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Anthea laughed: "The Man with the Tiger-Mark, of course! he has been much in her dreams, lately, and she has talked of him a great deal, " "Has she?" said Bellew, "ha!" "Yes, her mind is full of strange twists, and fancies, you see she is so very old, and she loves to tell me her dreams, and read the future for me." "Though, of course, you don't believe it," said Bellew. "Believe it!"
Anthea repeated, and walked some dozen paces, or so, before she answered, "no, of course not." "Then none of your fortune, nothing she told you has ever come true?" Once more Anthea hesitated, this time so long that Bellew turned from his moon-gazing to look at her. "I mean," he went on, "has none of it ever come true, about this Man with the Tiger-Mark, for instance?"
As for you, my dark-eyed lady, I say, by force you shall be wooed, and by force ye shall be wed, aye! aye! but there is no man strong enough except he have the Tiger-Mark upon him. Old Nannie knows, she's seen it in the ink, dreamed it in the fire, and read it all in your pretty hand.
"Right!" she quavered, "right! right, it be all right! the golden man as I've watched this many an' many a day, wi' the curly hair, and the sleepy eye, and the Tiger-mark upon his arm, right! right!" "What do you mean by 'Tiger-mark?" enquired Bellew.
And now, see you, 'tis a strong place, this Castle, wi' thick doors, and great locks, and bars. But I have seen those doors broke' down, those great locks, and bars burst asunder, but there is none can do this but him as bears the Tiger-Mark. So much for the first.
You be proud, and high, and scornful, my lady, 'tis in your blood, you'll need a strong hand to guide ye, and the strong hand shall come. By force you shall be wooed, and by force you shall be wed, and there be no man strong enough to woo, and wed ye, but him as I've told ye of him as bears the Tiger-mark."
"Yes, she has wonderful thick hair still," nodded Anthea, "and she's not a bit deaf, and her eyes are as clear, and sharp as ever they were." "Yes, but I wasn't meaning her eyes, or her hair, or her hearing." "Oh, then pray what were you pleased to mean?" "Did you happen to notice what she said about a er Man with, a Tiger-Mark?" enquired Bellew, still gazing up at the moon.
Happy the man who shall wed ye, my dark, beautiful maid. And strong must he be, aye, and masterful he who shall wake the love-light in those dark, great, passionate eyes of yours. And there is no man in all this world can do it but he must be a golden man wi' the Tiger-mark upon him." "Why oh Nannie !"
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