Left alone I betook me to my razors and shaved me with unwonted care, yet hearkening for her quick, light step the while.
Scarce was my labour ended that I thought to hear the rustle of leaves and hasted from the cave, calling on her name and mighty joyous and eager: "Damaris! Art here at last, dear my lady!" And so came face to face with Sir Rupert.
He stood smiling at my discomfiture, yet his black brows were close--but he halted and folded his arms and I could see the betraying bulge of the pistol on his great side-pocket. For a while he measured me with his eye, at last he spoke: "Within the hour my Lady Brandon sails for England, and from this hour you will forget my Lady Brandon ever existed or--"
"Tush, man!" says I, "Begone, you weary me."
"Or," he went on with an airy gesture of his hand, "I shall cure your weariness for good--"
"Shoot me?"
"Most joyfully! Whatsoever hath chanced betwixt you in this wilderness, my Lady Brandon's honour must and--"
Warned by my look he clapped hand to his pocket but as he freed the weapon I was upon him, grasping his pistol-hand. For a moment we swayed together, he striving frantically to break my hold, I to wrest the weapon from him, then it exploded, and uttering a sudden, long-drawn gasp he sank to the grass at my feet and lay very mute and still. Whilst I yet stared from his pallid face to the pistol where it had fallen, I heard shouts, a running of feet, and glancing up saw the three gentlemen, his companions, standing at gaze, motionless; then suddenly, they turned and hasted away, crying "murder" on me as they ran. Like one in a dream I stared down at Sir Rupert's motionless form, until I was aware of my lady beside him on her knees and of the pallor of her face as she looked from him to me, her eyes wide with horror: "If you have killed him, Martin--if you have killed him, here is an end of our happiness--God forgive you!"
Now would I have spoken but found no words, for in this moment I knew that Sir Rupert was surely dead. Dumbly I watched the passionate labour of her dexterous hands, saw them pause at last to clasp and wring themselves in helpless despair, saw the three gentlemen, obedient to her word, stoop and lift that limp form and bear it slowly away towards Deliverance Sands and she going beside them.