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CHAPTER XVIII.
THE FIGHT FOR VOLINÈ

The shades of night were beginning to fall as I crossed the garden of Siccoth-trees, which was a fortunate circumstance for me, as I desired to see no one, least of all any of my companions, until my nerves felt steadier, for now they seemed shattered by the trying, terrible strain which they had undergone within the past few hours. By still further good fortune I gained the Palace unobserved, except by the guard at the gates, and a solitary Martial whom I met in one of the corridors near my own room.

"I flung myself upon my couch and tried to think. But my thoughts were broken and confused. All that had taken place seemed as a dream. First one incident and then another of the weird ceremony flashed through my brain, and vanished; and then all returned together as swiftly, yet in disordered sequence, until I dropped into a troubled sleep.

"For twelve hours I lay thus, only awaking in the morning to find my servant Herio bending over me, saying in a voice which sounded as though it were miles away:

"'Sire! rouse thee; for the King would see thee. Even now he awaiteth thy coming.'

"'Why, Herio, what is the hour? How long have I slept? Has anyone been here? – the Doctor? – Mr. Temple?'

"'The tenth hour of the new day soundeth, sire. But one soul hath entered thy chamber, and he whom thou callest "Doctor." He watched by thee as thou slept, until midnight, and glanced at thee again at sunrise for a moment.'

"Quickly eating a light breakfast, and feeling more refreshed and stronger than I had done for many days, I followed Herio to the apartment in which the King was awaiting me. Volinè, looking pale and wan, was seated on the dais on her father's right hand; whilst below him, much to my surprise and embarrassment, were Temple and the Doctor. Behind them, a hundred or more of the highest Ministers of State sat in silence. Blushes stole over Volinè's lovely face as she smiled on me in welcome. Temple and the Doctor, gazing all the time in rapt astonishment, bade me a hearty good-morning; and the King, in his kindliest manner, told me to come and seat myself at his left hand.

"'Already, man of Ramos, have I heard the full story of thy dauntless courage, yesterday, on the hill Verosi. Our beloved daughter Volinè tells me of thy fortitude in meeting, wrestling with, and overcoming Death by Fire. Right nobly hath thou done all that was required of thee, and thy reward shalt be that for which thy heart hath long desired, for now do I give thee my daughter to wife.'

"Here the old King stood up, and taking Volinè's hand and mine, placed them in each other, saying: —

"'In doing this thing I feel that the hand of wisdom hath guided me to a just atonement, and a wise repentance of my sin in seeking thy life and thy companions' lives without full cause. Already hath Echri told me my folly, and of his wondrous vision, in which was declared to him that with thy advent in Gathma God's promise to unite His scattered Universe was being fulfilled. Thou art no more man of Ramos only; man of Gathma, too, hath thou become; and may thy lengthened span of life be used in binding these two sister-worlds in yet closer unity. I have but few more words to say. Thou hast an enemy in Edos, by name Perodii. Long hath he sought thy ruin, by divers means; yea, even at the cost of Volinè's honour. That the lies he spoke concerning her were bred of jealousy of thee I now know, and his banishment from our royal presence is but a just punishment for his sin. But Perodii is of a noble race, which hath many privileges I may not take away. One of these is that, being thy rival to the hand of my daughter, he hath the right to meet thee in single combat to decide the issue between ye. He hath claimed that right, and, moreover, he hath proclaimed throughout Edos that to-morrow thou shalt do him battle or be slain by him as a coward. I ask thy answer to this challenge?'

"'That I will meet him whenever he may choose; for few things would give me greater pleasure, O King of Gathma, than to satisfy the hatred that long has lain between us,' I answered, still holding Volinè's hand in mine.

"'All shall be as thou sayest,' said the King, who, turning to his ministers, continued: 'Let Perodii hear these things at once, and let all be set in readiness for the morrow.'

"And then the old King turned to leave the chamber, which was a signal for the assembled ministers to disperse unto their duties, bidding the Doctor accompany him to discuss still further the projects which they had in view. I led Volinè away towards her own apartments, and as we walked along she said:

"'Harry, thou hast grieved me sorely in respect to this meeting with Perodii. Have I not already counselled thee to leave him alone?'

"'And be branded as a coward, darling! Would you care to hear your lover's name bandied about Edos as another name for cowardice? Volinè, have no fears for me, as I have none for myself.'

