Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-29
THE THREE SCOTS TELL DUKE JOHN OF MARSHAL LII RErz.

I The wards were turned with well-ac-
customed smoothness.
Carefully shutting the door behind him 80
that if any one CHANGED to enter the chapel
nothing could be observed, Laurence set his
foot upon the steps and began his adventure
of supreme peril.
1t was a narrow staircase, only wide
enough, indeed, for one to ascend or de-
scend at once. And the heart of Laurence
sank within him at the thought of meeting
the dread lord of Machecoul face to face in
its straight black narrows.
He accomplished the ascent, however,
without incident, and passing through
another low arch found himself at the end of
the passage over against the door with the
curious burned hieroglyphics imprinted upon
it. There was no light In the passage and
Laurence eagerly set his hand to the latch.
1t opened as before and admitted him at a
touch.
The temple-like hall was silent and dim.
Only an occasional thrill as if of an earth
quake passed across 1t, waving the heavy
hangings and bringing a hot breath of some
strange. heady perfume to the %nostrils.
Laurence, with a beating heart. ensconced
himself in a hidden nook behind the door.
The niche was covered by a curtain and fur
nished with a grooved slab of marble, placed
there for some purpose he could not fathom.
He heard the voice Of Marshal de Retz
again-this time kindly, and even affection
ate. Some one was not to be frightened.
Some one was to take a draught from the
goblet and fear nothing. They would not
hurt him. They had but played with him.
Again Henriet and Poitou passed and re-
passed and once GILES de Sille flashed across
the Interpreting, handing a broad-edged,
cleaning knife swiftly and surreptitiously to
some one unseen.
Then came a short, sharp cry Of agony,
a gurgling moan, and black. blank, unutter-
able horror shut down on Laurence's spirit.
lie sank down on his face behind the door
and covered his eyes and ears with his
hands. So he lay for a space without mo-
tion, almost without sense, upon the naked
marble slab. When he cam to himself a
dusky light was diffused through the chapel.
As he looked he saw La Meffraye come to
the door and set her face within, like some
bird of night, hideous and foul. Then she
returned and GILES de Sille and Clerk
Henriet came in the chapel bearing between
them a great golden cup, filled las it seemed
by the care with which they carried III to
the very hrim with some precious liquid.
To them, all clad in a priests robe of
rane-COlCred VelNet, succeeded the lOrd or
Retz himself. He held in his hand like a
service book the great manuscript written
in red, which he had been inditing at
Sybilla's entrance, and as he walked he
chanted with a strange intonation words
that thrilled the very soul OF the young man
listening.
And yet, as Laurence looked forth from
his hiding place, it appeared that the black
Gtatua pn1la1 nrpa mara RI him &c ma ut,o
would say, Take note and remember what
thou seest, for one day thy testimony shall
be needed"
These were the words he heard in the
chanting monotone:
20, great and mighty Barran- Sathanas,
my only lord and master, whom with all due
observance | do worship, look mercifully
upon this the sacrifice of innocent blood.
Let it he grateful 10 thee-to whom all
evil is as the brelth of life.
Here us, o Barran-Sathanas, Thou hast
been deaf in past days, because we served
thee rot without drawback or withholdine.
without sparing and without remorse. Be-
cause We hesitated 10 give thee the best,
the delicatest, the most pitiful. But now
take this innocentest innocence. Behold l..
Giles de Retz, make to thee the matchless
sacrifice OF the Red Mink thou lowest.
The Red MILK | pour for thee! The Red
MIX ] bring thee-the Red MIX / bring TO
thee-that thou mayest be pleased 10 restore