"I will see that no harm comes to her." "Promise!" I promised, somehow touched by his trust in me. "I knew you would," he said gratefully; and then, with a smile: "I am sorry I hit you with my whip--Morrice. I could have loved you." Again he lay silent, plucking at the grass with the fingers of his left hand. "Lift me higher! There is something else." I raised his body as gently as I could; but nevertheless the rough bandage which Cliffe had fastened over the wound became displaced with the movement, and the blood burst out again, soaking through his shirt. "You spoke of a miniature----" he began, and then with a little gasping sob he turned over in my arms, and fell forward on the grass upon his face. I called to Cliffe, who stood with his back towards us a little distance off, and ran to where I had laid my coat and cravat before the duel commenced. For the cravat was of soft muslin, and might, I fancied, be of some use as lint. With this in my hand, I hurried back. Cliffe was lifting Marston from the ground. "Best let him lie there quietly," I said. He turned the body over upon its back. "Aye!" he answered, "under God's sky." I dropped on my knees beside the corpse, felt the pulse, laid my ear to the heart. The sun shone hot and bright upon his dead face. Cliffe took a handkerchief from his pocket, and gently placed it over Marston's eyes. "This means a year on the Continent for you, my friend," he said. When Elmscott and the surgeon arrived some half an hour later, they found me eating my breakfast in the kitchen. "Where is he?" they asked. "Who?" said I. I remember vaguely that the surgeon looked at me with a certain anxiety, and made a remark to Elmscott. Then they went out of the room again. How long it was before they returned I have no notion. Elmscott brought in my coat, hat, and sword, and I got up to put them on; but the doctor checked him, and setting me again in my chair, bound up my arm, not without some resistance from me, for I saw that his hands were dabbled with Marston's blood. "Now," said he to Elmscott, "if you will help, we will get him upstairs to bed." "No!" said I, suddenly recollecting all that had occurred. "I made Marston a promise. I must keep it! I must ride to town and keep it!" "It will be the best way, if he can," said Elmscott. "He will be taken here for a surety. I have sent a messenger to Bristol with the news." The surgeon eased my arm into the sleeve of my coat, and made a sling about my shoulders with my cravat. Elmscott buckled on my sword and led me to the stables, leaving me outside while he went in and saddled a horse. "This is Cliffe's horse," said he; "yours is too tired. I will explain to him." He held the horse while I climbed into the saddle.