And now, they were in the road; and now he had lifted her into an automobile, had sprung in beside her, and—­they were off, gliding swift, and ever swifter, under the shadows of the trees.

And still neither spoke, nor looked at each other; only she leaned away from him, against the cushions, while he kept his frowning eyes fixed upon the road a-head; and ever the great car flew onward faster, and faster; yet not so fast as the beating of her heart, wherein shame, and anger, and fear, and—­another feeling strove and fought for mastery.

But at last, finding him so silent, and impassive, she must needs steal a look at him, beneath her lashes.

He wore no hat, and as she looked upon him,—­with his yellow hair, his length of limb, and his massive shoulders, he might have been some fierce Viking, and she, his captive, taken by strength of arm—­borne away by force.—­By force!

And, hereupon, as the car hummed over the smooth road, it seemed to find a voice,—­a subtle, mocking voice, very like the voice of the brook,—­that murmured to her over and over again: 

“By force ye shall be wooed, and by force ye shall be wed.”

The very trees whispered it as they passed, and her heart throbbed in time to it: 

“By force ye shall be wooed, and by force ye shall be wed!” So, she leaned as far from him as she might, watching him with frightened eyes while he frowned ever upon the road in front, and the car rocked, and swayed with their going, as they whirled onward through moonlight and through shadow, faster, and faster,—­yet not so fast as the beating of her heart wherein was fear, and shame, and anger, and—­another feeling, but greatest of all now, was fear.  Could this be the placid, soft-spoken gentleman she had known,—­this man, with the implacable eyes, and the brutal jaw, who neither spoke to, nor looked at her, but frowned always at the road in front.

And so, the fear grew and grew within her,—­fear of the man whom she knew,—­and knew not at all.  She clasped her hands nervously together, watching him with dilating eyes as the car slowed down,—­for the road made a sudden turn, hereabouts.

And still he neither looked at, nor spoke to her; and therefore, because she could bear the silence no longer, she spoke—­in a voice that sounded strangely faint, and far-away, and that shook and trembled in spite of her.

“Where are you—­taking me?”

“To be married!” he answered, never looking at her.

“You—­wouldn’t—­dare!”

“Wait and see!” he nodded.

“Oh!—­but what do—­you mean?” The fear in her voice was more manifest than ever.

“I mean that you are mine,—­you always were, you always must and shall be.  So, I’m going to marry you—­in about half-an-hour, by special license.”

Still he did not even glance towards her, and she looked away over the country side all lonely and desolate under the moon.