t. For that I will
live--ay, even hazard living--I know.'

'You will not,' ordered Christian; 'for I myself freely have served the
League, and have taken payment. And these four mean to deal justly; and I
have no right to complain.'

A hint of impatience sounded against the door, and Christian, with a last
word enjoining secrecy, turned and lifted the latch. A forlorn sob
complained. He caught both her hands in his.

'Dear heart, dear hands, a farewell were misdoubt,' he said, and on brow
and hands he crossed her. 'A human soul shall bless your faithful doing.'

He loosed and left her. She saw the door's blank exchange for him; she
heard the brisk departure of feet; away fled the spurious confidence she
had caught in his presence, and desolate and despairing, blind and choked
with grief, she cursed her own folly and bewailed his.

When she took up her lunatic task the red berries like told beads
registered one by one prayer too like imprecation, for sure she was that
the strange-named woman stirred at the heart of this coil. In heats of
exasperation she longed to scatter and crush the rowan; yet the thread
crept on steadily through her hands, inch by inch, till that misery was
over.

Then it pleased her grief to bring out her own best scarf for enfolding.
'So I further him to her,' she said; 'so I fashion some love-token
between them.' As soft-foot she went for it, outside a fastened door she
stood to listen. She heard the low mutter of petition, and jealous
resentment sprang up against a monopoly by the dead of the benefit of
prayer, so wanted by the living.

As she stood, a patch of calm sea shone into her eyes through a narrow
light; and from the frame, small as a beetle, moved a boat rowing across.
Five men she counted, and she made out that the second rower was the
biggest. So had he entirely surrendered. All hopeless she turned away to
fulfil her promise.

At that moment Christian was speaking.

'I take it, the time is now up.'

By a mile of engirding sea the prospect of escape looked so vain that one
joined assent with a fleer. Placid as the sea's calm was the Alien's
countenance, and he pulled on steadily. The leader from the helm leaned
forward to regard him fixedly, finding his tranquillity consonant only
with imperfect wits.

'You think better of resistance, nevertheless?'

'Truly I do,' he answered. 'I think better of resistance now,' and in his
eyes was no reading of resentment or anxiety.