Ilaria
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« Perhaps— pro ise u will perhaps re- is [laria came pack to het chair, which the boy n a low stool. © Sometimes, replied. saw somethin less sad 1’? she cried 1n horrified de- “No, no e a white light Bide Something flashed lik across his face. = e No?” he exclaimed. laid one hand on rae by which she stood, ey ae he spoke again it was very | aad put with the force of a resolve eanle.< ae taught you to fear me } when 1 will teach you to love me, MY - ssed her _catch- then pt her to him and ki Marcian-
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482 «So I fancied,” she assented, her soft eyes resting on the line where sky and ocean blended in dazzling azure. Emboldened, he leaned forward, studying her averted face. “Lady, it is none ofthese things that cause your happiness,” he ventured. “Do you think I do not know that you, like every one in the castle, rest easier when grim Earl Philip is gone? ”’ The startled color rushed to [laria’s temples. “Fush, Marcian!” she exclaimed se- verely. “Is that a way to speak of your lord and mine in his absence?” “Why not, if it is true?” he persisted, daunted yet angry at the rebuke. “Lady, hate shone in your glance when it fell on him; I saw.” Tlaria caught her dress from his grasp and walked to the window. Not even to herself had she put the direct question of whether she still hated Philip. “ When he returns—” she began, with a-quivering sense of outraged thought. “Jt will be long; his absences are of many months, and he has been gone but two,” he declared sullenly. ‘ “He does not come back to an empty house,” she suggested. The boyish resentment and jealousy in Marcian’s heart broke forth with all the brutality of youth. “Nor did he then,” he said. Ilaria turned, struck less by the words than the tone. “What do you mean?” i The certainty that his exile would be i the result of this_left Marcian indiffer- ; ent to caution. “That you are not the first woman to dwell in these rooms, lady. Why, did you know the earl so little? s - Jlaria caught her breath and stood quite still, gazing at him with bewil- s : e By 2 dered eyes. “Ts that true?’ she asked at last. “Ves” he answered stubbornly. _ “True enough, madam. The last had oe ~ golden hair—” : She stopped him with such a cry of = bitter anger as he had never heard. ae Go!” she commanded _ fiercely. beet) Ga, and never come here again. I do not believe you; you say it because you SEs __ know the truths 2 BS iia Heo Te 5 ee ah ee a - = ae" Dn eee ake ms z = ee an = eae S jes oI ; *AS So a pee es ay Be Can art. Sears f we a ASS ibe LE et Tr near iF Desh ae ag ERY Ci Me RS : te te el ne ee ae OSE PB hr as re THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINp while she wept again, hate him. Send me Bertrand; I will é Lady! he ian 1€ cried, in sham &¢ ’ Gol" ¢ ™ and Bertrand an repeated, « and. Gol” Panic Senda nation, Llaria watcheg aug With «me S| In the si € silence that follows Close of salt wind 4 curtain and brought, ne the «i cath echo of the minstrel’s Gag : ¢é We can but miss That died and left the fair fra: eas Le Spr 4 She sank down j Ria her --face--on. “its na Chair ang hid stormily. There ete Sobbing 7 and knelt at her side, takin peel hase in both of his with a father’s tendem é You know what he said?” a manded without raising her head. ‘3 “ Marcian confessed to me, lady.” ‘And is it true?” ee ees old man’s face grew deeply troy “ Dear lady, what should the Coun Ilaria care for such fancies of an hou “Then it is so.” “For two years the rooms have empty; before then— This I kn they sought the earl, not he them.” She sprang to her feet, shaken wil a wrath worthy of Philip himself, eyes and cheeks blazing. | “And he took me—me—to be last! I hate him; I have always him. He shall see me no more ; return to find me gone. Bertrat Bertrand, either you will take me? this place or I will die!” ; “ Tady—” if “Fush! I speak seriously. : ig no other way | will thre ” ee from that window when his si!P Pe sn. Oh, I mean it ted 3 “ Lady—”’ ; He followed her with on ter | and drew her gently to 4 seal. a in to him; and s0 between 4 the afternoon passed. im — All night long, on tha Bertrand sat at owed by pain an The earl’s ships came he " day of June. an It was preathlessly hot,
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ya , {LARIA- a8e ith rife “What have you to do with my wile; . pank ie Marcian de Fulker 7 came the stern ihe ast he ae : ame ary lesed her,” cried the boy ware pst © yard. who © ob he thought only 9 wi 4 as mes et that the ear ee I on ar kat you me I ‘told _—s0 mee the et mused Sik a ee ne ha who dwelt here two years ago- a ink aoe whe oe oo 4 saluted er ie you would kill me. am ni | f die ‘OV ce afraid. ; pie Prd, pis ruddy, joa “The son of my wae cry eaenaaee hensive. who woos my wife in my own house appr’ tamed you arms, fee : = fady’s ae tree ial. and slanders an absent man!” said the gelys = ae The castle has not earl with biting scorn. a what © %, fe Marcian —— ae e. ais : life!” he cried misera- i Stand : he stammered ‘sl I offer my ‘ie & y- “J do not war with boys.” d, at loss for 4 reply. 