A second ago these two had stood in anger with the width of the
room betwixt them; now, in a flash, he found his head on her
lap, her lips on his. How came he there? What meant it?

"Crispin, Crispin," she cried, "thank God you did but swoon!"

Then the awakening of his soul came swift upon the awakening of
his body. He lay there, oblivious of his wound, oblivious of
his mission, oblivious of his son. He lay with senses still
half dormant and comprehension dulled, but with a soul alert he
lay, and was supremely happy with a happiness such as he had
never known in all his ill-starred life.

In a feeble voice he asked:

"Why did you run away?"

"Let us forget it," she answered softly.

"Nay - tell me first."

"I thought - I thought - " she stammered; then, gathering
courage, "I thought you did not really care, that you made a
toy of me," said she. "When they told me that you sat at dice
with a gentleman from London I was angry at your neglect. If
you loved me, I told myself, you would not have used me so, and
left me to mope alone."

For a moment Crispin let his grey eyes devour her blushing
face. Then he closed them and pondered what she had said,