the least thought of any stricken thing but just yourself? Night after
night I could have grat to see you sitting there your lone. And what was
I to do? You are here under my honour; would you punish me for that? Is
it for that that you would spurn a loving servant?"

At the word, with a small, sudden motion, she clung near to me. I raised
her face to mine, I kissed it, and she bowed her brow upon my bosom,
clasping me tight. I sat in a mere whirl like a man drunken. Then I
heard her voice sound very small and muffled in my clothes.

"Did you kiss her truly?" she asked.

There went through me so great a heave of surprise that I was all shook
with it.

"Miss Grant!" I cried, all in a disorder. "Yes, I asked her to kiss me
good-bye, the which she did."

"Ah, well!" said she, "you have kissed me too, at all events."

At the strangeness and sweetness of that word, I saw where we had
fallen; rose, and set her on her feet.

"This will never do," said I. "This will never, never do. O Catrine,
Catrine!" Then there came a pause in which I was debarred from any
speaking. And then, "Go away to your bed," said I. "Go away to your bed
and leave me."

She turned to obey me like a little child, and the next I knew of it,
had stopped in the very doorway.