A great branch ran up to the wall at a right angle; it seemed made for
her intent. Sitting with your legs out of the window it was easy to
take hold of a branch. She tried; it was easy, but not in a cloak. So
she sat again on the sill, took off her cloak, and tried once more.
Soon she was out of the window, swinging by the branch. Then her feet
touched another, and very slowly (for she was panic-stricken at the
least noise) she worked her way downwards to the trunk of the great
tree. Once there it was easy; she was soon on the ground. But she had
no notion what to do next, save that she must do it at once--whither
to turn, how to get out of the wood the best and safest way. Then
another thing struck her. She would be chased, that was of course. She
had been chased before, and tracked, and caught. Little as she could
dare that, what chance had she, a young girl flying loose in this part
of the forest, a young girl decently dressed, looking as she knew now
that she looked; what chance had she indeed? Well, what was she to do?
She remembered Vincent.
Vincent and Nanno did not sleep in the tower: that would have been
inconvenient in Maulfry's view. They had a little outhouse not ten
paces from it, and slept there. Thither went Isoult, jumping at every
snapt twig; the door yielded easily, but which bed should she try?
Nanno, she knew, snored, for Vincent had once made her laugh by
recounting his troubles under the spell of it. Well, the left-hand bed
was undoubtedly Nanno's at that rate; Isoult went to the right-hand
bed and felt delicately with her hand at its head. Vincent's curls!
Then she knelt down and put her face close to the boy's, whispering in
his ear.
"Whisper, Vincent, whisper," she said; "whisper back to me. Do you
love me, Vincent? Whisper."
"You know that I love you, Isoult," Vincent whispered. "Hush! not too
loud," said she again. "Vincent, will you get up and come into the
wood with me? I want to tell you something. Will you come very quietly
indeed?"
"Yes," said Vincent. The whole breathless intercourse worked into his
dreams of her; but he woke and sat up.
"Come," said Isoult. She crept out again to wait for him.
Vincent came out in his night-gown. The moon showed him rather scared,
but there was no doubt about his sentiments. Love-blind Isoult herself
could have no doubt. She lost no time.
"Vincent, I must tell you everything. I shall be in your hands, at
your mercy. I must go away at once, Vincent. If I stay another hour I
shall never see the daylight again. They will kill me, Vincent, or do
that which no one can speak of. Then I shall kill myself. This is
quite true. I have seen something to-night. There is no doubt at all.
Will you help me, Vincent?"