She began to knock, first softly, then more desperately. She must get in. Nothing was to be heard except her own despairing dinthe house seemed plunged in[Pg 316] sleep. Rose's fear grew, spread black bat's wings, and darkened all her thoughtsfor she knew that someone must have heard her, she could not make all this racket quite unheard.
"And is this the way, misguided zealot?" cried Sudbury"is this the way that you preach peace? What hast thou done with the royal Richard?"The hymn faltered and stopped when the door banged, but the next moment the minister caught it up again, and hurled it after Reuben's indignant retreat:
Director
"Margaret," said the dying man, as he raised himself a little from his bed, "I know not why I sent for you, or why I dragged my weary limbs from beyond the sea to this place; but as I felt my hour was coming, I longed to look upon you again. You are and have been happyyour looks bespeak it: but, Margaret, what do mine tell of?Of weary days and sleepless nightsof sickness of heart, and agony of soulof crimeof painof sorrow, and deep, destroying love!" His strength was exhausted with the feeling with which he uttered this, and he sunk back on the bed.He turned from them sharply, and threw himself down on the dead bracken. Then suddenly the hunger passed. The reek of the moist earth rose up in his nostrils; it was the scent of his love, who was sweeter to him than ever Naomi was to Harry. His hand stole over the short, mould-smelling grass, caressing it. He had a love more beautiful than Harry's, whose comeliness would stay unwithered through the years, whose fruitfulness would make him great, whose allure was salted with a hundred dangers.... His fingers dug themselves into the earth, and he embraced Boarzell with wide-flung trembling arms. "My land!" he cried"mine!mine!"