to the tower in search of Gerald, and this was the
strongest reason which had induced me to remain behind: but time waned;
he came not, and at length it grew so late that I began to tremble lest
the assistance from------should not arrive in time.

It struck the first quarter after eleven: in less than an hour my enemy
would be either in my power or beyond its reach; still Gerald and our
allies came not; my suspense grew intolerable, my pulse raged with
fever; I could not stay for two seconds in the same spot; a hundred
times had I drawn my sword, and looked eagerly along its bright blade.
"Once," thought I, as I looked, "thou didst cross the blade of my mortal
foe, and to my danger rather than victory; years have brought skill to
the hand which then guided thee, and in the red path of battle thou hast
never waved in vain. Be stained but once more with human blood, and I
will prize every drop of that blood beyond all the triumphs thou hast
brought me!" Yes, it had been with a fiery and intense delight that
I had learned that Montreuil would have companions to his flight in
lawless and hardened men, who would never yield him a prisoner without
striking for his rescue; and I knew enough of the courageous and proud
temper of my purposed victim to feel assured that, priest as he was, he
would not hesitate to avail himself of the weapons of his confederates
or to aid them with his own. Then would it be lawful to oppose violence
to his resistance, and with my own hand to deal the death-blow of
retribution. Still as these thoughts flashed over me my heart grew
harder, and my blood rolled more burningly through my veins. "They come
not; Gerald returns not," I said, as my eye dwelt on the clock, and
saw the minutes creep one after the other: "it matters not; HE at least
shall not escape!--were he girt by a million, I would single him from
the herd; one stroke of this right hand is all that I ask of life, then
let them avenge him if they will." Thus resolved, and despairing at last
of the return of Gerald, I left the tower, locked the outer door, as a
still further security against my prisoner's escape, and repaired with
silent but swift strides to the beach by the Castle Cave. It wanted
about half an hour to midnight: the night was still and breathless; a
dim mist spread from sea to sky, through which the stars gleamed forth
heavily, and at distant intervals. The moon was abroad, but the vapours
that surrounded her gave a watery