But Gilbert Kennedy had her in his two arms and was kissing her mouth, and that often and passionately. ’No,’ he said, ’I will not let you go. I will take you in spite of all—though there were at Culzean a thousand fathers—at Cassillis a thousand earls!’ She withdrew herself from him with quiet dignity, yet without anger. ’But you will not take me in spite of one Marjorie Kennedy,’ she said. Then at this, quick as a musket flash, Bargany turned on his heel and tramped angrily down the shingle of the shore, his sword clanking and his spurs ringing, as careless who might hear as if he had been crossing the paved court of his own house of Bargany. And Marjorie Kennedy stood still and watched him go, her hands pressed to her bosom, as though it needed both to still the dreadful beating of her heart. ’I love him! I love him!’ she cried to the stillness, when he was quite gone. ’Oh, that he might trample me, that his hand might slay me, so that in death he might lift up my head and say once again, "I love you."’ And so she also passed away within. Then I, in my corner, where I had been an unwilling hearkener, set my face between my knees and thought that the world would never be bright again. For I had heard that which I had heard, and I knew now that Marjorie, my Lady Marjorie, would never know love for me while the world lasted. Nevertheless, I rose up and clambered aloft to reach my rope ladder. I climbed over the rocks, thoughtlessly, heedlessly, and I scraped my shoe so that it sounded loud in the still night. Suddenly I saw something bright above me, the flicker of a white robe. I had nearly fallen, thinking that the appearance might be a spirit of the darkness. ’Dinna be feared, night-raker,’ said a voice I knew well; ’it is only Nell Kennedy. Think ye that none can climb up the W hite Tower besides yourself?’ I was so greatly astonished that I could not speak at once. ’What may you be doing there at this time of the morning, Nell?’ I said at last. ’Just like yourself—trying to find a quiet way to my bed,’ said she; ’but I must hasten, or I shall be late to let in Marjorie.’ ’What Marjorie,’ said I, pretending that I knew nothing of the matter. ’Lie to other folk gin ye like, Spurheel,’ said the madcap, contemptuously, ’but dinna think ye can lie to Nell Kennedy. I saw ye come from the hole down by the Cove.’ ’But what do you here, Nell?’ said I, for it might be that the mad lassie had a lad, and it seemed a terrible thing that she should be so misguided at her age as to meet him alone by night. ’Maybe I was down by seeing Kate Allison, the Grieve’s lassie,’ said she. ’Do you honestly think, Spurheel, that Helen Kennedy would permit a sister of hers to gang jooking here and there about the shore wi’ a bonny young man at the dead of nicht all by her lone? It is not very likely.’ I said no more. It was not easy to argle-bargle with Nell Kennedy.