My love will ever be around thee as a silver shield." A night--since, as the last words he should hear from her lips, she had said: "Maid or wife, God knows I am all thine own.

Thine, and none other's, forever." Of all the memories connected with this chamber, the clearest to-night was of the hungry ache at her heart, when Hugh had gone.

It had seemed to her then that never could that ache be stilled, until she could once again clasp his head to her breast.

She knew now that it never had been stilled.

Dulled, ignored, denied; called by other names; but stilled--never.
On this night it was as sweetly poignant as on that other night eight years ago, when she had slowly descended to this very room, from the moonlit battlements.
Yet to-night she was maid _and_ wife.