5 A Marcian covered his face in strief and 3 The other's eyes dashed across the group Fo einted into Cie, shame. Overhead, the long-gathering , cos mistress is ill? Answer!” storm broke in a rolling crash of thunder Soar “No, lord, but—” and fed the pause with deafening = —— sound. The earl crossed to the window | and flung it open, facing the wet wind ~ level tone. and glaring lightning. After many mun- _ “Neither she nor you, lord,” Dick pro- utes he returned to where the boy leaned ~ : _ tested, roused to self-defense. ‘I didmy dejectedly against the wall, his young best; I thought her contented enough face worn and wretched. until three weeks ago. How should 1 “Go, de Fulke,” he said harshly. ' — a — whims? But Ber- ‘“ To-morrow you return to your father, F te igs with her, and they went to- and I have profound pity for him.” B “Went? Where?” , ae would rather you killed me!” he si ak dawn Sos exclaimed with vehemence. | cht on the sea in a rabeor saw them far “It is not for you to decide what If , sat in the stern a e boat. My lady do with you,’ was the cold reply. Sail: the sky si ee Bertrand held the Marcian raised his head, then meeting "and the gull nd water were misty red, the other’s glance, went out abashed. EAM gulls flew past screaming. & boat a de what haste we could to find suddenly the fog rolled in and a «Tf she has cause to complain of you,” _ Philip began, significant menace in his SU SS ES ORRIN The castle settled back inte its old — we lost them : routine. Again the men quarreled and day and cud : en searched every gamed in the hall beneath the dais where there came .? ° heir a ae hand grasped his : into the ae ape ripe and lifted him and, lastly, winter closed sullenly in = £ Onion “howe a - There in Ilaria’s Christmas Eve the earl’s ships slid int ee ee | rt they faced each other, the harbor for the first time in ec _ Marcian white, hollow of cheek, and de 8 _ Perate of eye, © ollow of cheek, and des- moriths, every spar and line hung with glittering ice.
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~ it not help?” own, perhaps. told you to go.” 484 TH 4 _—— The ~ ALL-STOR Y | ™ castle gleamed j; a MAR ate ~“ arm ; nh the AZ ored in diamond ath. moonlight ; “INE over the ocean shone t} U, and far out _Pethaps» 7 the sounds of Chr 1€ lights and ran Certain gq? Sir, time Dick did not ies revel Thie deal singe uty. un, Said of the master’s at ahead with Notice YOU grant you Sei: haye a 3 nearly a year before. @74°) 00 the ni knighthoo @® wort? awe°Ueh oUt d 2 etore, and wh ight r 100d fc °rthy Wa tag OOTS Opened it was Phil; en the Breat 4; © ear] -T me? ther,’ and Breas looked down on the scene 1p himself who eo nd ¢ ms de, - Will pil The 5 , sa €fore 4, Ted a, Vem. Ng Sac nh OE -Breetion Yang héawas -icdlly, ne ang Oca ee . aces turned to th & Cartily, “ yY, his eyes id he Sa A Chaj hip, shining with good-will & door were- Steless afi. > on th t Own | Malte expression reflected 111, but the earl’s Stain On his Of the : ANcing "chan, chee none of the Yule-t; Mg ice 4] ondage ing’ Sam Tr. He was pale d hj le-tide . Mat dri a 8. CTinee hung useless in 4 Scarf and his left arm a fter a while ¥ from ae the = and his : ; a Oo? ag ie ere a his chief as they seer ci Far down’on tebe 4 faint € corridors and € beac _ + VOj , but nothing in the somber creaked y h the ice face encouraged speech. a a gesture Aaa aie a seg other page knelt be : es hearth, feeding the fire eile ee that blazed and snapped. The Sea " : . | watched him an instant, then said: “ That will do; you may go.” The page rose slowly and turned. A ery of wrath and astonishment broke from the earl. : “ You, Marcian de Fulke! You here, in my house! ”’ The boy moved a step nearer. “If I come to win your pardon, sir?” he appealed. “ | have none for you. How have you dared come here to my hearth—you who should rather have died in the snow- drifts than cross my threshold? ”’ “My lord, hear me; oh, I have paid—” 3 “ Paid? You tell me that, with your face flushed with health and your eyes bright? You are young, de Fulke, and your father sent you to me for your first lessons in knighthood ; go, and remember that nothing pays for dishonor.” _ But if we try to undo a wrong, does the boy asked humbly. her life with your <- *“ 1 f you could bur si z I have | As you cannot-—— A ; , + arcian’s face lightened to a strange $ ‘T will ask you to remember that nde earl rose, and Yr the head ved st tte fg ved i e the room faded into blank pare but = and © h al 3 She drew lose fe oy half frightened. ? er wide eye “ You are angry because I w s she said, her tone a silver thitad a oe I thought I hated you, I thought 1 | wanted to go home, but indeed | was wretched there. Until Marcian came, there seemed no way of coming back, and ™ I was afraid.’ She hesitated. “If you® do not want me, my lord, you can send me back—” 7 The sentence broke in the ferce™ movement that swept her into his em] brace. . “Mine!” rang the earl's exultantG voice. ‘‘ By the grace of God, my wife: 3 pecans iets vind Mar ‘And Bertrand, ip, montis ny es : ht me for so m4 a= gay LPS e to come back; YOR" ” “g and gave me gt = : entle to him: led Ree and sweet the chapel bee ball out, and a mighty shout rose q Joset- De ait the earl held ocr ma “ Hush!” he said. a 33 Day.