face of a
statue of Athena; yet terrible in the fixed and stony horror of its eyes,
and in the blood-streaks that covered it, and in the incarnate hate of its
expression--terrible in all this as the Gorgon face of Medusa.

[Illustration: "She Hurled The Breviary Upon The Floor."]

Lopez shrank back: his vengeance was satisfied, his fury had all subsided,
and there flashed through every nerve a thrill of horror. It was then to
him as though the dead--the priest whom he had just slain--had sprung up
by an immediate resurrection from death to punish him for such atrocious
sacrilege. All the superstition of his Spanish nature now rolled in one
wave over his soul, overwhelming it with panic fear. The dead! the dead!
he thought--the priest with the angel face--murdered because he would not
sin--it was he! But the angel face was now the awful head of a haunting
and avenging demon.

And now at this very instant, while the smoke was still hanging in dense
folds half-way between floor and ceiling; while Brooke still lay in his
blood; while Talbot still glared in fury upon Lopez; at this very moment
there arose a wild cry--sudden, menacing, irresistible--by which the whole
face of the scene was changed.

"Viva el Rey!"

Such was the cry that now sounded out in the midst of the amazed
Republicans. There was a rush and a trample. Then followed the thunder of
rifles, and through the smoke dusky figures were visible, rushing to and
fro.

Once again, once more, and again, and yet again, report after report rang
out. All the room was dense with smoke, and in that thick darkness nothing
was visible; but voices yelled in fear, and other voices shouted in
triumph; while far above all sounded the war-cry, "Viva el Rey!" "Down
with the rebels!" "No quarter!"

Shrieks arose in the hall without. Then cries followed--"Treason! treason!
We are betrayed! Fly! fly!" These words were screamed in the shrill tones
of a woman. The terror of that cry communicated itself to all. A universal
trample and a rush succeeded, and the whole band of Republicans, in mad
panic, fled away.

Out they went, that panic-stricken band, into the court-yard, and out
through the gates, and afar away through the open country, each one
seeking his own safety, and hearing in his disordered fancy the sound
behind him of hot pursuit. There was no pursuit--no enemy followed close
behind; but in that crowd of panic-stricken fugitives each heard the swift
rush and t