"'But Perodii is cunning in the use of arms.'

"'Trouble not yourself, darling; for, with YOU as the issue between us, there lives no man in all wide Gathma that should overcome me. Besides, Perodii's insults on you can only be answered for in this manner. Before Edos he once has lied; before Edos shall he declare himself a speaker of lies.'

"'As thou wilt, Harry; but my heart will be heavy and comfortless until this fray is over.'

"'And now, my darling, have you spoken to your father about our wedding-day?'

"'I have; and he sayeth that it may be chosen by myself.'

"'Then if I overcome Perodii in fair and open combat on the morrow, will you come unto me? Volinè, let the morrow be our bridal day. Nay, urge no obstacles, my dear one. Say "Yes," and give me new strength for the fray.'

"'I will tell thee to-night, when thou meetest me in the arbour of Siccoth. Now hurry thee away, for there is much that I would do before the sun hath risen on the morrow.'

"On my way back I met Temple, and he was profuse in his congratulations on my happiness.

"'Why, Graham, the events of the past four and twenty hours seem like a dream – even in this strange city of enchantment and wondrous surprises. Now come along and have a chat. Surely the beautiful Volinè can spare you for one hour in which you may talk with your friends! To tell the truth, I feel almost afraid of you now, if all that I have heard is true.'

"'Well, Mr. Temple, and what may you have heard?' I asked, as we strolled out of the Palace together, and sat ourselves down under the cool shade of a broad-leafed shrub.

"'We have heard so much that, really, I scarcely know where to begin in describing it. Briefly, it is this. That yesterday afternoon Volinè and yourself went into that three-domed Temple on the hill we saw from the Sirius, and that there you went through some fiendish art of sorcery, which has professed to endow you with a longer span of life. After what happened at Remagaloth, I must confess I felt a certain amount of faith in this Priest Echri's power; but that he can prolong your days, even to the extent of one, I do not believe – "

"'I think you would, Mr. Temple, had you seen and experienced as much as I have. Religious ordinances in this world are, as one might expect them to be, vastly different from any now on Earth. Here in Gathma, there are Holy Men who appear to be direct agents of a Supreme Being, and through them Almighty will is manifest. After all, there is nothing so very remarkable about this; for even in our world, during the days of the Patriarchs, very similar conditions prevailed. It must be more than human sorcery or trickery that can send a man through a stream of molten fire unscathed, unsinged, as I went yesterday, although I suffered in one brief awful moment all the pain of death in that dread majestic element. Whether I live to be seventy, or ten times seventy, time alone can prove; but I have every faith in Echri's power. I can understand your scepticism; but let the solemn assurances of one who has seen his potency, and felt his power, change your opinion. How this wonder was worked, how my body escaped annihilation, or if destroyed how another so similar in all respects, that I cannot find one tittle of difference myself, was created, is as much a mystery to me as to you, as that fair Temple yonder guards its secrets well.'

"'But what good have you really done yourself, Graham, in this thing, provided all be true?'

"'Increased my span of life at least tenfold, and won the hand of as fair a woman as was ever conceived!'

"'And sold your soul to evil, I fear.'

"'Then I am content to abide by my bargain, although no thought of such a compact has ever suggested itself to me. But what is the Doctor's opinion?'

"'That you must be mad – mad, and blind with love; and that he has never seen such a rapid change in a man as has taken place in you since you met Volinè. All interest in your old pursuits seems gone; all feelings of companionship for us are slipping away. I suppose it is ever so. I was the same myself in the long ago – when a mistress comes to reign in our heart, verily in the early days of her power she rules supreme! I don't think the dear old boy will ever quite forgive you. He has curious ideas on women; besides, he always insists that all the evil that has befallen us in Edos was caused by her.'

"'I am afraid 't were useless to deny the soft impeachment, Mr. Temple; but, after all, Volinè – who, you yourself must own, is peerless amongst her sex – and I have had little time together, and more than our share of trials and troubles during our courtship. Wait until I enter the noble army of Benedicts. All being well, I expect my commission therein to-morrow, and then you will again find me heart and soul with you in all your plans. For if I overcome this scamp Perodii – and a greater scoundrel never drew air – I hope to wed Volinè before the day has passed. Fancy Perodii challenging me! It is the last trump-card in the trick of his revenge and hatred; but I think I hold the ace of his suit.'

"'Then you really mean to fight?'

