She spoke huskily, from the bruising of her throat by Simon Pinniger’s murderous hands.
“It is all over, Barbe. We are king and queen of the castle.”
He wished to hide all the grimness of the night’s work from her, seeing that her great eyes were ready to grow frightened and full of fear, showing that she had borne too much already in body and soul.
“John, I remember it all now—they were smothering me in the dark!”
He took her face between his two hands, and looked dearly into her eyes.
“Barbara, you are in my keeping; try and forget all that, dear heart. I came in time to scare those wolves into the night. Now you must suffer me to have my way.”
She looked up at him almost timidly, as though conscious of his nearness and the homage in his eyes. It had been dark at the tower window, but now they saw each other in the light, and a mysterious coyness covered her face.
“I will do all that you wish, John.”
“I shall take you away to-night.”
“Yes, yes; take me away from Thorn.”