ust
as he came within view of the eastward waterfall, a girl was crossing
the bridge, away from the villa. Basil drew rein, bidding his men do
likewise, and let the girl, who had a bundle on her head, draw near. At
sight of the horsemen, of whom she was not aware till close by them,
the maid uttered a cry of alarm, and would have run back but Basil
intercepted her, jumped from his horse, and bade her have no fear, as
he only wished to ask a harmless question. Easily he learnt that
Marcian was at the villa, that he had arrived a few days ago, and that
with him had come a lady.

'What is that lady's name?' he inquired.

The girl did not know. Only one or two of the slaves, she said, had
seen her; she was said to be beautiful, with long yellow hair.

'She never goes out?' asked Basil.

The reply was that, only this morning, she had walked in the wood--the
wood just across the bridge--with Marcian.

Basil sprang on to his horse, beckoned his troop, and rode forward.

CHAPTER XXII

DOOM

When Marcian parted from Veranilda in the peristyle, and watched her as
she ascended to her chamber, he knew that sombre exultation which
follows upon triumph in evil. Hesitancies were now at end; no longer
could he be distracted between two desires. In his eye, as it pursued
the beauty for which he had damned himself, glowed the fire of an
unholy joy. Not without inner detriment had Marcian accustomed himself
for years to wear a double face; though his purpose had been pure, the
habit of assiduous perfidy, of elaborate falsehood, could not leave his
soul untainted. A traitor now for his own ends, he found himself moving
in no unfamiliar element, and, the irrevocable words once uttered, he
thrilled with defiance of rebuke. All the persistency of the man
centred itself upon the achievement of this crime, to him a crime no
longer from the instant that he had irreversibly willed it.

On fire to his finger-tips, he could yet reason with the coldest
clarity of thought. Having betrayed his friend thus far, he must needs
betray him to the extremity of traitorhood; must stand face to face
with him in the presence of the noble Totila, and accuse him even as he
had done to Veranilda. Only thus, as things had come about, could he
assure himself against the fear that Totila, in generosity, or policy,
or both, might give the Amal-descended maid to Basil. To defeat Basil's
love was his prime end, jealousy being more instant with him tha