* * * * *

And when he honored me by asking me in marriage, I, knowing all this, knowing all his goodness and his generosity—­though he was not aware I knew it—­I was thankful to say yes—­deeming it little enough to please him—­and I not knowing what love meant—­”

Her soft voice broke; she laid her hands on her eyes, and stood so, speaking blindly.  “What can I do, cousin?  What can I do?  Tell me!  I love you.  Tell me, use me kindly; teach me to do right and keep my honor bright as you could desire it were I to be your wife!”

It was that appeal, I think, that brought me back through the distorted shadows of my passion; through the dark pit of envy, past snares of jealousy and malice, and the traps and pitfalls dug by Satan, safe to the trembling rock of honor once again.

Like a blind man healed by miracle, yet still groping in the precious light that mazed him, so I peering with aching eyes for those threads to guide me in my stunned perplexity.  But when at last I felt their touch, I found I held one already—­the thread of hope—­and whether for good or evil I did not drop it, but gathered all together and wove them to a rope to hold by.

“What is it I must swear,” I asked, cold to the knees.

“Never again to kiss me.”

“Never again.”

“Nor to caress me.”

“Nor to caress you.”

“Nor speak of love.”

“Nor speak of love.”

“And ... that is all,” she faltered.

“No, not all.  I swear to love you always, never to forget you, never to prove unworthy in your eyes, never to wed; living, to honor you; dying, with your name upon my lips.”

She had stretched out her arms towards me as though warning me to stop; but, as I spoke slowly, weighing each word and its cost, her hands trembled and sought each other so that she stood looking at me, fingers interlocked and her sweet face as white as death.

And after a long time she came to me, and, raising my hands, kissed them; and I touched her hair with dumb lips; and she stole away through the starlight like a white ghost returning to its tomb.

And long after, long, long after, as I stood there, broke on my wrapt ears the far stroke of horse’s hoofs, nearer, nearer, until the black bulk of the rider rose up in the night and Sir Lupus came to the porch.

“Eh!  What?” he cried.  “Sir George away with the Palatine rebels?  Where?  Gone to Stanwix?  Now Heaven have mercy on him for a madman who mixes in this devil’s brew!  And he’ll drown me with him, too!  Dammy, they’ll say that I’m in with him.  But I’m not!  Curse me if I am.  I’m neutral—­neither rebel nor Tory—­and I’ll let ’em know it, too; only desiring quiet and peace and a fair word for all.  Damnation!”

* * * * *

And so had ended that memorable day and night; and now for two whole wretched days I had not seen Dorothy, nor heard of her save through Ruyven, who brought us news that she lay on her bed in the dark with no desire for company.