　had　spoken　to　her
  in　English。　　But　she　answered　him　in　French；　a　quaint；　old…fashioned
  French　such　as　one　rarely　finds　but　in　the　pages　of　old　missals。　　He
  would　have　had　some　difficulty　in　translating　it　literally；　but　the
  meaning　of　it　was；　adapted　to　our　modern　idiom：
  〃Don't　mention　it。　　I'm　so　glad　you've　come。〃
  He　gathered　she　had　been　expecting　him。　　He　was　not　quite　sure
  whether　he　ought　not　to　apologise　for　being　apparently　a　little
  late。　　True；　he　had　no　recollection　of　any　such　appointment。　　But
  then　at　that　particular　moment　Commander　Raffleton　may　be　said　to
  have　had　no　consciousness　of　anything　beyond　just　himself　and　the
  wondrous　other　beside　him。　　Somewhere　outside　was　moonlight　and　a
  world；　but　all　that　seemed　unimportant。　　It　was　she　who　broke　the
  silence。
  〃How　did　you　get　here？〃　she　asked。
  He　did　not　mean　to　be　enigmatical。　　He　was　chiefly　concerned　with
  still　gazing　at　her。
  〃I　flew　here；〃　he　answered。　　Her　eyes　opened　wider　at　that；　but　with
  interest；　not　doubt。
  〃Where　are　your　wings？〃　she　asked。　　She　was　leaning　sideways；　trying
  to　get　a　view　of　his　back。
  He　laughed。　　It　made　her　seem　more　human；　that　curiosity　about　his
  back。
  〃Over　there；〃　he　answered。　　She　looked；　and　for　the　first　time　saw
  the　great　shimmering　sails　gleaming　like　silver　under　the　moonlight。
  She　moved　towards　it；　and　he　followed；　noticing　without　surprise
  that　the　heather　seemed　to　make　no　sign　of　yielding　to　the　pressure
  of　her　white　feet。
  She　halted　a　little　away　from　it；　and　he　came　and　stood　beside　her。
  Even　to　Commander　Raffleton　himself　it　looked　as　if　the　great　wings
  were　quivering；　like　the　outstretched　pinions　of　a　bird　preening
  itself　before　flight。
  〃Is　it　alive？〃　she　asked。
  〃Not　till　I　whisper　to　it；〃　he　answered。　　He　was　losing　a　little　of
  his　fear　of　her。　　She　turned　to　him。
  〃Shall　we　go？〃　she　asked。
  He　stared　at　her。　　She　was　quite　serious；　that　was　evident。　　She　was
  to　put　her　hand　in　his　and　go　away　with　him。　　It　was　all　settled。
  That　is　why　he　had　come。　　To　her　it　did　not　matter　where。　　That　was
  his　affair。　　But　where　he　went　she　was　to　go。　　That　was　quite
  clearly　the　programme　in　her　mind。
  To　his　credit；　let　it　be　recorded；　he　did　make　an　effort。　　Against
  all　the　forces　of　nature；　against　his　twenty…three　years　and　the　red
  blood　pulsing　in　his　veins；　against　the　fumes　of　the　midsummer
  moonlight　encompassing　him　and　the　voices　of　the　stars；　against　the
  demons　of　poetry　and　romance　and　mystery　chanting　their　witches'
  music　in　his　ears；　against　the　marvel　and　the　glory　of　her　as　she
  stood　beside　him；　clothed　in　the　purple　of　the　night；　Flight
  Commander　Raffleton　fought　the　good　fight　for　common　sense。
  Young　persons　who；　scantily　clad；　go　to　sleep　on　the　heather；　five
  miles　from　the　nearest　human　habitation；　are　to　be　avoided　by
  well…brought…up　young　officers　of　His　Majesty's　Aerial　Service。　　The
  incidence　of　their　being　uncannily　beautiful　and　alluring　should
  serve　as　an　additional　note　of　warning。　　The　girl　had　had　a　row　with
  her　mother　and　wanted　to　get　away。　　It　was　this　infernal　moonlight
  that　was　chiefly　responsible。　　No　wonder　dogs　bayed　at　it。　　He
  almost　fancied　he　could　hear　one　now。　　Nice；　respectable；
  wholesome…minded　things；　dogs。　　No　damned　sentiment　about　them。
  What　if　he　had　kissed　her！　　One　is　not　bound　for　life　to　every　woman
  one　kisses。　　Not　the　first　time　she　had　been　kissed；　unless　all　the
  young　men　in　Brittany　were　blind　or　white　blooded。　　All　this
  pretended　innocence　and　simplicity！　　It　was　just　put　on。　　If　not；
  she　must　be　a　lunatic。　　The　proper　thing　to　do　was　to　say　good…bye
  with　a　laugh　and　a　jest；　start　up　his　machine　and　be　off　to
  Englanddear　old　practical；　merry　England；　where　he　could　get
  breakfast　and　a　bath。
  It　wasn't　a　fair　fight；　one　feels　it。　　Poor　little　prim　Common
  Sense；　with　her　defiant；　turned…up　nose　and　her　shrill　giggle　and
  her　innate　vulgarity。　　And　against　her　the　stillness　of　the　night；
  and　the　music　of　the　ages；　and　the　beating　of　his　heart。
  So　it　all　fell　down　about　his　feet；　a　little　crumbled　dust　that　a
  passing　breath　of　wind　seemed　to　scatter；　leaving　him　helpless；
  spellbound　by　the　magic　of　her　eyes。
  〃Who　are　you？〃　he　asked　her。
