d,
with a noise as of the cracking, and breaking, and tearing of rotten
wood, something gave way, and I hurled the image down the steps. Its
displacement revealed a great hole in the throne, like the hollow of a
decayed tree, going down apparently a great way. But I had no time to
examine it, for, as I looked into it, up out of it rushed a great brute,
like a wolf, but twice the size, and tumbled me headlong with itself,
down the steps of the throne. As we fell, however, I caught it by the
throat, and the moment we reached the platform, a struggle commenced, in
which I soon got uppermost, with my hand upon its throat, and knee upon
its heart. But now arose a wild cry of wrath and revenge and rescue.
A universal hiss of steel, as every sword was swept from its scabbard,
seemed to tear the very air in shreds. I heard the rush of hundreds
towards the platform on which I knelt. I only tightened my grasp of the
brute's throat. His eyes were already starting from his head, and his
tongue was hanging out. My anxious hope was, that, even after they had
killed me, they would be unable to undo my gripe of his throat, before
the monster was past breathing. I therefore threw all my will, and
force, and purpose, into the grasping hand. I remember no blow. A
faintness came over me, and my consciousness departed.

CHAPTER XXIV

"We are ne'er like angels till our passions die."
DEKKER.

"This wretched INN, where we scarce stay to bait,
We call our DWELLING-PLACE:
We call one STEP A RACE:
But angels in their full enlightened state,
Angels, who LIVE, and know what 'tis to BE,
Who all the nonsense of our language see,
Who speak THINGS, and our WORDS,their ill-drawn
PICTURES, scorn,
When we, by a foolish figure, say,
BEHOLD AN OLD MAN DEAD! then they
Speak properly, and cry, BEHOLD A MAN-CHILD BORN!"
COWLEY.

I was dead, and right content. I lay in my coffin, with my hands folded
in peace. The knight, and the lady I loved, wept over me.

Her tears fell on my face.

"Ah!" said the knight, "I rushed amongst them like a madman. I hewed
them down like brushwood. Their swords battered on me like hail, but
hurt me not. I cut a lane through to my friend. He was dead. But he had
throttled the monster, and I had to cut