"'I should rather think I do. I am not quite a fool with the cutlass, or with the pistol either; and I picked up a few wrinkles in the use of the dagger when I was engineering some waterworks in Spain, which may now be of service to me. And if personal prowess alone is to decide between us, well I will show this braggart, strong as he is, how a Yorkshireman in good 'fettle' can 'wrastle,' as we say in that fair county of broad acres and honest hospitality.'

"'Well, I wish you every success, Graham, my boy; every success, and every happiness; and no one in all Edos will see you lead Volinè to the altar – that is, if an altar forms a necessary article of the marriage ceremony in this strange world – with more genuine pleasure than I shall. I feel that indirectly, and through you, I owe my life to this girl, in spite of all that the Doctor may say to the contrary; and that being so, I wish her every happiness too. Besides, this match appears to find great favour with the King.'

"'Ah, for that I have to thank Echri. It appears that he has had a vision in which it was declared that the peoples on the family of planets that circle round the Sun are to be united; and that we having established communication between Earth and Mars, are fulfilling this sacred manifestation. This the King has only lately learned from Echri, and it has done more than anything else to place us high in royal favour, and to win consent to my union with Volinè.'

"'Well, now, about this fight to-morrow. Have you no idea of the weapons, conditions of combat, and so on?'

"'None; nor do I want any. But if you should chance to drop on Sandy Campbell, tell him that I would see him. I should like him near me to-morrow, just as a sort of henchman like – you understand?'

"'I won't fail to send him if I get the chance, but the Doctor keeps him more than busy. Only this very morning he packed him off somewhere or other in search of some insect which, he tells me, is curiously allied to a beetle of Earth.'

"'Gracious! Poor old Sandy! I have half a mind to pity him in his search for that illustrious bug.'

"Chatting together thus, the morning slipped quickly and pleasantly away, until we were summoned to our mid-day meal. Neither the King nor Volinè was present; and the Doctor, as well, was too absorbed in his studies to make his appearance. I spent the afternoon posting up my journals, from which this portion of our narrative has been written; and in the evening I went unto our trysting-place, there to wait my loved one's coming.

"Verily the quiet, dreamy beauty of the night in this tropic region of Mars is beyond all power of description. The atmosphere is balmier than in the torrid zone of Earth, by reason of the greater remoteness of the sun; and the absence of all those insect-pests that make life there unendurable, especially during hours of darkness. Such nights inspire Love! Such an atmosphere makes the tender, sacred passion glow with an intensity unknown in higher and cooler latitudes. The air breathes it; the night-birds sing it; the fountains, in their rising and falling cadence, echo it from grove to grove; the moons and stars, scintillating in their ether sea of blue, excite it; even the very flowers distil it in their ravishing perfume! Ah! 't is a wondrous thing, this universal Love! A legacy of God, immutable, unchanging through the unrecorded ages on every sphere where man doth dwell. Best described as a passion of the night; as its subtle influence is strongest under a starlit sky; for doth it not droop and languish under the fierce light and blazing heat of day, requiring softer illuminants and balmier air to flourish in all its beautiful intensity! No other feeling evolved by the human mind can compare in tenderness or beauty with that of first love. He who has not known that incomparable joy-sorrow, knows not what it is to live; for of all the feelings that animate the human breast it is at once the most tender, the most pure, full of innocence, yet heavy with primordial sin, selfish, yet generous; passionate, yet without lust; divine, yet human!

"But here my reverie in Siccoth's arbour was broken by the foot-falls of Volinè, and in a few moments she was by my side.

"'Ah, Harry, dear; so thou art communing with thyself, or maybe with the stars. Dost thou still cherish love for that Mother Earth, shining so witchingly fair above thee, or for anyone that doth dwell thereon? A woman?'

"'Nay, nay, my darling,' I answered, drawing her gently to my breast, and planting a kiss on her lips as I spoke, 'I have no thoughts away from you. You are the nucleus of them all, their one inspiration. I was musing to myself on Love – ah! Volinè, even on first love; the tender passion you, and you alone, have inspired within me. And I mused on the exceeding beauty of this wondrous thing, and of its universality; until your footsteps broke the thread of my reverie, and swept away the one sorrow-cloud that tinged my bliss and transformed it into perfect joy.'

"'And what may this one cloud of sorrow be?'

