“Hush! my son, make no noise; I am here as a friend.”  Then the door closed, and Archie’s visitor produced a lighted lantern from the folds of his garments, and Archie saw that a priest stood before him.

“I thank you, father,” he said gratefully; “you have doubtless come to shrive me, and I would gladly listen to your ministrations.  I would fain intrust you, too, with a message to my mother if you will take it for me; and I would fain also that you told the Lady Marjory that she must not grieve for my death, or feel that she is in any way dishonoured by it, seeing that she strove to her utmost to keep her promise, and is in no way to blame that her uncle has overriden her.”

“You can even give her your message yourself, sir knight,” the priest said, “seeing that the wilful girl has herself accompanied me hither.”

Thus saying, he stepped aside, and Archie perceived, standing behind the priest, a figure who, being in deep shadow, he had not hitherto seen.  She came timidly forward, and Archie, bending on one knee, took the hand she held out and kissed it.

“Lady,” he said, “you have heard my message; blame not yourself, I beseech you, for my death.  Remember that after all you have lengthened my life and not shortened it, seeing that but for your interference I must have been slain as I stood, by your followers.  It was kind and good of you thus to come to bid me farewell.”

“But I have not come to bid you farewell.  Tell him, good Father Anselm, our purpose here.”

“`Tis a mad brain business,” the priest said, shrugging his shoulders; “and, priest though I am, I shall not care to meet MacDougall in the morning.  However, since this wilful girl wills it, what can I do?  I have been her instructor since she was a child; and instead of being a docile and obedient pupil, she has been a tyrannical master to me; and I have been so accustomed to do her will in all things that I cannot say her nay now.  I held out as long as I could; but what can a poor priest do against sobs and tears?  So at last I have given in and consented to risk the MacDougall’s anger, to bring smiles into her face again.  I have tried in vain to persuade her that since it is the chief’s doing, your death will bring no dishonour upon her.  I have offered to absolve her from the promise, and if she has not faith in my power to do so, to write to the pope himself and ask for his absolution for any breach that there may be; but I might as well have spoken to the wind.  When a young lady makes up her mind, stone walls are less difficult to move; so you see here we are.  Wound round my waist are a hundred feet of stout rope, with knots tied three feet apart.  We have only now to ascend the stairs to the platform above and fix the rope, and in an hour you will be far away among the woods.”

Archie’s heart bounded with joy with the hope of life and freedom; but he said quietly, “I thank you, dear lady, with all my heart for your goodness; but I could not accept life at the cost of bringing your uncle’s anger upon you.”