Without hesitation, they threw themselves between the young men,—­Van Heemskirk facing Hyde, and the elder his son.  “Neil, you dear lad, you born fool, gie me your weapon instanter, sir!” But there was no need to say another word.  Neil fell senseless upon his sword, making in his fall a last desperate effort to reach the ribbon on Hyde’s breast; for Hyde had also dropped fainting to the ground, bleeding from at least half a dozen wounds.  Then one of Semple’s young men, who had probably defined the cause of quarrel, and who felt a sympathy for his young master, made as if he would pick up the fatal bit of orange satin, now died crimson in Hyde’s blood.

But Joris pushed the rifling hand fiercely away.  “To touch it would be the vilest theft,” he said.  “His own it is.  With his life he has bought it.”

[Illustration:  Tail-piece]

[Illustration:  Chapter heading]

VII.

“I know I felt Love’s face
Pressed on my neck, with moan of pity and grace,
Till both our heads were in his aureole.”

The news of the duel spread with the proverbial rapidity of evil news.  At the doors of all the public houses, in every open shop, on every private stoop, and at the street-corners, people were soon discussing the event, with such additions and comments as their imaginations and prejudices suggested.  One party insisted that lawyer Semple was dead; another, that it was the English officer; a third, that both died as they were being carried from the ground.

Batavius, who had lingered to the last moment at the house which he was building, heard the story from many a lip as he went home.  He was bitterly indignant at Katherine.  He felt, indeed, as if his own character for morality of every kind had been smirched by his intended connection with her.  And his Joanna!  How wicked Katherine had been not to remember that she had a sister whose spotless name would be tarnished by her kinship!  He was hot with haste and anger when he reached Van Heemskirk’s house.

Madam stood with Joanna on the front-stoop, looking anxiously down the road.  She was aware that Bram had called for his father, and she had heard them leave the house together in unexplained haste.  At first, the incident did not trouble her much.  Perhaps one of the valuable Norman horses was sick, or there was an unexpected ship in, or an unusually large order.  Bram was a young man who relied greatly on his father.  She only worried because supper must be delayed an hour, and that delay would also keep back the completion of that exquisite order in which it was her habit to leave the house for the sabbath rest.

After some time had elapsed, she went upstairs, and began to lay out the clean linen and the kirk clothes.  Suddenly she noticed that it was nearly dark; and, with a feeling of hurry and anxiety, she remembered the delayed meal.  Joanna was on the front-stoop watching for Batavius, who was also unusually late; and, like many other loving women, she could think of nothing good which might have detained him, but her heart was full only of evil apprehensions.