The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-11

"'Tis a barbarous CUSTOM said the
chancellor; we will try your case upon
it's merit"
The earl laughed a little hooking
laugh.
1T will be somewhat safer" said he;
but haste you and get the sham done
with. l plead nothing. L do not even
tell you that you lie. What doth one ex-
pect of a gutter-dog but that it should
void the garbage it hath devoured? But
| do ask you, Marshal de Retz, as a
brave soldier and the representative of
an honorable king, what have you done
with the Lady SybilIa?''
The Marshal de Retz smiled-a smile
so chill, cruel, hard, that the very SOL
diers on guard, seeing it, longed to
| Stay him on the spot.
MAY I ask my lord earl of Douglas
and duke of Touraine, in return, what
| is that to him." he said with Sneering
emphasis upon the titles.
1T matters to me-" replied William
Douglas boldly, more than life, and
almost as much as honor. The Lady
! Sybilla did me the honor to tell me that
she loved me. And I, in turn, am bound
to her in life and DEATH
The chancellor and the tutor broke
into laughter, but the marshal contfn-
ued to smile his terrible smile of deter
inmate evil.
Listen" he said, at last, 'hear this,
my lord of Touraine ever since we
came to this kingdom; and, indeed, long
before we left the realm of France, the
Lady Sybilla intended nothing else
than your deception and destruction.
Poor dupe, do you not yet understand?
She it was that cozened you with fair
words. She it was that advised you to
come hither that we might hold you in
our hands For her sake you obeyed
She was the willing bait of the trap
your foes set for you. What think you
of the Lady Sybilla now?"
William Of Douglas did not answer in
words, but as the marshal ceased
speaking he drew himself together like
1.-THE animal that sways this way
and that before springing. His right
hand dropped softly from his brothers
shoulder upon the hilt of his dagger
Then with one sudden bound he was
over the barrier and upan the dais. Al
most his blade was at the marshal's
throat, and but for the crossed parti-
zans Of two guards who stood on either
side of De Retz, he had died there and
then by the dagger Of William Doug
las. AS it was, the youth was brought
to stand with his breast pressed vain
ly against the steel points, and stood
there crying out in fury: Liar and
toad Come out from behind, that 1
may STAY thee with my handr'
A score of men-at-arlns approached
from behind and forced him back to his
place.
Bring in the Lady Sybilla,'' said the
marshal, still smiling, while the judges
sat silent and afraid at the anger of
one man.
And even while the earl stood pant
ing, after his outburSt of furious anger
they opened the door at the back of the
dais, and through it there entered the
Lady Sybilla. Instantly the eyes of
William Douglas fixed themselves upon
her, but she did not raise hers nor
look at him. She stood at the further
side at the edge of the das, her hands
joined in front of her, and her golden
hair streaming down her back and fell
in waves over her white dress
An angel of light coming through the
open door Of heaven could not have ap-
peared more innocent and pure.
The Marshal de Retz turned towards
his niece, and With his eyes fixed upon
hers and with the same pitiless chill in
them, he said in low tone: Look at
mel"
The girl raised her eyes slowly, and
as it had been, reluctantly, and in
them, instead Of the meek calm of an
angel, there appeared the terror and
dismay of g lost soul that listens to it's
doom.
"Sybilla,' Missed rather than spoke De
Retz, sis it true that ever since by the
lakeside of Carlinwark you met the earl
of Douglas you have deceived him and
sought his doom?''
L care not to hear the answer said
the young man, even did believe that
which you may compel her to say. I'm
faith IN another is not unfaith in me. /
am bound to her in love and honor
aye, even unto death, if that were her
Will"
Il have, indeed, deceived him!' re-