Part 21 (1/2)

”Lean on me, Philip.”

”No, no, I can walk.”

”Do take my arm.”

”Oh no, Kate, I'm strong enough.”

”Just to please me.”

”Well--very well.”

Ross looked on with jealous rage. His horse, frightened by the fight, had twirled round and round till the reins were twisted into a knot about the gorse stump, and as he liberated the beast he flogged it back till it flew around him. Then he vaulted to the saddle, tugged at the curb, and the horse reared. ”Down,” he cried with an oath, and lashed brutally at the horse's head.

Meantime Kate, going past him with Philip on her arm, was saying softly, ”Are you feeling better, Philip?”

And Ross, looking on in sulky meditation, sent a harsh laugh out of his hot throat, and said, ”Oh, you can make your mind easy about _him_, if your other man fights for you like that you'll do. Thought you'd have three of them, did you? Or perhaps you only wanted me for your decoy?

Why don't you kiss him now, when he can know it? But he's a beauty to take care of you for somebody else. Fighting for the other one, eh?

Stuff and humbug! Take him home, and the curse of Judas on the brace of you.”

So saying, he burst into wild, derisive laughter, flogged his horse on the ears and the nose, shouted ”Down, you brute, down!” and shot off at a gallop across the open Curragh.

Philip and Kate stood where he had left them till he had disappeared in the mist rising off the marshy land, and the hud of his horse's hoofs could be no more heard. Their heads were down, and though their arms were locked, their faces were turned half aside. There was silence for some time. The girl's eyelids quivered; her look was anxious and helpless. Then Philip said, ”Let us go home,” and they began to walk together.

Not another word did they speak. Neither looked into the other's eyes.

Their entwined arms slackened a little in a pa.s.sionless asundering, yet both felt that they must hold tight or they would fall. It was almost as if Ross's parting taunt had uncovered their hearts to each other, and revealed to themselves their secret. They were like other children of the garden of Eden, driven out and stripped naked.

At the bridge they met Caesar, Grannie, Nancy Joe, and half the inhabitants of Sulby, abroad with lanterns in search of them.

”They're here,” cried Caesar. ”You've chastised him, then! You'd bait his head off, I'll go bail. And I believe enough you'll be forgiven, sir. Yonder blow was almost bitterer than flesh can bear. Before my days of grace--but, praise the Lord for His restraining hand, the very minute my anger was up He crippled me in the hip with rheumatics. But what's this?” holding the lantern over his head; ”there's blood on your face, sir?”

”A scratch--it's nothing,” said Philip.

”It's the women that's in every mischief,” said Caesar.

”Lord bless me, aren't the women as good as the men?” said Nancy.

”H'm,” said Caesar. ”We're told that man was made a little lower than the angels, but about women we're just left to our own conclusions.”

”Scripture has nothing to do with Ross Christian, father,” said Grannie.

”The Lord forbid it,” said Caesar. ”What can you get from a cat but his skin? And doesn't the man come from Christian Ballawhaine!”

”If it comes to that, though, haven't we all come from Adam?” said Grannie.

”Yes; and from Eve too, more's the pity,” said Caesar.

VI.