By Berwen Banks

"How lovely you look, my darling," he said. "How did you manage to

escape Shoni's shrewd eyes in such finery?"

"I put my scarlet cloak on and drew the hood over my head, and it

tumbled my hair," she said, with a little wan smile. Already the

glamour of the wedding was giving way to the sorrow of parting. "I had

my hat under my cloak. Oh, anwl! I am getting quite a deceitful girl!"

Cardo winced; was he sullying the pure soul? But there was no time for

retrospection, the minutes were fleeting rapidly by, he had to return

to his breakfast with his father, who would expect his last hours to be

spent with him.

"When do you start from Brynderyn?" she asked, her voice growing lower

and more sorrowful.

"At two o'clock, love, punctually; the cart has already gone with my

luggage. Valmai, how can I part from you--how can I leave you, my

beloved, my wife?"

"Oh, Cardo, Cardo!" was all her answer. She buried her face in her

hands, and the tears trickled through her fingers.

Cardo drew them away tenderly.

"There is a tear on your ring, dear," he said, kissing it, "that must

not be; let that at all events be the emblem of meeting and happiness

and joy. Think, Valmai, only a year, and I shall come and claim you

for my own! Confess, dearest, that it is a little solace that we are

united before we are parted, that, whatever happens, you are my wife

and I am your husband."

"Yes, indeed; indeed, it is my only solace, and I am going to be brave

and hopeful. My ring I must not wear on my finger; but see, I have

brought a white satin ribbon to tie it round my neck; it shall always

be there until you take it off, and place it on my finger again."

"And you will keep our secret until I return, darling?"

"Yes," said Valmai impressively, "until you come back, Cardo, and give

me leave to reveal it."

"We must part, fanwylyd; my father must not miss me."

"No, no--go, I will not keep you back."

There was a long, passionate embrace, during which the white owl

flapped in again to her nest.

"Good-bye and good-bye, darling, and farewell until we meet again."

"Leave me here, Cardo. Good-bye, dearest husband!"

And so they parted, and, in the memory of both, for many a long year

the sound of the Berwen held a place, and the flap of the white owl's

wings brought back to Valmai memories of pain and happiness, mixed

together in a strange tumult. Slowly she made her way up the path to

Dinas, the scarlet cloak was taken out from the bush under which it had

been hidden, and, enveloped in its folds, she entered the house. Going

up to her own room, she took off the sacred wedding dress, and, folding

it carefully, laid it away with its bunch of jessamine, while she

donned another much like it, but of a warmer material, for she loved

white, and seldom appeared in a coloured dress.