Show 6 I 1 BJ IS oj 1101 j by MILLICENT E MANN copyright 1804 by LUCAS LINCOLN CO CHAPTER I 1 cont aued lord felton sat our heated talk a figure 0 arble aith an 1 mobile face eyes staring staring at nothing like a drunken maa s only his fingers rat tatting on the board now he aroused himself let there be no brawling he said and he imperiously motioned the crowd back I 1 have staked naught that belongs to any one else I 1 think A sneer hovered on his lips as he looked it the flushed faces of the and especially at raoul dwight ii was fairly won we shall see you in f ondon soona his words were now addressed to me and they were courte iubelt yet I 1 read the menace in them as did the men also they ati sned that my lord would find a way of relieving ot my newly and most unexpectedly ac quiren treasure the promise of a bride becore I 1 should have time to use it ere many days shall have passed I 1 replied you will be welcome he said I 1 shall br ng that which shall win me a welcome I 1 returned it you still have it muttered raoul dwig t do you threatens 7 I 1 sneered his reply was a shrug of the der and as he the only one still whipped his sword up and down mas ter arnold cried you are my guests gentlemen seek some otin r place to do your brawling you were net bont to be so par nicular master arnold said faoul dwight with a snarl it was in this very loom it I 1 remember rightly raoul dwight master arnold s voice rang out sharply sir raoul dwight laughed antly between his teeth but ha stopped jor lord felton had arisen and made him a motion not to be dis obeyed the firlit faint streaks of the early morn now began to show through the basket on my arm and in mouth ft as the fish she had purloined I 1 jerked my knifa from my belt n t being in the humor for such pleas antry I 1 was too late As I 1 held it ready to str ke she was off no she had not escaped me yet for with a swiftness eagal to her own I 1 threw my knife after her it struck her in the neck she fell to the ground not twenty paces from me pi aging reeling emitting a gurgling cry when the bird had flown exultingly foran and my knife after her I 1 had heird the lilt of a faugl which had ended in a tive cry the deed as of the moment w without d thought had I 1 wished it otherwise as I 1 soon did I 1 could not helped it I 1 looked at my arm where the claws of the falcon had r aped the skin so that the blood flowed freely I 1 turned over the dead thing on the ground with my fiot and wondered whence it had come I 1 again heard that little cry I 1 raised m eyes there before me in the narrow pathway stood a very madcap of a child or woman I 1 could not tell which her hair was piled on top of her exquisite head in some foreign fashion and her dress was down to her tiny feet she was breathless breath lebs from running and held her dress bunched in her hands laces and frills made a perfect cas cade about her ankles oh what have you donea she cried she dropped in a heap of rals beside the dead bird and began call ing it all manner of pretty names you lout she stormed and faced me she was one who in her rage and grief did not stop to pick her words with a squeamishness you have killed my falcon how dared you how dared youa A moment before the place had seemed ordinary enough for places we see habitually become so now everything was changed A beautiful woman had entered the landscape was transfigured there before me stood a very madcap of a ch id or woman slats of the closed shutters and or ders were given for the saddling of horses the servants blew out the last of the candles and opened the windows the air came rushing in sweet with the smell of earthly things cutting its way through the dense smoke laden atmosphere the money still lay on the tible dull and sordid in the 1 of day gil said I 1 see that my lord felton has back what was his before we leave I 1 touched the gold and notes with the up of my sword ex capt this with a light laugh I 1 tool up the promise of marriage and dropped it carelessly into my pocket even as one might take an uncut dia mond of which he knows not the value and puts it heedlessly away and h is welcome to the rest for its sake you are to be congratulated said harcourt nym it you succeed with that bit of paper I 1 fear me it la too perishable CHAPTER II 11 A beautiful woman we rode warily along at first mind W ot sir raoul boast that should not leave with the promise it marriage As the distance be iween us and long haut dwindled sown to a few miles we came to the conclusion that the man thought bet ter of it the breath of life as bleet to our nostrils the scent of newly turned hay came from some distant field and it vas good I 1 thought of pleasant things of a day not yet a week agone then it was a st martin s summer s day and the heat was intense I 1 had opened the neck of mv shirt thereby laying bare a brown and brawny throat i was on my homeward way with a basket ull of trout en my arm for I 1 had been thrashing the streams up and down since daybreak I 1 stumbled down a footpath which led past castle drout an ancient manor yet hidden from it by tall branches trailing vines and briody gayety had possessed me until now and I 1 had even trolled i song at the top of lusty lungs qualms of hunger began to cry aloud and that together with the heat made me drowsy I 1 