ind
the tender conscience of a woman bred to look upon the churchly rite as
final.

So, twist and turn it as I might, the coil was desperate; and as I
strode on gloomily, measuring this the first stage in a pilgrimage I had
never thought to make, a fire of sullen anger began to smoke and
smolder within me, and I could find it in my heart to curse the cruel
kindness of my rescuers; to sorrow in my inmost soul that they had come
between to make a living recreant of one who would fain have died an
honest man.

XIV

HOW THE BARONET PLAYED ROUGE-ET-NOIR

The sun was well above the tree-tops, and the morning was abroad for all
the furred and feathered wood-folk, when I forsook the Indian path to
make a prudent circle of reconnaissance around the cabin in the maple
grove.

Happily, there was no need for the cautionary measure. The hunting lodge
was undiscovered as yet by any enemy; and when I showed myself my poor
black vassals ran to do my bidding, weeping with childish joy to have me
back again.

Since old Darius was still at Appleby Hundred, Tomas ranked as
majordomo; and I bade him post the blacks in a loosely drawn sentry line
about the cabin, this against the chance that Falconnet might stumble on
the place in searching for me. For I made no doubt his Tory spies would
quickly pass the word that I was not with Abram Forney's band, and hence
must be in hiding.

When all was done I flung myself upon the couch of panther-skins, hoping
against hope that sleep might come to help me through the hours of
waiting. 'Twas a vain hope. There was never a wink of forgetfulness for
me in all the long watches of the summer day, and I must lie wide-eyed
and haggard, thinking night would never come, and making sure that fate
had never before walled a man in such a dungeon of despair.

There was no loophole of escape with honor; The heavens were brass, with
all the horizons narrowed to a bounding wall to hem me in on every side.
There was no sally-port in all this wall save one--the one that death
had promised to open at the dawn. The promise had been broken. True,
death had thrust the key within the lock, and I had heard the grating of
the bolts; and yet the key had been withdrawn and I was left a prisoner
of life.

There was no hope of other outlet. Now there was space to view it
calmly, I saw how foolish was the thought that Margery would connive at
any breaking of the marriage bond. She would bear my name, and hate