"Away!" she cried; "to Heaven I leave my vengeance and thy crime.
Hence--to thy home! Thine, did I say? Soon, monster, shall thou be
chased from thy lair, and the wronged victim regain his right."
Hildebrand, awed and confounded, retraced his path, brooding over some
more cunning stratagem to ensure his prey. He had passed the bridge,
and, on attempting to remount his steed, his attention was directed to a
cloud of dust, and a pale flash of arms in the evening light. Two
horsemen drew nigh--their steeds studded with gouts of foam, and in an
instant one of them alighted before the traitor. It was Sir Henry
Fairfax! "Have I caught thee?" cried the knight.--"What mischief art
thou here a-perpetrating?--Seize that villain!"
In a moment, Hildebrand was denied all chance of escape.
"Thy machinations are defeated--thy villanies revealed, and vengeance
demands a hasty recompense."
Hildebrand prostrated himself on the ground in the most abject
humiliation, and besought mercy.
"I will not harm thee, wretch," exclaimed the gallant knight: "to a
higher power I leave the work of retribution. The ministers of justice
await thee at my castle.
Pages:
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738