d the
hitherward sands of this desert of despair, a man may well pause to gird
his loins, to cross himself and patter such a prayer for strength and
fortitude as his creed hath taught him.

To such a faring through all the days and nights of this grim desert of
a future these lonely hours in the wine vault were a fitting vigil, as I
conceived; and when I had hugged my misery close, and a sort of
monstrous self-pity had come to make a seeming virtue of the hard
necessity, I was best pleased to be alone. In such a frame of mind the
sound of footsteps in the out-cellar, warning me that more company was
coming, sent a wave of sullen anger to submerge me, and I do think 'twas
in me to turn my back upon a friend who should come to tell me I was
free to go at large.

Since I had led forth the good horses the great oaken door had stood
ajar. So I wondered why my visitor made so much ado rattling the key in
the lock. Then it came to me suddenly that the noise and delay were
meant to give me timely warning; and at the scent of threatening
peril--a peril I might cope with and grapple soldierwise--I became a man
again. A sweep of my hat sent the sputtering candle flying from its
barrel head to the farther corner of the vault, and I dropped quickly
behind a row of empty wine-butts to await what should befall.

Had she been a ghost, Mistress Margery would scarce have startled me
more when she swung the door to let me see her. She was gowned in her
best; there was a heightened color in her cheek; her eyes were like
stars. Truly, I do think I never saw her so beautiful as she appeared at
that moment, standing under the massive arch of the doorway with her
candle held high to light the inner gloom.

"This way, Scipio," she said, tripping ahead of the mulatto to point out
the madeira bin. "We shall give my Lord and his gentlemen the best the
Appleby cellar holds to speed their parting." Wherewith she stood aside
to wait whilst he filled his basket with the straw-cased bottles.

At this I saw why she had come. Lord Cornwallis and his gentlemen were
about to take the road, and the wine was wanted for the stirrup-cup.
Trusting my fate to no hand less loyal than her own, she had come
herself with Scipio to stand betwixt me and possible discovery. And her
word to the serving man was also a word to me to let me know my
prisonment was near an end.

I thought it a most generous thing in her; the last of all her many
wifely loyalties; and