"Mistress Nancy."
She turned herself round quickly, and I saw her eyes gleam with the fires of hatred and anger. Her face was pale and hard, her whole body was rigid; but as her eyes caught mine, a change came over her as quick as a flash of light. In a second her eyes became soft and humid, her hands became unclenched, her form lost its rigidity, and a rosy flush mantled her face. It was as though a cold cruel night in January had changed to a smiling June morning.
Her lips parted to speak, but she only uttered one word, but that word opened the gates of Heaven to me.
"Roger!"
It was a cry of surprise, of infinite relief, of untold joy.
I opened my arms. I could not help doing so, and I am sure she saw that my eyes burned with the fires of love. I took two steps towards her, my arms still extended.
"Nancy," I said.
Then she came towards me and fell upon my shoulder.
"He told me you were in the power of the Killigrews," she sobbed, "and that to-night you would die."
I held her to my heart a moment, knowing nothing, understanding nothing, save that I was in Heaven. I had never hoped for this. Did such a mad fancy enter my mind, I had dispelled it as something as impossible as Heaven might be to a lost soul. Oh! but I never knew the meaning of life or joy until that moment. She my dear, dear maid, lay with her head pillowed on my shoulder, while her shining hair mingled with my own unkempt locks.