"'To be separated from you, even for one hour – one moment. My heart is yearning for the time when we may part no more – when I may proudly call you mine; MINE for ever!'

"'But is there no one who beckoneth to thee from that star-world yonder; no memory of one fairer in thy sight than I?'

"'Ah, darling,' I sighed, 'have I not told you that, until I saw you, I knew not Love; and that the women of my native Earth cannot compare with you in grace and beauty? I have but a single thought for all those teeming millions of humanity that people yon shining star, and that one is for the old father, who parted from me with his blessing when I left its surface years ago.'

"'And I may never see him! Dost thou know Harry, I have great curiosity to visit thy native world. All would seem so wondrous strange to me.'

"'And perhaps the day may yet come when I shall take my darling yonder; for I hear from my companions that great things are being planned, and that your royal father takes a deep interest in them. But now tell me, dear one, if to-morrow I may take you to myself for ever? Is the morn to bring your bridal day?'

"'Ah, thy words have stirred sad thoughts within my heart. To-morrow thou hast promised to fight Perodii.'

"'And when the fight is over? – '

"'Why, then, if all – be – well,' she sighed, 'thou mayest have thy wish; for then will I become thy wife,' and she hid her blushing face, and stole yet closer into my arms.

"'Your words, dear one, make me feel happier than I can say,' and for a few moments neither of us spoke; and only the loud, fast beating of our own hearts broke the silence surrounding us.

"'Now, Harry, I must leave thee. I would see my father before the evening hath passed.'

"'Then, when I see your dear face again, I may leave you no more. You will not be present at this fray to-morrow?'

"'No, dear Harry, I could not. But I will pray for thee; and when all is over, and thou art victorious – as I trust thou mayest be – then will I come to bring thee thy reward. Now, fare thee well; and may all good fortune attend thee on the morrow,' and trying bravely to conceal her agitation and her tears, Volinè walked with me through the silver, sheeny moonlight unto the Palace; where, with a last, sweet kiss, she left me, and went her way.

"The night was a restless, sleepless one for me; and right gladly I welcomed the first streaks of what was to prove one of the most eventful days of my life. I was up with the sun, and the first person I saw was Himos; and from him I learned particulars of the coming duel. We were to fight with a peculiar kind of short, broad sword, in a large arena, where combats of this description were wont to be decided. The hour for the fray was ten; and the King had signified his intention of being present, and acting as umpire between us. Then came Sandy – his face absolutely beaming with delight at the prospect of a little fighting; and with a due sense of his importance on acting as my second.

"'By bonnie Prince Charlie's memory, Mr. Graham, this is real guid news. I hear that ye are aboot to ha' a tussel with Peerodii. De'il tak' him, when ye ha' done wi' him, Mr. Graham, for the muckle harm he has warked for us; and they do say that we are going to ha' a weddin', too. Weel, weel, Sandy Cam'bell will step ye a Highland reel, if he do it without the pipes an' a' that; an' good luck to ye an' your winsome bride, say I; for she is a bra' fine girl, and enough to turn the heads of a' who clap their een on her.'

"'Thanks for all your good wishes, Sandy; and should we triumph over this rascal, you shall dance at my wedding to-night.'

"'Should we triumph, Mr. Graham. De'il a doot aboot it. He's na fightin' sort.'

"'Well, Sandy, we shall soon know, now, whether there is any real grit in him or not. But have you heard anything from the Doctor about this business?' I asked, just out of curiosity.

"'Indeed, an' I have. The Doctor is powerful annoyed; and I heard him tell Mr. Temple, only last night, that this affair bears out what he has insisted on a' the time, that ye are daft – love daft; and it was no guid sayin' anything to ye, for ye were bound to gang ye're ain gait.'

'"Poor old boy! Well, I hope he is in better temper to-day; for we must have him at the wedding – that is, all being well. And now, Sandy, my boy, hasten away and learn what you can of the arrangements made for the fight. I am growing impatient to get it over, one way or the other.'

"'Right ye are, Mr. Graham. Sandy Cam'bell will do the best he can, for ye ha been a guid friend to me.'

"And so saying, the blunt, yet honest Scot, took himself off in the highest spirits, rejoicing that for one day, at least, he would be free from the task of hunting for the Doctor's 'specimens' to engage in duties more congenial to his tastes.

