"My faith, you traffic in niceties!" muttered the Lean Man. "'Tis the first wine-cup any of your house has offered me these score years past."
"And 'twill be the last, belike, for another score; so drink deep, sir, while you have the chance."
Nicholas turned the flagon upside down with sudden spleen, and watched the stones darken as the wine splashed on to them. "When I drink out of your cup, Wayne of Marsh," he said, "I shall lack wine more than ever I lacked it yet."
They set off, he and Janet, and once only the girl turned for a last look at Wayne.
He watched them ride over the crest of Barguest Lane, and his lips moved to the instinctive cry, "Come back, come back!" And when his kinsfolk presently began to talk of riding home, since there would be no further need of them for that night at least, he did not urge them stay and pledge Nell's safe return. He wished to be alone with the madness that had fallen on him, wished to take counsel how to rive Janet once for all from Wildwater, and marry her, and hold her in despite of his folk and her own.
He stood idly in the courtyard while they got to horse, and Nell, seeing him apart from the rest, came to his side.
"So thou hast let all else go—all save Janet?" she said.
"Ay, I have let all else go," he answered; "and if thou canst say aught against it, Nell, after she has plucked thee out of certain ruin—why, thou'rt less than my thoughts of thee."
"'Tis carrying thankfulness a far way, Ned.—And what of our kin? Will they smile on the match, think ye?"
"They may smile or frown, as best pleases them."