"I’ve only got nineteen pounds seven and six," said Gibson glumly. "Mine’s at Derlingham too. But what the dooce does it matter?" he burst out, snatching her to him and challenging Fate with ringing pride. "Susie girl, I’ve got _you_. You’re the grandest girl God ever made. It’s all a lot of rot about those letters. You’re giving him up all for ... me! Susie girl, if I’ve to slave my head off to do it, I’ll make you happy. If I don’t, hell’s too good for me. I’ll go through water and fire. Let’s be off. We’ll tell Maddum all about it, and she’ll tell us what to do. Where’s the bag?" They turned and stooped to find it. In a twinkling, I broke through the bush, tripped over the stones, and stood on the other side of the beck. "No," I cried. "You sha’n’t go!" Susan screamed as if she had seen a ghost, and tumbled cowering against Gibson’s broad chest. As for Gibson himself, after the first shock of astonishment, he opposed to me a fearless front. "Asking pardon, Ma’am," he said respectfully but firmly. "She shall." "She sha’n’t," I cried, more firmly still. "Susan, you shall not go." "Asking pardon, Ma’am," said Gibson again. "We are not slaves. We sha’n’t never forget your kindness, Ma’am, and we don’t hope to find the like again. But you are speaking to Susan’s husband, Ma’am, which isn’t the same as the groom. Susan’s going with me." "Gibson," I said, "not so fast. You talk as if I am against you both. When have I ever done you wrong?" "Done me wrong, Ma’am?" he said, harshly and with a darkening face. "Begging pardon, you’ve done me wrong this very day. You’ve broke your promise. He’s coming tomorrow--and you didn’t,----" "I did," I said hastily. "It’ll be at Grandpont in the morning. I posted it to-day. Gibson, you say Susan will marry you. Susan, is it true?" "Yes, Miss," said Susan faintly. "It is true." "Then," I said, "why run away? Lord Ruddington is answered. Susan can’t marry Gibson and Lord Ruddington too." "You mean fair, Ma’am," replied Gibson, "and you wish us well. But you are a young lady, Ma’am. Susan don’t trust herself to meet him. And I don’t neither." "Gibson, Susan," I asked, "what if I give you both my word that Lord Ruddington will not ask Susan to marry him, and that he will never write to her any more?" "With due respects, Ma’am," Gibson answered, "don’t pledge your word to any such thing. I say it again, Ma’am, you are a young lady. He’s a man, and he’s been about the world. If his Lordship’s in love with Susan, and if he’s come all the way to Sinn Verrynick to ask her, he won’t be beat by the groom. You’ll no more turn Lord Ruddington back to-morrow, Ma’am, than you’ll turn me and Susan back to-night. Susan, let us go." I stepped forward to seize her, but he waved me aside.