Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-21

prove the seals, for 1t was his only learn
Ing to be skilled in heraldry.
1T is true he said, Il myself gave the
little maid that ring Sect hath a place
broken from the peak of the device,"
MY lady" said Sholto, that which you
bring Is more than enough. We kiss your
hand, and we will sacredly do all your bid
ding, were it unto the death or the trial by
fire."
Then, as was the custom to do to la
dies whom knights would honor, the Lord
James and Sholto kneeled down and kissed
the hand of Sybilla de Thouars. But
Malise, not being a knight, took it only and
set 1t upon his great griZzled head, where
1t lay for moment, lightly upon some
gray ana ancient tower lies a flake of snow
before it melts
Il thank you for your overmuch cour-
tesy,' the girl said. casting her eyes on the
ground with newborn shyness most like
that of modest maid. Il thank you. in
deed You do me honor far above my des-
ert. Still, after all, we work for one end
You nave 1t is true, the nobler motive
the lives of those you love. But / am the
deadlier. the death of one I hate, Harkenn'
She paused if to gather strength for
that which she had to reveal and then
reaching her hands out she motf6ned the
three men to gather more closely about her.
as II the blue Atlantic waves or the red
poles of the pine trees might carry the
matter.
Listen she said; 1.-The end comes fast
faster than any know, save l. to whom for
my sins the gift of second sight hath been
gwen who speak to you am of Brittany
and of the house of De Thouars. To one
or us in each generation descends this alb
horred gift of second sight. And /, because
as a child it was my lot to meet one who'll
ly given over to evil have seen more and
clearer than all that have gone before me.
But now do foresee the end of the wick
eldest and most devilish soul ever priSoned
within the BODY of man.
AS she spoke the heads of the three Scots
bent lower and closer to catch every word.
of h.a I11H Sx 10
like the cooling of a mating turtle as il an
swers its comrade than that of woman
betrayed denouncing vengeance and death
upon him whom her soul hateth.
BE of good heart then and depart as |
snail bid you. None can help nor hinder
here at Machecoul, but i alone. Be sure
that at the worst the unnameable shall not
happen the maids. For in me there is the
power to slay the evil doer But slay l
will not unless it be to keep the lives of the
maids. For / desire for GILES de Retz 4
tate greater, more terrible, more BETTING
lnlqu1ty such as the world hath never heard
spoken of since it arose from the abyss.
And this is it given to me to bring upon
MN whom my soul hateth,'' she went on;
shal hans, l have seen the fire through
which his soul shall pass to its own place.
Through me this fate shall come upon him
suddenly in one night
Her face lighted up with an inner light
and ShOne Translucent in the darkening of
the day and the dusk OF trees, as if the fair
veil of flesh wavered and changed about the
vengeful soul within.
And now she went on after a pause,
L bid you, gentlemen of the house of Doug
las, depart 10 John, Duke of Brittany and
having found him to lay this paper before
MN. 1t contains the number and the names
of those who have died in the castles of DE
tetz- 1t shows in what hidden places the
bones of these slaughtered innocents may
be found. Clamor IN his ear for justice in
the name of the King of France, and if he
will not hear, then in the name of the folk
Of Brittany. And if because of his kinship
| he will not listen, go to the bishop of
Nantes, who hates Giles de Retz. Better
than any he knows how to stir the people
ana he viii send with you trusty men to
cause the country to rise in rebellion. Then
they will overturn all the castles of De
RetZ and the hidden things shall come to
light This do, ard for this time depart
from Aachecoul, and intrust me (as indeed
you must with the honor and the lives of
those you love. l will keep them with mine
own until destruction pass upon him who is
outcast from God and whom now his own
nend from hell hath deserted
Then having sworn to do her bidding the
three Scots Conducted the Lady SybiIla with
honor and observance to her white palfry
and like spirit she vanished into the sea
mists which had sifted UP from the west,
going back to the drear castle of Mache-
coul, bearing with her the burden of her
revenge.