nd its way back towards
Acol Court.

Sir Marmaduke lingered behind for a while, of set purpose: he had no
wish to walk beside either Editha or Lady Sue, so he took some time in
mounting his nag, which had been tethered in the rear of the forge. His
intention was to keep the men with the lanterns in sight, for--though
there were no dangerous footpads in Thanet--yet Sir Marmaduke's mood was
not one that courted isolation on a dark and lonely road.

Therefore, just before he saw the dim lights of the lanterns
disappearing down the road, which at this point makes a sharp dip before
rising abruptly once more on the outskirts of the wood, Sir Marmaduke
finally put his foot in the stirrup and started to follow.

The mare had scarce gone a few paces before he saw the figure of a woman
detaching itself from the little group on ahead, and then turning and
walking rapidly back towards the village. He could not immediately
distinguish which of the two ladies it was, for the figure was totally
hidden beneath the ample folds of cloak and hood, but soon as it
approached, he perceived that it was Editha.

He would have stopped her by barring the way, he even thought of
dismounting, thinking mayhap that she had left something behind at the
cottage, and cursing his men for allowing her to return alone, but quick
as a flash of lightning she ran past him, dragging her hood closer over
her face as she ran.

He hesitated for a few seconds, wondering what it all meant: he even
turned the mare's head round to see whither Editha was going. She had
already reached the railing and gate in front of the cottage; the next
moment she had lifted the latch, and Sir Marmaduke could see her blurred
outline, through the rising mist, walking quickly along the flagged
path, and then he heard her peremptory knock at the cottage door.

He waited a while, musing, checking the mare, who longed to be getting
home. He fully expected to see Editha return within the next minute or
so, for--vaguely through the fast-gathering gloom--he had perceived that
someone had opened the door from within, a thin ray of yellowish light
falling on Editha's cloaked figure. Then she disappeared into the
cottage.

On ahead the swaying lights of the lanterns were rapidly becoming more
and more indistinguishable in the distance. Apparently Editha's
departure from out the little group had not been noticed by the others.
The men were ahead, and Sue, mayhap, was too deeply absorb