if it's your will I'll begone in peace."

"Ay," answered John, setting his thin lips, "because you are a coward,
woman-thief, and seek to live that you may bring shame upon our House.
Well, that will pass when you die presently!"

"John, John, boast not," cried Eve. "Who has shown you where you will
sleep to-night?"

"Whether I shall live or die, God knows alone," said Hugh solemnly. "But
what I seek to know is, should it chance to be your lot to die, whether
your people or this Frenchman will set on me, or raise a blood-feud
against me. Tell me now, Sir John Clavering."

"If you kill my son in combat _à outrance_, he being the challenger,"
answered the knight, "none shall lift hand against you for that deed
if I can hold them back. But know that I have other cause of quarrel
against you"--and he pointed to his daughter--"and that if you meddle
more with her, who is not for you, certainly you shall die."

"And, young sir," broke in Sir Edmund, "I pray you to understand that
this Lady Eve to-morrow becomes my wife with the will of her father and
her kin; and that if you try to stand between us, although I may not
fight you, seeing what I am and what you are, I'll kill you like a rat
when and where I get the chance! Yes," he added, in a savage snarl, "I
pledge my knightly honour that I will kill you like a rat, if I must
follow you across the world to do so!"

"You will not have need to travel far if I have my will," answered the
young man sternly, "since Red Eve is mine, not yours, and, living or