Martin, go and shave!"

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.

Now as I stood watching her leave me, I heard the sudden roar of a gun,
and glancing towards the ship