minded not my steps only one wish stirred within me that I 1 were home with a tren chon of beef before me such as old nance prepared I 1 corn bitted the midges burs and other nuisances to a thousand deaths so captious does a man become when hunger assails him on a sudden there swooped through the air with the swiftness of light ning a peregrin falcon she alighted upon my shoulder her long curved talons tore the linen of my shirt and cut deep furrows in my flesh I 1 stag from the unexpectedness of the attack she hung upon me over how shall I 1 describe her gleaming beautys she was sl but fully developed she was fair wonderfully fair with perfect features her eyes were like the changeful sea her hair was rolled back from her face in a million ripples of softened gold it was dressed high upon her head yet fell about her neck in tendrils there the gold nestled aga ast the white like the yellow center of a water lily among its ivory hued petals when the sun s rays caught it and lingered as though they loved to play in its meshes the darl er parts became titian red I 1 stood before this grande dame halt disgusted that she should waste such sweetness upon a thing so con temp tible when there was better quarry at hand half lost in open ad mi ration wholly spellbound at last mindful of my manners and tongue leas condition for she booked at me from between her fingers with both curiosity and coquetry I 1 said I 1 am sorry madame that I 1 should have unwittingly been the cause of this hurt to you sorry sorry she repeated scorn fully what can sorro v doa can it bring the life back to my birda ah you are stiff and cold poor pretty dear and to think I 1 sent you to your death you are a clown a clown in deed it you have never een a falcon gentil did you ever see onea she asked as she turned again to me A clown indeed I 1 fet myself for words are like a pack of cards Us the manipulating of them that counts and I 1 was in the position of one who handles them for the first time and knows it will be more a matter of luck than skill if he W n out if there Is a falcon within twenty leagues madame it is yours I 1 an to take the place of yonder bird do you think I 1 would accept aught at your handsy she chiei ere I 1 had time to reason with her she was joined with a serving maid to whom she turned and began to tell of the bird s mis happening she spoke in french thinking no doubt the language unknown to me I 1 heard that milady seeing me half asleep coming down the path and thought to have some fun at my expense she had fowled her bird after a trout not reckoning with either man or knife and the result of their harmless bit of frolicsomeness he was a dead pet when they had reviled me enough or so I 1 thought for contempt made my u to tingle I 1 said in the same speech and in as gracious a manner as 1 could corn ir and I 1 would recompense you madame to the halt of my estate believe me t Q rs recompense estate ul she sneered it on my lord s land with one wee pig is more like to be your estate she threw back head nd laughed while she took me in from my head to my foot do you hear that nurse moffett she continued recompense to the halt of my estate she mimicked me to a anicet and then went off into throes of laughter joined by her nurse I 1 waited with a grave face until her merriment haa subsided I 1 sav she was a maid of mood and fancies tor now she sat quite down upon the ground unmindful of everything ex capt ler dead pet and tears fell from eyes in big drops what a hell of witchcraft lies in U small orb of one particular tear sa I 1 william shakespeare a writer of plays and sometimes actor of the samp and I 1 aver that he never spoke true worda he is dead these many year but his speeches are kemem bared and plays still to oe seen at the theatris thea teis in london do lyt I 1 beg of you do not I 1 said as I 1 cropped on my knees beside her and s retched out my hands to take the abad thing from her old flame as if desirous of keep ing before her mistress my share in the business made the air murky with her execrate ons inwardly I 1 cursed myself in being so ready to cut and to slash perhaps the lady read some of my contrition in my face perhaps she had changed her mind as to my condition in life certainly she looked at me with a lit tie kindliness and there were ques eions written on her face she let me tal e the bird and place it on the sward and wipe her gown where the gore had ruined it so much grace I 1 bad no more too soon she reme bared that I 1 had done her an injury her eyes now flashed like steel her bow shaped mouth drew itself into its haughtiest curves I 1 thought what a pity love light alone ought to linger about those dimpled corners she arose and back with much imperiousness strange to see in one so young and petite out side of royalty I 1 towered head and shoulders above her and could scarce hide a smile at such behavior get you gone to your estate she drawled bowing low before me my lord mayor of all you survey get you gone for it you happen upon these grounds again in spite of your great estate I 1 shall have you whipped off you believe at least that I 1 i egret my acta I 1 stopped long enough to ask paying no heed to her mockery regret regret she repeated of what use are regrets 9 she t arned her shoulders upon me to be continued |