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"Youwon’twantyourhorseto—night，becauseyoucan’tusehim，"hesaid。"IshallputMissVanderpoel’ssaddleuponhimandridewithherbacktoStornham。Youthinkyouarecuttopieces，butyouarenot，andyou’llgetoverit。I’llaskyoutomark，however，thatifyouopenyourfoulmouthtoinsinuateliesconcerningeitherLadyAnstruthersorhersisterIwilldothisthingagaininpublicsomeday——onthestepsofyourclub——anddoitmorethoroughly。"
Hewalkedintothecottagesoonafterwardslooking，toBettyVanderpoel’seyes，paleandexceptionallybig，andalsomoreamanthanitisoftengiveneventothemostvirilemalecreaturetolook——andhewalkedtothesideofherrestingplaceandstoodtherelookingdown。
"IthoughtIheardadoghowl，"shesaid。
"Youdidhearadoghowl，"heanswered。Hesaidnootherword，andsheaskednofurtherquestion。Sheknewwhathehaddone，andhewaswellawarethatsheknewit。
Therewasalong，strangelytensesilence。Thelightofthemoonwasgrowing。Shemadeatfirstnoefforttorise，butlaystillandlookedupathimfromundersplendidliftedlashes，whilehisowngazefellintothedepthofherslikeaplummetintoadeeppool。Thiscontinuedforalmostafullminute，whenheturnedquicklyawayandwalkedtothehearth，indrawingaheavybreath。
Hecouldnotendurethatwhichbesethim；itwasunbearable，becausehereyeshadmaddeninglyseemedtoaskhimsomewistfulquestion。Whydidsheletherlovelinesssocalltohim。Shewasnotatriflerwhocouldplaywithmeanings。
Perhapsshedidnotknowwhatherpowerwas。Sometimeshecouldbelievethatbeautifulwomendidnot。
Inafewmoments，almostbeforehecouldreachher，shewasrising，andwhenshegotupshesupportedherselfagainsttheopendoor，standinginthemoonlight。Ifhewaspale，shewaspalealso，andherlargeeyeswouldnotmovefromhisface，sodrawinghimthathecouldnotkeepawayfromher。
"Listen，"hebrokeoutsuddenly。"Penzancetoldme——
warnedme——thatsometimeamomentwouldcomewhichwouldbestrongerthanallelseinaman——thanallelseintheworld。Ithascomenow。Letmetakeyouhome。"
"Thanwhatelse？"shesaidslowly，andbecameevenpalerthanbefore。
Hestrovetoreleasehimselffromthepossessionofthemoment，andinhisstruggleansweredwithasortofsavagery。
"Thanscruple——thanpower——eventhanaman’sdeterminationanddecentpride。"
"Areyouproud？"shehalfwhisperedquitebrokenly。"I
amnot——sinceIwaitedfortheringingofthechurchbell——
sinceIheardittoll。Afterthattheworldwasempty——anditwasasemptyofdecentprideasofeverythingelse。Therewasnothingleft。Iwasthehumblestbrokenthingonearth。"
"You！"hegasped。"DoyouknowIthinkIshallgomaddirectlyperhapsitishappeningnow。YOUwerehumbleandbroken——yourworldwasempty！Because————？"
"Lookatme，LordMountDunstan，"andthesweetestvoiceintheworldwasatender，wildlittlecrytohim。"OhLOOKatme！"
Hecaughtherout—thrownhandsandlookeddownintothebeautifulpassionatesoulofher。Themomenthadcome，andthetidalwaverisingtoitsheightsweptallthecommonearthawaywhen，withasavagesob，hecaughtandheldhercloseandhardagainstthatwhichthuddedracinginhisbreast。
Andtheystoodandswayedtogether，foldedineachother’sarms，whilethewindfromthemarsheslifteditsvoicelikeanexultinghumanthingasitsweptaboutthem。
CHAPTERXLIX
ATSTORNHAMANDATBROADMORLANDS
Theexultingwindhadsweptthecloudsaway，andthemoonrodeinadarkblueseaofsky，makingthenightlightpurelyclear，whentheydrewalittleapart，thattheymightbetterseethewonderfulnessineachother’sfaces。Itwassomysteriouslygreatathingthattheyfeltneartoawe。
