"

She glanced down at his bleeding feet, and said, "on foot?"

"On foot," he answered.

"When did you leave?"

"Five days ago."

"Then you have walked night and day across the desert?"

"Night and day."

"Alone?"

"Yes, alone."

She had become more eager at every question, and now she cried, "What
has happened? What is going to happen? Do not keep it from me. I can
bear it, for I have borne many things. Tell me why have you come?"

"To save your husband," said Jason. "Hush! Listen!"

And then he told her, with many gentle protests against her ghastly
looks of fear, of the guards that were coming with the order for the
execution of Michael Sunlocks. Hearing that, she waited for no more,
but fell to a great outburst of weeping. And until her bout was spent
he stood silent and helpless beside her, with a strong man's pains at
sight of a woman's tears.

"How she loves him!" he thought, and again and again the word rang in
the empty place of his heart.

But when she had recovered herself he smiled as well as he was able
for the great drops that still rolled down his own haggard face, and
protested once more that there was nothing to fear, for he himself
had come to forestall the danger, and things were not yet so far past
help but there was still a way to compass it.

"What way?" she asked.

"The way of escape," he answered.

"Impossible," she said. "There is a war ship outside, and every path
to the shore is watched."

He laughed at that, and said that if every goat track were guarded,
yet would he make his way to the sea. And as for the war ship
outside, there was a boat within the harbor, the same that he had
come by, a Shetland smack that had made pretence to put in for
haddock, and would sail at any moment that he gave it warning.

She listened eagerly, and, though she saw but little likelihood of
escape, she clutched at the chance of it.

"When will you make the attempt?" she asked.

"Two hours before dawn to-morrow," he answered.

"Why so late?"

"Because the nights are moonlight."

"I'll be ready," she whispered.

"Make the child ready, also," he said.

"Indeed, yes," she whispered.

"Say nothing to anyone, and if anyone questions you, answer as little
as you may. Whatever you hear, whatever you see, whatever I may do or
pretend to do, speak not a word, give not a sign, change not a
feature. Do you promise?"

"Yes," she whispered, "yes, yes."

And then suddenly a new thought s