None; she moved her lips, she could not speak.
"Come," said he, after another pause, "they who ride pillion ride thus--the man has his leather belt, and to that the woman holds. Urith, if we are to ride together on life's road, lay hold of my belt."
"Stay!" she said, suddenly recovering herself with a start. "You forgot; you do not know me. Look at my hands, they are still torn; I did that in one of my fits of rage. Do you not fear to take me when I go, when crossed, into such mad passion as these hands show?"
Then she put her right hand to lay hold of his girdle, but caught and drew out the gloves.
"I have these again!" she exclaimed. "Even these gloves cast at me in defiance. Well, it matters not now. I refused to take them up, yet I could not shake them off; now I take them and keep them. I accept the challenge." She grasped him firmly by the girdle, and with the other hand thrust the gloves into her bosom.
Then he caught her up in his arms, with a shout of exultation, and held her for a moment hanging over the awful gulf beneath.
She looked him steadily in the eyes. She doubted neither his strength to hold her, nor his love.
It is said that the sun dances on Easter day in the morning. It was noon now, but the sun danced over Urith and Anthony.
"And now," said the latter, "about your mother. Will she give her consent?"
"Oh, my father!" repeated Anthony, scornfully, "whatsoever I will, that he is content with. As to your mother----"
"I know what I will do," said Urith; "Luke has great influence with her. I will tell him all, and get him to ask her to agree and bless us. Luke will do anything I ask of him."
When Anthony came home, he found that his father had been waiting supper a while for him, and then as he did not arrive, had ordered it in, and partaken of the meal.
The old man's humour was not pleasant. He had been over that afternoon to Kilworthy, and had heard of his son's act of recklessness. Fears were entertained for Fox's sight in one eye. He was ordered to have the eye bandaged, and to be kept in the dark.
When Anthony entered the room where was his father, the old man looked up at him from the table strewn with the remains of his meal, and said, roughly, "I expect regular hours kept in my house. Why were you not here at the proper time? About any new folly or violence?"