here again 'twas Tybee and the lawyer who were the witnesses; the one
well hated, and the other loved if but for this; that when the time came
for the giving of the ring, he drew a gold band from his little finger
and made me take and use it.

And so that deed was done in some such sorry fashion as the time and
place constrained; and had you stood within the four walls of that upper
room you would have thought the chill of death had touched us, and that
the low-voiced priest was shriving us the while we knelt to take his
benediction. All through this farce--which was in truth the grimmest of
all tragedies--my lady played her part as one who walks in sleep; and at
the end she let her father lead her out with not a word or look or sign
to me.

You'd guess that I would take it hard--her leaving of me thus, as I made
sure, for all eternity; and I did take it hard. For when the strain was
off, and there was no one by to see or hear save my good-hearted
death-watch, I must needs go down upon my knees beside the bed in
childish weakness, and sob and choke and let the hot tears come as I had
not since at this same bedside I had knelt a little lad to take my
mother's dying love.




XII

HOW THE NEWS CAME TO UNWELCOME EARS