ove, a
gaping sword-wound in her side, and the ground all bloody about her.
For a moment I stood dumb in the spell of that horror, then a movement
beyond, against the wall, aroused me, and I beheld her murderers
cowering there, one with a naked sword in his hand.

"In that fell hour, Kenneth, my whole nature changed, and one who had
ever been gentle was transformed into the violent, passionate man that
you have known. As my eye encountered then her cousins, my blood seemed
on the instant curdled in my veins; my teeth were set hard; my nerves
and sinews knotted; my hands instinctively shifted to the barrel of my
fowling-piece and clutched it with the fierceness that was in me--the
fierceness of the beast about to spring upon those that have brought it
to bay.

"For a moment I stood swaying there, my eyes upon them, and holding
their craven glances fascinated. Then with a roar I leapt forward, the
stock of my fowling-piece swung high above my head. And, as God lives,
Kenneth, I had sent them straight to hell ere they could have raised a
hand or made a cry to stay me. But as I sprang my foot slipped in the
blood of my beloved, and in my fall I came close to her where she lay.
The fowling-piece had escaped my grasp and crashed against the wall.

"I scarce knew what I did, but as I lay beside her it came to me that I
did not wish to rise again--that already I had lived overlong. It came
to me that, seeing me fallen, haply those cowards would seize the chance
to make an end of me as I lay. I wished it so in that moment's frenzy,
for I made no attempt to rise or to defend myself; instead I set my arms
about my poor murdered love, and against her cold cheek I set my face
that was well-nigh as cold.

"And thus I lay, nor did they keep me long. A sword was passed through
me from back to breast, whilst he who did it cursed me with a foul
oath. The room grew dim; methought it swayed and that the walls were
tottering; there was a buzz of sound in my ears, then a piercing cry in
a baby voice. At the sound of it I vaguely wished for the strength to
rise. As in the distance, I heard one of those butchers cry, "Haste,
man; slit me that squalling bastard's throat!" And then I must have
swooned."

Kenneth shuddered.

"My God, how horrible!" he cried. "But you were avenged, Sir Crispin,"
he added eagerly; "you were avenged?"

"When I regained consciousness," Crispin continued, as if he had not
heard Kenneth's exclamation, "the cot