The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-06
CHAPTER Ky.
sno1ro cArrrREs 4 rnlepNER or p1s,

SH0I,To CAPTURES A pRISONER OF DISTINCTION
He found that the noise came from the cham
When he arrived at The door he found ii opci
10 the wall. The child was sitting IN on her
night. Bending, over her, with, her arms
thrown round, the henvinG shoulders Of the
| a hooded mantle thrown With The appearance
Of haste about her. The door of the next
chamber also stood wide. and from me cover
curhnt Ind left 1t hastily in order to fly to hei
friends assistance.
At the sound Of hasty footsteps. Maud Linde.
say turned about and was Instantly stricken
rale and astonished bv the sight of the young
man with his sword bare. She cried aloud
Mackim, what do you here?'
And before he had time to answer her. the
and called out. oh, Sholto. Sholto, / am so
glad you are come. woke TO find such, a ter
riblc thing, looking at me, out of the night. II
was shaped like n great dog. but IL was rough
OF hide and had upon i a head like a man. 1
was SO terrified that at first | could not cry out.
not GO away, ,Shoito. / am glad. so glad that
Maud Lindsay had again turned toward
Hush, she SAID, soothingly. ut, was a
dream: You were frightened by q visi9n, by a
But l saw it plainly" she cried, 1T opened
the door as il it had hands-I saw 1t stand there
by the bed and look at mech, so terribly. l
saw its teeth glisten and snap toRether!',.
Little one. be still. il was but q dream said
Sholto untrnthfully; but l will go and search
And with these words he went along the cor
ridor. meeting his men whom he had sum-
clustered upon the landing Of the turret stair
which communicated with the third floor. As
dor it seemed, to Sholto that he discerned a
figure vanishing at the further end. He in
S6fis s msn se SO feiIo SR S lea lea he a& MaS Su doH0 tGs
passage. sword in hand. AS he went he
snGtched the lanr from its pin on the wall and
At the further end of the corridor was the
door Of a little chamber and it seemed to
Sholto that the shape he had seen had disap-
He knocked loudly on the door with his
sword and cried, If any be within open in the
No voice replied and sholto boldly set his
foot against the lower panelling and drove the
door back to the wall with o clanR.
Then at sight of a something dark wrapped
in a cloak standing motionless close against
the window the young, Captain Of the guard
light fall on the erect figure and naughty face
of a young man. who with his hand on his hip
suers,witb q calm and questioning gaze.
1t was the Earl Of Douglas himself.
Sholto stood petrined at sight Of him.. and for
sos% %Sil; ;Dr ssid " %S. ks e. yo aT# $sPs, sS sSisg P-
Then the spirit of his father came upon him.
He knew that he had only done his duty in It's
s striStn ess ,a and he boldly 3 nyo, answered .ns the Earl;
more right to ask you that question. Your
sister hath been frightened. and at sound Of
castle rushed to the spot. AS came down the
stairs from the roof at speed saw something
r ret b s2 q sr @e. h0 WIZ n ny sw sS aff / { sffu the At tut #
and to all appearances wounded it., 1t van.
ished; and.eftep searching all the castle could
shse Earl !4' Of r 8onaI ssa T Tthst I IS al now NJ anal and l
iea fSe the han mfftsr i0ok Eou gra nfnSf; disappeared
from the face of the Earl as Sholto spoke.
smilinGly he dismissed the guard with a
word, saying that he would inquire into the
cause OF the disturbance in person. and then
"You ARE right" he said. you have entirely
done your duty and justified my appointment"
He paused. looked this way and that along
the corridor, and continued; 1T CHANGED that
feeling, uneasy CJncerninR my guests. | en-
tered the castle, by the private door and stair
spending to this on the floor beneath. l was
assuring myself that you were doing your
duty. when, being disturbed by, the sudden
hubbub. and judging IL needless that the men
alarms should know OF my, presence in the
castle, I came in hither till the matter should
conscience and the keenness. of your vision.
the matter would have ended"
Sholto bowed coldly.
But. my lord he said. ignoring the Earl's
explanation. the matter grows more mysteri-
Gus than ever, Your sister. the little Lady Mar
garet: hath been grieyonsly frighted by an
looked within"
She but dreamed" said the Earl carelessly;
But. with respect. your. Lordship." contin-
ued Sholto. Il also saw this appearance even
as ran down the stairs from the roof at the
noise OF her crying"
You were startled. excited. and but thought
: Sholto, reversed, his sword. which he had
hnlI prith tho nninf fnurnr al tho ITrnnnl urhila
he was speaking with his lord, the Earl.
Holding The blade e., midway WITH Win much defer
he said.
The Earl came a step nearer to him and
S 81 advanced the sword HILL ~ It was imFnme;
Earl suddenly became violently agitated.
no dog within the castle nor has there been
for; years. Even the presence OF a lapdog will
I We're m eyer Ho one removed 80 l9 m to l the fenn SeRg al tf fsy
further end OF, the Isle Of Thrieye. whence
even their ne rb bowling cannot be heard 0h PVT Jet
examine the place where You saw the appari-
Sholto stood aside for the Earl to pass. but
with a wave Of his hand the latter said courte-
.ously, Nay. but lead the way. Captain of the
" They passed tho door OF the chamber Of the
Sybilla. The niece OF the ambassador
must have been II sound sleeper. for there was
ilD SDlIlu Wllll.i. olIpSlN' WuS liit ffHllDtT
of the Enrls mother. She also appeared un-
hut the increasing deafness Of tho
Countess offered Il complete explanation of her
=, Next the two young men came TO The door Of
tine Murshuls chamber. As they were about 10
pass. 1t opened %s;iently. and n man servant with
II closely, cropped obseaui9us head appeared
He Enclosed the door no further than
permit Of his exit, and then he shut H.
again behind him and stood holding the latch
in his hand.
His .EXcellency. being over ,fatigped, hath
need Of Il little strong spirit. " he said. with 4
curious gobbling movement OF his throat, as II
lie himself hnd been thirsty. The Earl or
dered Sholto 10 wake the r~ellurer and bid him
bring the ambassador Of France that which
he required. He himself would 20 onward 10
his. sisters chamber, Sholto somewhat sui
lenly obcyed. for his heart was hot and angry
within him, He thought that, he began 10 see
clearly the motive OF the Earl's presence. He
was himself SO deeply and hopclessly In love
with Mistress Maud Lindesny that he. could
not understand any other OF his sex being in
sensible tothe charm Of her beauty and myriad
graces.
As he went down the stairs he recalled a
circumstances TO mind which now
CAPABLE of but one explanation. II
WAS evident that Earl William, anne To visit
Some Que by means Of the private staircase
under cloud OF night. Nay more. Maud Linde-
and ha miphf ha alrandy nriyntA ~ married