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Nessie, call your father. At once, girl. Don’t stand there gaping.”
    As we were about to leave the room the landlord appeared. “These ladies are to have the Oak Room,” roared Colum Casvellyn. “Take their baggage and put it back. I relinquish it. Now, Nessie, fill my goblet.”
    My mother said to the landlord, “This is a ridiculous matter and I would see an end of it. We will not go back to the Oak Room. We shall leave it for that … that … ill-mannered oaf …”
    The landlord shook his head, beginning to tremble. “He has said it shall be, my lady, and so it must.”
    He looked so terrified that my mother shrugged her shoulders. Our bags were brought back to the Oak Room, Jennet unpacked and we decided we would settle down for the night.
    My mother locked the door. With such people in the inn one could never be sure, she said.
    It was a long time before I could sleep although the bed was comfortable. I kept thinking of Colum Casvellyn and imagining his being in this bed with Nessie, for I was sure the girl was spending the night with him. I felt excited in a rather unpleasant way; something had been aroused in me of which until this time I had been unaware.
    My mother was wide awake too. We talked a little and then were silent and finally she did sleep. Jennet on her pallet was asleep, breathing with the deepness of complete and undisturbed repose. I tried not to toss and turn for fear of disturbing my mother and lay rather stiffly and uncomfortably.
    As I lay there I heard a faint thud on the window pane. At first I thought I had imagined it and lay still, listening. It came again. Swiftly and silently I got out of bed and went to the window. I pushed it open and looked out. The half moon threw a white light on the trees and hedges. It was beautiful out there and the air was mild and sweet-smelling. Then I saw the shadow emerge from among the trees and he was standing there, legs apart, looking up at the window.
    I drew back; I heard him laugh. He put his hand to his lips, kissed it and threw the hand towards me. I was so astonished that for a few seconds I just stood there looking at him. He threw out his arms as though inviting me to come down.
    I shut the window hurriedly and went back to bed. I lay there trembling a little, terrified that I would awaken my mother. I kept my eye on the window, half expecting to see him appear there. I lay listening for a sound at the door.
    Nothing happened.
    It was a long time before I slept and then I was disturbed by vague shapeless dreams, but he was there dominating them.
    Before it was light we were awake. The landlord gave us a hot breakfast and we left soon after dawn, before the inn was fully astir.
    I was glad to get away but I knew I should remember Colum Casvellyn with a kind of fascinated horror for a long time to come.
    That day we came to Trystan Priory. It was a lovely house some five miles inland. My father had not yet arrived and we were warmly welcomed by Fennimore and his parents. The house had been recently built on the site of an old Priory which had been demolished during the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of the Queen’s father. There was a little of the old Priory left and Fennimore during that day and the next while we awaited the arrival of my father took great pleasure in pointing these remains out to us.
    His parents were charming. His father was a sea captain, and that gave us much in common, and I liked Fennimore as well in his own home as I had in my own. I liked his quiet earnestness, his purposefulness; against my will I found myself comparing him with the man whom we had met at the inn. There was one who would take what he wanted; so was Fennimore in a way; but how different his methods would be. I fancied Fennimore would be one always to consider other people. I was looking forward to my father’s arrival and hoped that he would come to some agreement with the Landors.
    There were a large number of rooms in the west wing,