  〃Malvina；〃　she　answered　him。　　〃I　am　a　fairy。〃
  III。　HOW　COUSIN　CHRISTOPHER　BECAME　MIXED　UP　WITH　IT。
  It　did　just　occur　to　him　that　maybe　he　had　not　made　that　descent
  quite　as　successfully　as　he　had　thought　he　had；　that　maybe　he　had
  come　down　on　his　head；　that　in　consequence　he　had　done　with　the
  experiences　of　Flight　Commander　Raffleton　and　was　now　about　to　enter
  on　a　new　and　less　circumscribed　existence。　　If　so；　the　beginning；　to
  an　adventuresome　young　spirit；　seemed　promising。　　It　was　Malvina's
  voice　that　recalled　him　from　this　train　of　musing。
  〃Shall　we　go？〃　she　repeated；　and　this　time　the　note　in　her　voice
  suggested　command　rather　than　question。
  Why　not？　　Whatever　had　happened　to　him；　at　whatever　plane　of
  existence　he　was　now　arrived；　the　machine　apparently　had　followed
  him。　　Mechanically　he　started　it　up。　　The　familiar　whir　of　the
  engine　brought　back　to　him　the　possibility　of　his　being　alive　in　the
  ordinary　acceptation　of　the　term。　　It　also　suggested　to　him　the
  practical　advisability　of　insisting　that　Malvina　should　put　on　his
  spare　coat。　　Malvina　being　five　feet　three；　and　the　coat　having　been
  built　for　a　man　of　six　feet　one；　the　effect　under　ordinary
  circumstances　would　have　been　comic。　　What　finally　convinced
  Commander　Raffleton　that　Malvina　really　was　a　fairy　was　that；　in
  that　coat；　with　the　collar　standing　up　some　six　inches　above　her
  head；　she　looked　more　like　one　than　ever。
  Neither　of　them　spoke。　　Somehow　it　did　not　seem　to　be　needed。　　He
  helped　her　to　climb　into　her　seat　and　tucked　the　coat　about　her
  feet。　　She　answered　by　the　same　smile　with　which　she　had　first
  stretched　out　her　hand　to　him。　　It　was　just　a　smile　of　endless
  content；　as　if　all　her　troubles　were　now　over。　　Commander　Raffleton
  sincerely　hoped　they　were。　　A　momentary　flash　of　intelligence
  suggested　to　him　that　his　were　just　beginning。
  Commander　Raffleton's　subconscious　self　it　must　have　been　that　took
  charge　of　the　machine。　　He　seems；　keeping　a　few　miles　inland；　to
  have　followed　the　line　of　the　coast　to　a　little　south　of　the　Hague
  lighthouse。　　Thereabouts　he　remembers　descending　for　the　purpose　of
  replenishing　his　tank。　　Not　having　anticipated　a　passenger；　he　had
  filled　up　before　starting　with　a　spare　supply　of　petrol；　an　incident
  that　was　fortunate。　　Malvina　appears　to　have　been　interested　in
  watching　what　she　probably　regarded　as　some　novel　breed　of　dragon
  being　nourished　from　tins　extricated　from　under　her　feet；　but　to
  have　accepted　this；　together　with　all　other　details　of　the　flight；
  as　in　the　natural　scheme　of　things。　　The　monster　refreshed；　tugged；
  spurned　the　ground；　and　rose　again　with　a　roar；　and　the　creeping　sea
  rushed　down。
  One　has　the　notion　that　for　Flight　Commander　Raffleton；　as　for　the
  rest　of　us；　there　lies　in　wait　to　test　the　heart　of　him　the　ugly　and
  the　commonplace。　　So　large　a　portion　of　the　years　will　be　for　him　a
  business　of　mean　hopes　and　fears；　of　sordid　struggle；　of　low　cares
  and　vulgar　fret。　　But　also　one　has　the　conviction　that　there　will
  always　remain　with　him；　to　make　life　wonderful；　the　memory　of　that
  night　when；　godlike；　he　rode　upon　the　winds　of　heaven　crowned　with
  the　glory　of　the　world's　desire。　　Now　and　again　he　turned　his　head
  to　look　at　her；　and　still；　as　ever；　her　eyes　answered　him　with　that
  strange　deep　content　that　seemed　to　wrap　them　both　around　as　with　a
  garment　of　immortality。　　One　gathers　dimly　something　of　what　he　felt
  from　the　look　that　would　unconsciously　come　into　his　eyes　when
  speaking　of　that　enchanted　journey；　from　the　sudden　dumbness　with
  which　the　commonplace　words　would　die　away　upon　his　lips。　　Well　for
  him　that　his　lesser　self　kept　firm　hold　upon　the　wheel　or　maybe　a
  few　broken　spars；　tossing　upon　the　waves；　would　have　been　all　that
  was　left　to　tell　of　a　promising　young　aviator　who；　on　a　summer　night
  of　June；　had　thought　he　could　reach　the　stars。
  Half…way　across　the　dawn　came　flaming　up　over　the　Needles；　and　later
  there　stole　from　east　to　west　a　long；　low　line　of　mist…enshrouded
  land。　　One　by　one　headland　and　cliff；　flashing　with　gold；　rose　out
  of　the　sea；　and　the　white…winged　gulls　flew　out　to　meet　them。
  Almost　he　expected　them　to　turn　into　spirits；