l see him in your hands. She'll think the same as I do about this
night's work, and dare you to lay a finger on me if ever you want to look
in her face again."

They argued over that a bit and Chawner cussed and swore, because he said
the keepers would be on to 'em in half a minute and all lost.

And then he got another idea and challenged Samuel for the last time.

"List to this," he said. "Cicely will be sitting up, though it have gone
midnight. She knows I'm out on my occasions--lawful or otherwise--and
she'll be there with a bit of hot supper against my return. We pass the
door. And if you're still mad enough to hold out against me, you can hear
her tell about it with your own ears and see if you are more to her than
what I am. She'll hate your shadow when she hears tell of this."

And Samuel, though his mind was in a pretty state by now, agreed to it.
Chawner's confidence shook him a bit, for he wasn't a vain man; and yet he
saw pretty clear that Cicely would be called to decide betwixt father and
lover in any case, and felt the sooner the ordeal was over the better for
all concerned. They went their way and never a word more would Borlase
answer, though Green kept at him like a running brook to change his mind
and act like a sensible man and not let a piece of folly spoil his own
life. But he bided dumb until they reached the home of the Greens; and
there stood Cicely at the gate with the moon throwing its light upon her
and making her lint-white locks like snow.

"Powers in Heaven!" cried Cicely. "What be this, father?"

And her parent made haste to tell her, while Sam stood mute. But when she
heard all, the maiden made it exceeding clear how she felt on the subject
and turned upon Borlase very short and sharp.

"Let's have enough of this nonsense, Sam," she said, "You know me and I
know you. You be more to me than ever I thought a living man could be, and
I love the ground under your feet, and I be your life also, unless you're
a liar. So that's that. But a father's a father, and because my father is
more to me, after you, than all the world together, I'll ask you please to
drop this tragedy-acting and go about your business and let him come in
the house. Give me that gun and get to your work, and kiss me afore you
go."

She stretched out her hand for the gun, but he wouldn't part with it. He
stared upon her and the sweat stood in beads all over his big face.

"This be a night of doom seemingly, and I li