Riding along, I meditated upon Lorna’s history; how many things were now beginning to unfold themselves, which had been obscure and dark!  For instance, Sir Ensor Doone’s consent, or to say the least his indifference, to her marriage with a yeoman; which in a man so proud (though dying) had greatly puzzled both of us.  But now, if she not only proved to be no grandchild of the Doone, but even descended from his enemy, it was natural enough that he should feel no great repugnance to her humiliation.  And that Lorna’s father had been a foe to the house of Doone I gathered from her mother’s cry when she beheld their leader.  Moreover that fact would supply their motive in carrying off the unfortunate little creature, and rearing her among them, and as one of their own family; yet hiding her true birth from her.  She was a “great card,” as we say, when playing All-fours at Christmas-time; and if one of them could marry her, before she learned of right and wrong, vast property, enough to buy pardons for a thousand Doones, would be at their mercy.  And since I was come to know Lorna better, and she to know me thoroughly—­many things had been outspoken, which her early bashfulness had kept covered from me.  Attempts I mean to pledge her love to this one, or that other; some of which perhaps might have been successful, if there had not been too many.

And then, as her beauty grew richer and brighter, Carver Doone was smitten strongly, and would hear of no one else as a suitor for her; and by the terror of his claim drove off all the others.  Here too may the explanation of a thing which seemed to be against the laws of human nature, and upon which I longed, but dared not to cross-question Lorna.  How could such a lovely girl, although so young, and brave, and distant, have escaped the vile affections of a lawless company?

But now it was as clear as need be.  For any proven violence would have utterly vitiated all claim upon her grand estate; at least as those claims must be urged before a court of equity.  And therefore all the elders (with views upon her real estate) kept strict watch on the youngers, who confined their views to her personality.

Now I do not mean to say that all this, or the hundred other things which came, crowding consideration, were half as plain to me at the time, as I have set them down above.  Far be it from me to deceive you so.  No doubt my thoughts were then dark and hazy, like an oil-lamp full of fungus; and I have trimmed them, as when they burned, with scissors sharpened long afterwards.  All I mean to say is this, that jogging along to a certain tune of the horse’s feet, which we call “three-halfpence and twopence,” I saw my way a little into some things which had puzzled me.

When I knocked at the little door, whose sill was gritty and grimed with sand, no one came for a very long time to answer me, or to let me in.  Not wishing to be unmannerly, I waited a long time, and watched the sea, from which the wind was blowing; and whose many lips of waves—­though the tide was half-way out—­spoke to and refreshed me.  After a while I knocked again, for my horse was becoming hungry; and a good while after that again, a voice came through the key-hole,—­