ybilla de Thouars, I bid you look
upon John, Duke of Brittany. Tell me what he does and says."

The level, impassive, detached voice began again. The hands clasped
the cross of gold more closely under the silk apron.

"I see a room done about with silver scallop shells and white-painted
ermines. I see a fair, cunning-faced, soft man. Behind him stands one
tall, spare, haggard--"

"Pierre de l'Hopital, President of Brittany--one that hates me," said
de Retz, grimly between his teeth. "I will meet my fingers about his
dog's throat yet. What of him?"

The Lady Sybilla, without a quiver of her shut eyelids took up the
cue.

"He hath his finger on a parchment. He strives to point out something
to the fair-haired man, but that other shakes his head and will not
agree--"

The marshal suddenly grew intent, and even excited.

"Look closer, Sybilla--look closer. Can you not read that which is
written on the parchment? I bid you, by all my power, to read it."

Then the countenance of the Lady Sybilla was altered. Striving and
blank failure were alternately expressed upon it.

"I cannot! Oh, I cannot!" she cried.

"By my power, I bid you. By that which I will make you suffer if you
fail me, I command you!" cried Gilles de Retz, bending himself towards
her and pressing his fingers against her brow so that the points
dented her skin.

The tears sprang from underneath the dark lashes which lay so
tremulously upon her white cheek.

"You make me do it! It hurts! I cannot!" she said in the pitiful voice
of a child.

"Read--or suffer the shame!" cried Gilles de Retz.

"I will--oh, I will! Be not angry," she answered pleadingly.

And underneath the silk the hands were grasped with a grip like that
of a vice upon the golden cross she had borrowed from the little Maid
of Galloway.

"Read me that which is written on the paper," said the marshal.

The Lady Sybilla began to speak in a voice so low that Gilles de Retz
had to incline his ear very close to her lips to listen.

"Accusation against the great lord and most noble seigneur, Gilles de
Laval de Retz, Sire de--"

"That is it--go on after the titles," said the eager voice of the
marshal.

"Accused of having molested the messengers of his suzerain, the
supreme Duke John of Brittany, accused of ill intent against the
State; accused of quartering the arms-royal upon his shield; called to
answer for these offences in the city of Nantes--and that is all."

She ended