This was the "splendid Knight" against whom the stars in their courses
had most certainly not fought. Principalities and powers had all been
for him; against him, just a woman and her conscience, and--he had won.
When, at their first interview in her cell, in reply to her demand:
"Why are you not with your wife?" he had answered: "I _am_ with my
wife; the only wife I have ever wanted, the only woman I shall ever
wed, is here"--she stood ready to strike with ivory and steel, at the
first attempt upon her inviolable chastity, and could afford to smile,
in pitying derision, at so empty a boast.
But now? If he said: "My wife is here," and chose to seize her with
possessive grasp, she must meekly fold her hands upon her breast, and
say: "Even so, my lord. I am yours. Deal with me as you will."
As the Bishop's purple cloak and the hind quarters of his noble black
mare, disappeared from view, the crowd which hitherto had surrounded
the bridal pair, also vanished, as if at the wave of a magic wand.
Thus for the first time, since those tense moments in the Cathedral
crypt, Mora found herself alone with Hugh.
She was not young enough to be embarrassed; but she was old enough to
be afraid; afraid of him, and afraid of herself; afraid of his
masterful nature and imperious will, which had always inclined to break
rather than bend anything which stood in his way; and afraid of
something in herself which leapt up in response to this fierce strength
in him, yearning to be mastered, hungry to yield, wishful to obey; yet
which, if yielded to, would lay her spirit in the dust, and turn the
awakened tenderness in her heart to scorn of herself, and anger against
him.
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