So it was that the love-madness came upon me again, and that thin veneering wherewith the Christian centuries have so painfully overlaid the natural man in us was cracked and riven, and the barbarian which lies but skin-deep underneath bestirred himself and winked and blinked himself awake in giant might, as did the primal man when he rose up to look about him for his mate.

Before I knew what I would do, I was beside her, and honor, or what may stand therefor betwixt a man and his friend, was flung away.  But when I would have crushed her sweetness in my arms she went upon her knees to me....  Ah, God! she knelt to me as she had knelt to that other would-be ravisher and begged me for mine own honor’s sake to bethink me of what I would do.

“Oh, Monsieur John! be merciful as you are strong!” she pleaded.  “Think what it will mean to you, and how you will loathe me and yourself as well when this madness is overpast!  Oh, go; go quickly, lest I, too, forget—­”

And so it was that I found sudden strength to turn and leave her kneeling there; turned to grope blindly for the door with all the pains of hell aflame within me.

For now I had put honor under foot; now I knew that I had truly earned her scorn and loathing.  I could no longer plead that I was the puppet of fate flung against my will between this maiden and my dear lad.  I was the wilful offender; false to my love, false to my friend, a recreant to every oath wherewith I had bound myself to be true and loyal to these two.

With such a flaming sword to drive me forth, I stumbled from the room, thinking only how I should quickest rid me of myself.  Hastening to my garret sleeping-place I buckled on my sword, found my shako, and went straight to my Lord’s bed-chamber.  My rap at the door went unanswered, and a broad-shouldered young fellow in a lieutenant’s uniform, lounging on a settle in the clock landing of the stair, told me Lord Cornwallis was gone out.

I was face to face with this young lieutenant before I recognized him; being so bent upon haste I should have passed him on the landing without a second glance had he not risen to grip me by the shoulders.

“By the Lord Harry!” he cried, “is it thus you pass an old friend without a word, Captain Ireton?”

’Twas my good death-watch; that Lieutenant Tybee of the light-horse who had sunk the British officer in the man in that trying night at Appleby Hundred.  I returned his hearty greeting as well as I might, and would have explained my present state and standing but that I was loath to lie to him.  But as to this, he saved me the shame of it.

“I could have sworn you were no rebel, Captain Ireton; indeed, I made bold to say as much to our colonel, after it was all over.  I told him a soft word or two would have won you back to your old service.  You see I knew better than the others what lay beneath all your madnesses that night.”

“You knew somewhat, but not all,” I said; and thereupon, lest he should involve me deeper and detain me longer when I was athirst to be gone, I hastened to ask where I might hope to find his Lordship and Colonel Tarleton.