"I studiously avoided contact with either the Doctor or Temple, taking breakfast in my own room, from which I did not stir until summoned by the King's Marshals to accompany them to the arena. I felt in little mood to talk until this fight was over. Just before their arrival, I was agreeably surprised by a visit from Irolne, who brought me a single white flower from her mistress, with the following message:

"'Wear this for Volinè's sake. She loves thee, and prays for him she loves.'

"The arena was situated in a remote part of the Palace grounds, entirely strange to me. We could have travelled there by one of those wonderful 'tubes,' but I preferred to go on foot, thinking that the walk in the morning air might do me good. This duel between Perodii and myself had made a great sensation, not only in Edos, but in all the cities for many leagues around, and, early as was the hour, a vast concourse had assembled – all of noble birth, or high in station – to witness the fight. This colossal arena was open to the sky, although round the sides a kind of awning had been erected over the spectators, who must have numbered quite two hundred thousand strong. In the centre was a table on which half-a-dozen short swords were placed, and here I saw Sandy carefully examining and testing the blades. Already the King was seated, and by his side were Temple, the Doctor, and a few of the highest Ministers. I stood with Himos at the entrance to the arena, concealed from the gaze of the spectators, waiting for the proceedings to begin; but of my antagonist I had not yet caught a glimpse. Then Sandy came and helped me to prepare myself for the fight. This I did by taking off hat, coat, and vest, and with shirt-sleeves rolled up above my elbows, a scarlet sash bound tightly round my waist, I soon felt ready, even eager, for the fray.

"We had not long to wait. First came twenty heralds into the arena, and having sounded a mighty blast upon their instruments, a Marshal stepped forward, and then a great silence fell as he prepared to speak.

"In a clear, ringing voice, which, owing to some marvellous system of acoustics, must have been heard to the uttermost parts of this grand enclosure, he said:

"'Man of Ramos, His Highness Prince Perodii being thy rival to the hand of our gracious mistress Volinè, the King's daughter, hath called upon thee to fight with him, so that this issue between ye may be fairly tried by courage, strength, and the use of swords.'

"Here, followed by faithful Sandy, I walked into the centre of the arena, bowing to the King, amidst a loud murmur of excitement and curiosity from the surrounding throng.

"Then followed another deafening blast from the twenty heralds, and once again the Marshal spoke:

"'Prince Perodii, this man of Ramos, thy rival to the hand of Volinè, our mistress, hath answered unto thy challenge, and standeth ready, so that this issue between ye may be fairly tried by courage, strength, and the use of swords.'

"Then once more amid murmurs of excitement, mingled not a little with applause from those who evidently were friends of my rival, Perodii, stripped to the waist, walked proudly and confidently forward from another entrance towards me, stopping half-a-dozen paces from where I stood. Each looked fiercely at the other, yet neither spoke. Again a terrible silence fell as the King rose up and said:

"'Rivals for my beloved daughter's favour, ye have met to fight, so that the bitter enmity between ye may be closed. May God decide which is the better man by giving him strength to overcome the other. Let truth and honour and courage, triumph over lies and shame and cowardice. Take ye each a weapon, and let my sitting down be the signal for ye to begin.'

"Then we each stepped forward and took a sword; beautifully finished weapons, about two feet in length and two inches in breadth, dagger pointed, and keen as razors on their innermost edge.

"Each with his gleaming naked sword clasped in his right hand then faced the other, and after a moment's pause, Perodii spoke:

"'So, at last, the hour of my vengeance hath come; and here by my right of birth and station may I slay thee, and sweep thee from my path. Look to it, for thy moments now are numbered.'

"'I wait for you, Perodii, and may Heaven defend the right.'

"'Keep thy holy words for thine own comfort, thou boasting, short-lived fool; but methinks I will cut still shorter thy puny span with this,' and as he spoke he held aloft the glittering blade.

"'You speak that of which you know nothing, Perodii. My span of life is now as long as yours; for know you not that I have passed through holy rites that have endowed me with a fuller measure of years? But we waste time in profitless talk. Come, put up your sword, and defend yourself – '

"'Hold! I see Echri's ring upon thy finger. Come, fight fairly. Take off that cursed relic. We want none of Echri's magic here.'

"'Coward! then you fear its virtues now! Well, I have no wish to take advantage of you. Here, Sandy, hold this ring, and take care of it well. I would not lose it for a world'; and so saying, I slipped the precious talisman from my finger, and turned to give it to Sandy.

