The old woman looked at me with searching eyes.
"You are a bold man, my lord," said she.
"I see nothing to be afraid of up to now," said I. "Such courage as
is needed to tell a scoundrel what I think of him, I believe I can
claim."
"But he will never let you go now. You would go to Rhodes, and tell
his--tell what you say of him."
"Yes, and farther than Rhodes, if need be. He shall die for it as sure
as I live."
A thousand men might have tried in vain to persuade me; the treachery
of Constantine had fired my heart and driven out all opposing motives.
"Do as I bid you," said I, sternly, "and waste no time on it. We will
watch here by the old man till you return."
"My lord," she replied, "you run on your own death. And you are young,
and the young man by you is yet younger."
"We are not dead yet," said Denny; and I had never seen him look as
he did then; for the gayety was out of his face, and he spoke from
between stern-set lips.
She raised her hands toward heaven--whether in prayer or in
lamentation, I do not know. We turned away and left her to her sad
offices, and going back to our places, waited there till dawn began to
break, and from the narrow windows we saw the gray crests of the waves
dancing and frolicking in the early dawn. As I watched them the old
woman was by my elbow.
Pages:
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167