"Ifoughttoolong。Iworeoutmybody’sendurance，andnowIamquakinglikeaboy。RedGodwyndidnotbeginhiswooinglikethis。Forgiveme，"MountDunstansaidatlast。
"Doyouknow，"withlovelytremblinglipsandvoice，"thatforlong——long——youhavebeenunkindtome？"
Itwasmerelyhumanthatheshouldswiftlyenfoldheragain，andanswerwithhislipsagainsthercheek。
"Unkind！Unkind！Oh，theheavenlywoman’ssweetnessofyourtellingmeso——theheavenlysweetnessofit！"heexclaimedpassionatelyandlow。"AndIwasoneofthosewhoare`bytheroadsideeverywhere，’anunkempt，ragingbeggar，whomightnotdecentlyaskyouforacrust。"
"Itwasallwrong——wrong！"shewhisperedbacktohim，andhepouredforththetenderest，fiercewordsofconfessionandprayer，andshelistened，drinkingthemin，withnowandthenasoftsobpressedagainsttheroughnessoftheenrapturingtweed。Foraspacetheyhadbothforgottenherhurt，becausethereareotherthingsthanterrorwhichhypnotisepain。MountDunstanwastobepraisedforrememberingitfirst。HemusttakeherbacktoStornhamandhersisterwithoutfurtherdelay。
"IwillputyoursaddleonAnstruthers’horse，ormine，andliftyoutoyourseat。Thereisafarmhouseabouttwomilesaway，whereIwilltakeyoufirstforfoodandwarmth。Perhapsitwouldbewellforyoutostaytheretorestforanhourorso，andIwillsendamessagetoLadyAnstruthers。"
"Iwillgototheplace，andeatanddrinkwhatyouadvise，"sheanswered。"ButIbegyoutotakemebacktoRosaliewithoutdelay。IfeelthatImustseeher。"
"IfeelthatImustseeher，too，"hesaid。"Butforher——Godblessher！"headded，afterhissuddenpause。
Bettyknewthattheexclamationmeantstrongfeeling，andthatsomehowinthepasthoursRosaliehadawakenedit。Butitwasonlywhen，aftertheirrefreshmentatthefarm，theyhadtakenhorseagainandwereridinghomewardtogether，thatsheheardfromhimwhathadpassedbetweenthem。
"Allthathasledtothismayseemthemerestchance，"
hesaid。"Butsurelyastrangethinghascomeabout。I
knowthatwithoutunderstandingit。"Heleanedoverandtouchedherhand。"You，whoareLife——withoutunderstandingIrideherebesideyou，believingthatyoubroughtmeback。"
"Itried——Itried！Withallmystrength，Itried。"
"AfterIhadseenyoursisterto—day，Iguessed——Iknew。
Butnotatfirst。Iwasnotillofthefever，asexcitedrumourhadit；butIwasill，andthedoctorsandthevicarwerealarmed。Ihadfoughttoolong，andIwasgivingup，asI
haveseenthepoorfellowsintheballroomgiveup。Iftheywerenotdraggedbacktheyslippedoutofone’shands。Ifthefeverhaddeveloped，allwouldhavebeenoverquickly。
Iknewthedoctorsfearedthat，andIamashamedtosayI
wasgladofit。But，yesterday，inthemorning，whenIwaslettingmyselfgowithamorbidpleasureintheluxuriousreliefofit——somethingreachedme——someslowrisingcalltoeffortandlife。"
Sheturnedtowardshiminhersaddle，listening，herlipsparted。
"Ididnotevenaskmyselfwhatwashappening，butI
begantobeconsciousofbeingdrawnback，andtolongintenselytoseeyouagain。Iwasgraduallyfilledwitharestlessfeelingthatyouwerenearme，andthat，thoughIcouldnotphysicallyhearyourvoice，youweresurelyCALLINGtome。Itwasthethingwhichcouldnotbe——butitwas——andbecauseofitIcouldnotletmyselfdrift。"
"Ididcallyou！IwasonmykneesinthechurchaskingtobeforgivenifIprayedmadprayers——butprayingthesamethingoverandover。Thevillagerswerekneelingthere，too。
Theycrowdedin，leavingeverythingelse。Youaretheirhero，andtheywereindeepearnest。"
Hislookwasgravelypondering。H
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