"That moment nearly proved fatal to me; for, without warning, Perodii rushed forward and made a terrible thrust at my unguarded body. But Sandy was too quick for him, and putting out his foot, he threw the Prince headlong.

"'Na, na, Mr. Perodii, none o' that here. Ye've got to fight fair and square, and not tak' a mon unawares.'

"'Coward!' I shouted. 'Get up and defend yourself, or my indignation may prompt me to slay you where you are.'

"But Perodii, without another word, jumped to his feet again and attacked me with fury. Our swords flashed like silver in the sunlight as we parried each other's blows and thrusts, Perodii trying his best to strike me, I acting on the defensive, having decided to bide my time until the first frenzy of his attack was spent. Not a sound was heard save the clashing of swords, and our deep-drawn breaths. Then Perodii, in one of his mad onslaughts, slipped and nearly fell, but recovered himself before I had time to drive in a blow; yet a thrilling sigh of excitement burst from the crowd, who thought that all was over. Again we drew back, panting for breath, and burning with desire to slay each other. Again with eyes sparkling in anger we closed, and once more the flashing, clanging swords sang the song of our hatred. Perodii was skilled in the use of his weapon, and fought hard, but I think his courage was only the outcome of his deadly hate, which had worked him up into an uncontrollable rage. At last I clumsily gave him his chance, and was too late completely to parry one of his fierce strokes. His blade glanced off my own, and inflicted a deep, stinging cut in my arm. Amidst my pain I heard cries of concern from the Doctor and Temple, as each jumped to their feet; but the King sat calmly looking on. Then we drew back and stood panting until Sandy had deftly and quickly bound up my wound, saying:

"'Gang in again, Mr. Graham, he's getting spent; besides, your wound will stiffen if ye do not keep your arm at wark.'

"Again we closed; and stung to desperation by my smarting wound, and thoughts of her who lonely and sadly was praying for me, and whose blood-stained flower still clung, ragged and drooping, to my heart, I fought and fought like one possessed, driving my antagonist back inch by inch, step by step, and forcing him to defend himself rather than to attack me. At last my opportunity came, and, with a rapid twisting stroke, I wrenched his blade from his hand and sent it spinning and gleaming into the air, amid a roar of excitement from the onlookers. But before I could recover myself he closed with me, and then began a wild, terrible struggle for life. Soon we rolled to the ground together, and first one and then the other was uppermost and had a transient advantage. Then we got on to our feet again, struggling one against the other, swaying now to this side, now to that, until I clasped him round the waist, and summoning all my strength for one mighty effort, I bent him nearly double as I would a reed, and hurled him limp and helpless over my head! Quick as lightning I ran and seized my sword, and before Perodii could recover or attempt to rise, my foot was planted on his breast, and my notched and gleaming sword held high over his throat.

"'God,' I cried, 'has given you into my power; and now will I justly avenge all the insults you have heaped on me and mine, and wipe out the wrongs you have done the woman I love!'

"Here Volinè entered, and sat down by her father's side, pale and trembling, and with tears starting down her lovely cheeks.

"'Mercy, as thou hopest for the same,' Perodii whined in fear, now thoroughly cowed, and all the fight and courage knocked out of him by that last, terrible fall.

"'Mercy! What mercy would you have shown me were I in your place? However, if mercy you really crave, buy your miserable, worthless life by answering what I ask of you,' I shouted, withdrawing my foot and letting him rise. 'Now, say that you lied when you conspired against Kios, and worked his disgrace and banishment to Pamax.'

"'What know ye of Kios?'

"'Speak the words that clear his name, or die,' I thundered.

"'Then, in this, I admit that I swore falsely, and conspired to ruin an – innocent – man.'

"'Further; you know full well the rest.'

"'And that I did this thing to save myself from his just wrath, having ruined his only child,' he continued, amidst a growing storm of indignation.

"'Now will we speak of Volinè; she whom you have so foully wronged and slandered. Say that you lied in the Hall of Judgment, and to the King. Say that Volinè's honour is as untarnished as the mountain snow.'

"'Never!' he hissed. 'Thou hast humbled me enough. Curse thee!'

"'I am not here to parley. Say this. By the great God, you shall say it on your bended knees, or my sword shall sheath itself in your heart,' I shouted, waxing wroth as I thought of my darling's undeserved disgrace from the mouth of this scoundrel.