Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-18

} God knows" she said. simply and
calmly.
"You betrayed him to HE death. Why
then should not I kill your"
Again she smiled upon him that disarm-
ing. hopeless. dreadful smile.
Because you cannot kill me. Because II
were too GROWING a mercy to kill me. Be-
cause for three inches Of that blade in my
heart l would bless you through the eterni-
ties. Because I must do the work that re-
mains"
And that work is"
"vENGEANCE!"
Sholto was silent, trying to think. He
found 1t hard to think He was but a boy,
and experience so strange as that OF the
Lady Sybilla was outside him. Yet vaguely
he felt that her emotion was rear-more
real, perhaps, than his own instinct Of crude
slaying-the instinct Of the wasp, whose
nest has been harried to sting the first conner,
This woman's hatred was something dead
lier. surer, more persistent.
vengeance" he said at last, scarce
knowing what he said, "wny should you
who betrayed him speak Of avenging
him
Because" said the Lady Sybilla, 81 loved
him as I never thought to love man born
OF woman. Because when the fiends of the
pit tic me limb to limb. lip to lip with
Judas, who sold his master with q kiss
when they burn me In the seventh hell, ]
h remember and rejoice because to the
last he loved me. believed In me. gloried
in his love for me. And God, who has beer
cruel to me In all else, will yet do this
thing for me. He will not let William
Douglas know that I deceived him or tina,
he trusted me in vain"
but the vengeance that you spoke Of
what Of that?" said Sholto. dwelling upon
that which was uppermost In his owl
thought.
aye" said the Lady sybilla, "that alone
can be comprised by me. For I am bound
by a chain, the swapping Of which Is my
death. To him who. In a fair land, devised
all these things. to the man who plotted
the fall OF the Douglas house, to GILES de
Retz, marshal OF France. I am bound. But
Il shall not die-even you cannot kill me,
till ! have brought the head that Is so high
to the hempen cord, and delivered the foul
tends body to the fires Of earth and hell"
And the Chancellor Cr,chton-and the
tutor Livingstone-what Of them?" urged
sholto. thinking like a Scot Of his native
traitors.
The Lady sybilla waved a con.smptuous
hand.
These are but lesser r~ascals-they had
been nothing without him. You OF the
Douglas house must settle with them"
And why have you returned to this coun-
try Of Galloway" said Sholto; "and why
are you thus a~lone?"
Il am alone" said the Lady Sybilla, "bs-
cause none can harm me with my work un-
done. l travel alone because 1t suits my
mood to be alone; because my master babe
me Join him at your town Of Kirkcudbright,
whence he takes ship for his own country Of
Brittany"
"And why do you. II as you say you hate
him so, continue to follow him?'
"Ah, you are simple" she said. II follow
him because 1t is my fate. and who can es-
cape his doom? Also because. as I have said,
my work is not yet done!"
She relapsed into her former ~listless, forth
unconscious regard-fooking through
him as II the young man had no existence.
He dropped the rein and the point Of his
sword with one movement. The white pal
frey started forward with the reins loose on
his neck. And as she went the eyes OF the
Lady Sybilla were fixed on the low hills
hid the sea.
80 leaving Sholto standing by the lake
with bowed head and abased sword the
strange woman went her way to work out
her appointed work.
But ere the Lady Sybilla disappeared
among the trees she turned and spoke.
I have but one counsel sir knight.