versaries is my pledge for
that. Francis, think of your reckoning on the other side. The avenger
of blood is already breathing within these walls."

She went up to a great mirror between the windows to arrange her hair.
The sun, veiled in mist, cast a red light through the panes, and shone
in wondrous way upon the fair and angry features, so that they seemed
to glow with an inward fire. At the first look in the glass Bona
started back in horror.

"Are the old tales of my childhood coming back upon me?" she exclaimed
with fixed gaze. "It was, indeed, as if an evil spirit grinned at me
from the mirror."

But by degrees she came to her recollection, and began to chide her
folly with a laugh, though her lips were still quivering--"Fool, it was
yourself. Revenge never beautifies a female face; that I might have
well known."

And with firm step the strong-minded woman went up again to the glass,
and looked in it defyingly, as if to challenge forth the monster that
was hid behind its crystal. Although her hands trembled in arranging
her locks, she yet accomplished the task with her eyes stedfastly fixed
upon the mirror.

"Now, then," she cried with a horrid laugh, "I am armed. Hold
yourselves in readiness, my beloved! The Norna is sitting at her task,
and with sharp-edged swords weaves the bloody web of the decisive
combat. Up! to complete the work!"

She turned hastily to the door, which even then opened. Christopher
Friend, whose tender impatience would not suffer him to remain any
longer below, walked in, and with a sweet smile the beautiful fury
stepped forward to meet him.

* * * * *

In Althea's rooms at Tausdorf, silent and anxious, expecting the return
of his intended bride. Meantime, at a little table, sat Henry, looking
over a large volume of copper-plates, which, according to its title,
depicted "The strange Forms of the Metamorphoses of the ingenious
heathen Poet, Ovid."

"The insupportable Latin!" cried the boy, stamping with his feet; and
then jumping up to Tausdorf with the folio, he said, "Pray, now, help
me out of this difficulty. The stupid pictures are so singular that it
makes one quite curious to learn what they mean; and when one looks
after the explanation, the fool of an engraver has written Latin
underneath."

"Do not find fault with the engraver," said Tausdorf; "he with justice
believed that such pictures were not fit for a boy who does not yet
unders