‘And now, my lord, I care no more for life.’

‘Stuff and nonsense!’ exclaimed the marquis.  ’Thinkest though the roundhead would have let thee run to Rupert?  It was not to that end he spared thy life.  Thy only chance was to fight him.’

‘Does your lordship think so indeed?’ asked Rowland, with a glimmer of eagerness.

’On my soul I do.  Thou art weak-headed from thy sickness and weariness.’

‘You comfort me, my lord—­a little.  But the stolen mare, my lord?—­’

’Ah! there indeed I can say nothing.  That was not well done, and evil came thereof.  But comfort thyself that the evil is come and gone; and think not that such chances are left to determine great events.  Naseby fight had been lost, spite of a hundred messages to Rupert.  Not care for life, boy!  Leave that to old men like me.  Thou must care for it, for thou hast many years before thee.’

‘But nothing to fill them with, my lord.’

’What meanest thou there, Rowland?  The king’s cause will yet prosper, and—­’

’Pardon me, my lord; I spoke not of the king’s majesty or his affairs.  Hardly do I care even for them.  It is a nameless weight, or rather emptiness, that oppresseth me.  Wherefore is there such a world?  I ask, and why are men born thereinto?  Why should I live on and labour on therein?  Is it not all vanity and vexation of spirit?  I would the roundhead had but struck a little deeper, and reached my heart.’

’I admire at thee, Rowland.  Truly my gout causeth me so great grief that I have much ado to keep my unruly member within bounds, but I never yet was aweary of my life, and scarce know what I should say to thee.’

A pause followed.  The marquis did not think what a huge difference there is between having too much blood in the feet and too little in the brain.

’I pray, sir, can you tell me if mistress Dorothy knoweth it was before Heywood I fell?’ said Rowland at length.

’I know not; but methinks had she known, I should sooner have heard the thing myself.  Who indeed should tell her, for Shafto knew it not?  And why should she conceal it?’

‘I cannot tell, my lord:  she is not like other ladies.’

’She is like all good ladies in this, that she speaketh the truth:  why then not ask her?’

’I have had no opportunity, my lord.  I have not seen her since I left to join the army.’

‘Tut, tut!’ said his lordship, and frowned a little.  ’I thought not the damsel had been over nice.  She might well have favoured a wounded knight with a visit.’

‘She is not to blame.  It is my own fault,’ sighed Rowland.

The marquis looked at him for a moment pitifully, but made no answer, and presently took his leave.

He went straight to Dorothy, and expostulated with her.  She answered him no farther or otherwise than was simply duteous, but went at once to see Scudamore.

Mistress Watson was in the room when she entered, but left it immediately:  she had never been in spirit reconciled to Dorothy:  their relation had in it too much of latent rebuke for her.  So Dorothy found herself alone with her cousin.