"Were you living here or in London then?" inquired Sir Norman, taking
an advantage of a pause, employed by Miranda in shaking off the crawling
beetles.
"Oh, in London! We did not come here until the outbreak of the
plague--that frightened them, especially the female portion, and they
held a scared meeting, and resolved that we should take up our quarters
somewhere else. This place being old and ruined, and deserted and with
all sorts of evil rumors hanging about it, was hit upon; and secretly,
by night, these mouldering old vaults were fitted up, and the goods and
chattels of the royal court removed. And here I, too, was brought by
night under the dwarf's own eye; for he well knew I would have risked
a thousand plagues to escape from him. And here I have been ever since,
and here the weekly revels are still held, and may for years to come,
unless something is done to-night to prevent it.
"The night before these weekly anniversaries they all gather; but during
the rest of the time I am alone with Margery and the dwarf, and have
learned more secrets about this place than they dream of. For the
rest, there is little need of explanation--the dwarf and his crew have
industriously circulated the rumor that it is haunted; and some of those
white figures you saw with me, and who, by the way, are the daughters of
these robbers, have been shown on the broken battlements, as if to put
the fact beyond doubt.
"Now, Sir Norman, that is all--you have heard my whole history as far
as I know it; and nothing remains but to tell you what you must see
yourself, that I am mad for revenge, and must have it, and you must help
me!"
Her eyes were shining with the fierce red fire he had seen in them
before, and the white face wore a look so deadly and diabolical that,
with all its beauty, it was absolutely repulsive. He took a step from
her-for in each of those gleaming eyes sat a devil.
"You must help me!" she persisted. "You--you, Sir Norman! For many a day
I have been waiting for a chance like this, and until now I have waited
in vain. Alone, I want physical strength to kill him, and I dare not
trust any one else. No one was ever cast among us before as you have
been; and now, condemned to die, you must be desperate, and desperate
men will do desperate things. Fate, Destiny, Providence--whatever you
like--has thrown you in my way, and help me you must and shall!"
"Madame, madame I what are you saying? How can I help you?"
"There is but one way--this!"
She held up in the pale ray of the lamp, something she drew from the
folds of her dress, that glistened blue, and bright, and steelly in the
gloom.