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He answered straightway, and said, “This once will I speak to thee, but if thou dost not unbar the door o’ th’ instant, I will never hold speech with thee again, nor touch so much as the hem of thy garments, by the living God!”

She said, “I cannot! I cannot! But oh! say not such dreadful words. We will be happy. ‘Tis for that I keep thee here. Speak to me! Ernle! Ernle! Ernle! Call me thy love once more! Just once! just once!”

But she might as well have plead at the door o’ a tomb for all the answer she got. Again and again she called him, but a dead man speaks no more than spoke her lord. And at last she sprang to her feet, and rushed away into the darkness towards the castle, and I after her.

And when I was entered in by a side door, and had changed my apparel and gone forth to inquire after her, lo! she was raving as with fever, and all they, her father, and mother, and Mistress Marian, thought that he had ridden away and left her i’ th’ park, having said farewell to them ere he and my lady did set forth to walk. And they strove to comfort her.

The morrow was scarce dawned when she was up and dressed, and stealing through the covert to the door o’ th’ cave. I followed her, for she heeded me no more, now that I had taken the oath, knowing that I would be torn in pieces ere I would betray my trust. When she was come to the door, she kneeled down and leaned her head against it, and called to him, with a voice so exquisite low, ’twas almost as though one should hear the spirit when it speaks within, and she saith, “Ernle–my love–my love.”

And all was still as death. And she said, “Darling, feel with thy hands for the bread and wine. It is near thee on the right o’ th’ door as thou enterest in. Two bottles o’ wine and some loaves o’ bread.”

But he answered her neither by word or sighing. And she said, “Wouldst thou break my heart?” Then, when she saw that he would not answer her, she cast herself face down along the ground, and tore up the grass with her hands, and pressed down her face into the damp earth. And after a while (for th’ looks o’t) she rose and went back to the castle.

At nightfall there rode a man to the castle gate with papers, wherein my Lord Falkland did question wherefore Lord Radnor had not answered the summons. And all they were amazed and looked at one another. The messenger said, moreover, “If that it cannot be proven ere to-morrow night that the Lord Radnor hath been the victim o’ foul play, he will be branded as a deserter throughout the land.”

Thy grandfather gave one cry, “Murdered!” and the sound of it stilled the life in me that I fell down as one dead. And when I had once more come to the possession o’ my wits, Jock did tell me as how ’twas already whispered in the village that the young lord had deserted the cause, and had set sail in secret for the New World. Upon this, I straightway swooned again. And when I was recovered enough to stand upon my feet and go forth from my chamber, behold! there was a silence over all the house, as in a house where the best beloved has died in the night.

Men scoured the country far and near, in search o’ th’ murdered body o’ th’ young lord. And ’twas now the evening o’ th’ third day. But my lady meant not to open the door until the morrow, for if she opened it ere then, she knew not but what matters might be righted, and her lord ride to the wars in spite o’ all. When it was nigh to sunset she did creep forth and kneel at the door o’ th’ cave, and call to him in that beautiful, gentle voice, “Ernle! Ernle! my love! my darling!”