"Martinmas wind, when wilt thou blow,
And shake the green leaves from the tree?"
"What is the matter?" cried Sir Charles in alarm.
Patricia stared at him with wide, unseeing eyes. "Martinmas wind," she
said in a low, clear, even voice. "Martinmas wind! The leaves drift in
clouds, yellow and red, red like blood. Look at the river flowing in
the sunshine! And the tall gray crags! Ah!" and she put her hands
before her face.
"What is it?" cried her suitor. "What is the matter? You are ill!"
She dropped her hands. "I am well now," she said tremulously. "I do
not know what it was. I had a vision--" she broke into wild laughter.
"I am fey, I think," she cried. "Let me go to my room; I am better
there."
He held the door open, and she passed him quickly with lowered eyes. He
watched her run up the stairs, and then threw himself into a chair and
stared thoughtfully at the floor.
*CHAPTER XXII*
*THE TOBACCO HOUSE AGAIN*
The master of Verney Manor and his guests slept late, for the carouse of
the night before had been deep and prolonged. The master's daughter
rose with the sun, and went down into the garden, and thence through the
wicket into the mulberry grove, where she found Margery sitting on the
ground, tieing goldenrod to her staff. "Come and walk with me,
Margery," she said.
Margery rose with alacrity. "Where shall we go?" she asked in a
whisper. "To the forest? There were eyes in the forest last night, not
the great, still, solemn eyes that stare at Margery every night, but
eyes that glowed like coals, and moved from bush to bush. Margery was
afraid, and she left the forest, and sat by the water side all night,
listening to what it had to say. A star shot, and Margery knew that a
soul was on its way to Paradise, where she would fain go if only she
could find the way.... There are purple flowers growing by the creek
between the cedar wood and the marsh. Let us go gather them, and trim
Margery's staff very bravely."
"I care not where we go," said her mistress. "There as well as
elsewhere."
"Come, then," said Margery, and took the lead.
When they had entered the strip of cedars which lay between the wide
fields and the point of land on which stood the third tobacco house,
Patricia stopped beneath a great tree. "We will go no further,
Margery," she said.