He watched them ride over the crest of Barguest Lane, and his lips moved to the instinctive cry, "Come back, come back!" And when his kinsfolk presently began to talk of riding home, since there would be no further need of them for that night at least, he did not urge them stay and pledge Nell’s safe return. He wished to be alone with the madness that had fallen on him, wished to take counsel how to rive Janet once for all from Wildwater, and marry her, and hold her in despite of his folk and her own. He stood idly in the courtyard while they got to horse, and Nell, seeing him apart from the rest, came to his side. "So thou hast let all else go—all save Janet?" she said. "Ay, I have let all else go," he answered; "and if thou canst say aught against it, Nell, after she has plucked thee out of certain ruin—why, thou’rt less than my thoughts of thee." "’Tis carrying thankfulness a far way, Ned.—And what of our kin? Will they smile on the match, think ye?" "They may smile or frown, as best pleases them." She was about to break into some hot speech, but he checked her. "Sleep on it, Nell; ’tis wiser. There are things said in heat sometimes that can never be forgot.—Well, Rolf, hast come to say thy farewells to Nell? Od’s life, I’ll make no third at any such parting of maid and man." "Stay, lad, for I’ve come to tell thy sister that I’ll have no more delays," said Wayne of Cranshaw, "and thou’lt add thy voice to mine, I fancy. Am I to wait and wait for thee, Nell, until every Ratcliffe of them all comes down to carry thee off?" He had expected the old tale of duties that must keep her yet awhile at Marsh. But she offered no excuse, as she came and put her hand in his. "There’s no place for me now at Marsh," she said; "I’ll go with thee, Rolf, at thy own good time." "No place for thee at Marsh?" he echoed. "None. Ned is to marry Mistress Ratcliffe by and by, and——" "Is this true, Ned?" said Wayne of Cranshaw sharply. "It is true that I’ve plighted troth with Mistress Ratcliffe; it is false that there is no place for Nell at Marsh," said Shameless Wayne, and turned on his heel. But that one glance of Rolf’s had given him a foretaste of what lay ahead. Nell was implacable; his kin would be implacable; her own folk would do their best to thwart the match. "They say a Wayne of Marsh loves alway to stand alone," he muttered, as he returned to hall. "Well, I care not who’s against me now."