Evening star., 1899-01-28

|
| in It's straight black narrows
| He accomplished the ascent, however
! without incident and passing through an
| other low arch found himself at the end of
| the passage over against the door with the
| curious burned hieroglyphics imprinted
| upon it. There was 20 light in the passage
and Laurence eagerly set his hand to the
| latch. 1t opened as before and admitted
| him at touch.
The temple-ike hall was silent and dim.
| Only an occasional thrill as if of an earth
| quake passed across it, waving the heavy
| hangngs and bringing hot breath of some
| strange, heady perfume to the nostrils.
| Laurence, with a beating heart, ensconsed
! himself in a hidden nook behind the door.
| The niche was covered by a curtain and
| furnished with Grooved slab of marble
| placed there for some purpose he could not
| fathom.
| Yet it was by no means wholly dark. A
| light shOne into the Chapel of Evil from
| the opposite side, and through it he could
| see shadows cast upon the floors and strid-
| ing gigantic across the roof, as unseen per-
| Sonases passed the light which streamed
| into the dnsky temple
In the Gloomiest part he could make out
| the same vast, dark figure dominating the
| iron altar.
Then Laurence remembered that the
| chamber of the marshal lay on the other
| side the room with the immense fireplace,
| which he had once entered and from which
! he had yet escaped with his life.
Little by little Laurence raised himself
L..
! he could see some small part of the white
| washed, red-f10ored chamber he remember
| cd so well-ony a strip, however, extend
| ing from the door through which he looked
| 10 the great fireplace Whereon the wood
had already been kindled.
Al hrst all was confused. Laurance saw
| Henriet and Poitou. going hastily here a. d
| there, as the servitors do who prepare for
| a great function. Then came pause.
| heaVy with doom. Than he heard or seem
! ed to hear. the frightened pleading of a
| enid, the short sharp commands of a SOL
| der 3 voice, sound as of blow stricken
| and then again whimpering hush Laur-
! ence leaned against the wall with his head
| in his hands. He dared not look within.
| Then he lifted his head. and lo-in the
! gloom 1t seemed as II the huge image had
| turned toward him and in a pleased con-
| ildentlal way was nodding approval of his
presence.
He heard the voice of the Marshal de
! Retz again-this time kindly, and even af-
| lectlonate. Some one was not to be fright
| ened. Some one was to take draught
| from the goblet and fear nothing They
| 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 surrepti-
i tiously to some one unseen
| Then came short. sharp cry of agony,
a gurSiing moan. and black blank unut-
| terable horror shut down on Iaurenca's 9
| spirit.
He sank down on his face behind the
| door and covered his eyes and ears with
| his hands. So he lay for a space without
| motion, almost without sense, upon the
| naked marble slab. When he came to him
| self, dusky light was diffused through the
| chapel. As he looked he 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 great golden cup filed
| Gas it seemed by the care with which .ney
| carried iD to the very brm with some
| precious liquid
To them, all clad in priests robe of
| f1ame-colored velvet, succeeded the lord of
Retz himself. He held in his hand like a
service book the great manuscript written
| in red, which he had been indjting at Sy-
ed with a strange intonation words that
TIN illed the very soul of the young man
listening
And yet, Laurence looked forth from
his hiding place, it appeared that the black
statue nodded once more to him as one
who would say: Take note and remember
what thou seeSt, for one day thy testi-
mony shall be needed"
These were the words he heard in the
chapting monotone:
"Oh. great and mighty Barran- n-Sathanas.
my only lord and master whom with ali
due observance / do worship. look merci-
fully upon this the sacrifice of innocent
blood Let it be grateful to thee-to whom
all evil is as the breath of life.
Hear US. oh Barran-SathanasI Tbo,,
hast been deaf in past days. because we
served thee not without drawback or with
holding. without sparing and without re-
morse Because We hesitated to give thee
the best. the delicatest, the most pitifuI
But now take this innocentest fnnocence
Behold ], Gifies de Retz. make to thee the