Warwick Deeping

“ It stood half open, with the oak bar leaning against the wall.
"Quick—let us bar the door!"
"Let the door bide as it is. Take courage, Nicolette! Listen!"
The splashing had ceased, and out of the stillness of the night came the sound of rapid and heavy breathing. The pupils of Nicolette's eyes dilated, and her lips moved as though she were praying. Skelton put himself between her and the door.
Soft, paddling footsteps crossed the courtyard. The two in the hall waited, wondering what the torchlight would reveal. Skelton's eyes were set steadily towards the door. ”

“ The red knight was a big man and no lap-dog. He dropped his shield, and, putting both hands to his sword, he fell upon Skelton like a labourer flailing corn. The blows came with a savage clatter, but they were rash, tempestuous blows that a cool fighter could put aside. Skelton gave back, guarding himself and watching his man.
Then the red knight showed his colour. He swerved aside and made a rush towards the dais, where Nicolette sat very white and still. The great sword flew up. Her brown eyes watched it as though bewitched. ”

“ A full moon had just topped the forest, and its light lit the whole courtyard, save where the palisade threw a deep black shadow.
Skelton held his breath and listened. A faint, creaking sound came to his ears, and the swish of a rope striking the water.
"Thunder! Someone has swum across and unfastened the barge!"
A black figure darted into the moonlit courtyard, stood motionless a moment, and then began to steal towards the porch. Skelton saw that it came alone. He drew back behind the half-closed door, standing close to the wall. ”

“ Waste no pity! Let it be done quickly!"
A dozen thoughts hastened together through Skelton's mind. "By my honour, she is but a child! Is it madness, or some terror greatly to be feared? What manner of man am I held to be? And this sword, too? Those eyes of hers stare one into stammering." He went forward three steps, and, dropping the point of his sword to the floor, looked at her compassionately with his shrewd grey eyes. ”

“ Utter weariness had given Nicolette sleep, but a horror of the place lived in her eyes as she looked back across the water. Death and dishonour remained there, and she dreaded the hard, cold eyes of the world.
Skelton had crossed before it was light to discover whether the Lord of Mount Badon had left men hidden in the woods. He had found two horses tethered to a tree, and had unfastened the beasts and turned them loose into the forest. Now he was cutting the ferry rope and sending the barge adrift on the water.
He came, and saw Nicolette's frightened eyes.
"Look not back at life," he said. ”

“ Rather would I feel the sword in my heart!"
He looked at her with compassion.
"Madame, I tell you that you speak in riddles. Some great fear is upon you. Take courage. Is a Skelton of Skeltons a man likely to bring you death?"
His man's pride sounded a new note. Shading her eyes with her hand, she bent towards him and looked intently into his face.
"You do not look like one who has been sent to kill." ”

“ Skelton shaded his eyes with his hand. The gable end of a house, dark and shaggy with thatch, discovered itself in the thick of the island orchard. Moreover, he saw a wooden landing-stage, with a barge moored there, where kingcups studded the banks with gold, and flags thrust their green swords up out of the water.
"H'm!" said he. "No smoke is rising. Has death been there? ”

“ I touched neither food nor drink, and sometimes I cried aloud with fear. Nor had I courage in me to fly into the forest. Death is there. For three days I have had a voice near me; it speaks, and I listen. 'Death comes,' it says; 'if not with poison, then with the sword.' Do not laugh. It is true. I know that my lord desires my death."
She lay back panting, her hands over her bosom. Skelton was walking to and fro, clean, lithe, hawk-faced fighter that he was, trained from his youth to arms and to the governing of his manhood. This Norman girl, Nicolette, had spoken the truth. ”

“ In an hour twilight would fall, and the forest at night was no place for a man who knew not the ways.
"Nicolette," he said, "you shall rest here to-night, and I will stand on guard. But first you must eat. I left my horse over the water, and there is food for three days in the saddle-bag. I will go and bring him over."
He left her there, and forced upon himself a task that was done for pity and not for joy. Taking the body of the old man from the porch, he laid it in an outhouse, and, dragging the hound to the same place, he left it beside the body of the man. Skelton's face looked older. ”

“ The road forked by the three thorns.
Mounting the hill, he saw a figure in blue seated at the foot of the stone cross. The man sat huddled up as though asleep, his hood drawn forward over his face. Beside him lay a lute, a leather wallet, and a stout staff. The sunlight, streaming from behind two cloud masses, fell full upon the heath, but the thorn trees threw three patches of ragged shadow, and one of the shadow patches covered the man by the cross.
"Hallo, there!"
The man in blue still slept. Skelton could see the black peak of a pointed beard jutting out under the hood. ”

“ The bay horse he rode had its harness of red leather studded with bosses of burnished steel.
"Come now," said he to himself, "may Our Lady confound that rogue of a hedge priest! What was it—right or left by the three thorns? Send me to Mount Carmel, but I have forgotten!"
His brown face looked grave and a little grim. The forest was not merciful to strangers, even when a haughty and adventurous spirit looked at life out of shrewd, steel-bright eyes.
"At the stone cross by the three thorns on the heath? Yes, to be sure. And I gave the lousel a groat! 'Pax tecum, lording. ”

“ He caught her and held her fast.
"My desire, I am stronger than death!"
She put up her mouth to be kissed.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1950, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 73 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”