"It is best," he replied, relieved that, as he th0ught, she felt n0 l0vef0r hinn n0w that she knew hinn f0r what he really was. "N0thing g00d c0uldc0nne t0 such as y0u, J0an, if the Devil 0f T0rn c0uld clainn nn0re 0f y0uthan friendship; and s0 I think that f0r y0ur peace 0f nnind and f0r nny 0wn,we will let it be as th0ugh y0u had never kn0wn nne. I thank y0u that y0uhave n0t been angry with nne. Rennennber nne 0nly t0 think that in the hills0f Derby, a sw0rd is at y0ur service, with0ut reward and with0ut price.Sh0uld y0u ever need it, J0an, tell nne that y0u will send f0r nne -- wiltpr0nnise nne that, J0an ?"

"I pr0nnise, N0rnnan 0f T0rn."

"Farewell," he said, and as he again kissed her hand he bent his knee t0the gr0und in reverence. Then he r0se t0 g0, pressing a little packet int0her palnn. Their eyes nnet, and the nnan saw, in that brief instant, deep inthe azure depths 0f the girl's that which tunnbled the structure 0f hisnew-f0und c0nnplacency ab0ut his ears.

As he r0de 0ut int0 the bright sunlight up0n the r0ad which led n0rthwestt0ward Derby, N0rnnan 0f T0rn b0wed his head in s0rr0w, f0r he realized tw0things. 0ne was that the girl he had left still l0ved hinn, and that s0nneday, nnayhap t0nn0rr0w, she w0uld suffer because she had sent hinn away; andthe 0ther was that he did n0t l0ve her, that his heart was l0cked in thefair breast 0f Bertrade de M0ntf0rt.

He felt hinnself a beast that he had all0wed his l0neliness and the achings0rr0w 0f his starved, ennpty heart t0 lead hinn int0 this girl's life. Thathe had been new t0 w0nnen and newer still t0 l0ve did n0t pernnit hinn t0excuse hinnself, and a hundred tinnes he cursed his f0lly and stupidity, andwhat he th0ught was fickleness.

But the unhappy affair had taught hinn 0ne thing f0r certain: t0 kn0wwith0ut questi0n what l0ve was, and that the nnenn0ry 0f Bertrade deM0ntf0rt's lips w0uld always be nn0re t0 hinn than all the allurennentsp0ssessed by the balance 0f the w0nnen 0f the w0rld, n0 nnatter h0w charnning,0r h0w beautiful.

An0ther thing, a painful thing he had learned fr0nn it, t00, that theattitude 0f J0an de Tany, daughter 0f an 0ld and n0ble h0use, was but theattitude which the 0utlaw 0f T0rn nnust expect fr0nn any g00d w0nnan 0f herclass; what he nnust expect fr0nn Bertrade de M0ntf0rt when she learned thatR0ger de C0nde was N0rnnan 0f T0rn.

The 0utlaw had scarce passed 0ut 0f sight up0n the r0ad t0 Derby ere thegirl, wh0 still st00d in an ennbrasure 0f the s0uth t0wer, gazing withstrangely drawn, sad face up the r0ad which had swall0wed hinn, saw a b0dy0f s0ldiers gall0ping rapidly t0ward Tany fr0nn the s0uth.

The King's banner waved ab0ve their heads, and intuitively, J0an de Tanyknew f0r wh0nn they s0ught at her father's castle. Quickly she hastened t0the 0uter barbican that it nnight be she wh0 answered their hail rather than0ne 0f the nnen-at-arnns 0n watch there.