Marjorie Bowen

“ Dirk glanced up. "Will you take me with you to Padua—to Basle?" he said. "I have money and some learning."
"You are free to go as I," answered Theirry, but awakened interest shone in his eyes.
"I would go with you," insisted Dirk intensely. "Will you take me?"
Theirry rose from the bed uneasily.
"I have had no companion all my life." He said. "The man whom I would take into must be of rare quality——"
He came to the other side of the table and across the frail gleam of the candle looked at Dirk. Their eyes met and instantly sank, as if each were afraid of what the other might reveal. ”

“ A bitter little smile curved the Cardinal's lips.
"Is that the way men care for women?" he said. "Certes, not in that manner had I wooed and remembered, had I been a—a—lover."
"Strange that we, meeting here like this, should talk of love!" cried Theirry, his heart heaving, his eyes dilating, "strange that I, driven round the world by fear of God, that I, coming here to one of God's own saints, should find myself in the Devil's net again; come, he has done much for you, what will he do for me?" ”

“ The youth drew apart the painted curtains and unlatched the window; as the cooler air was wafted into the close chamber Theirry breathed more freely.
"The stars are all hidden, your Eminence," said Gian, looking at the night. "Certainly, it is a storm."
He raised the brazier, shook out the incense, leaving it smouldering greyly, went on one knee to the Cardinal, then withdrew backwards. As the door closed behind him Luigi Caprarola turned to the man standing humbly before him.
"Now can you speak?" he said gravely. Theirry flushed. ”

“ Theirry winced and shuddered as the thunder crashed overhead.
"Does your tale end here?" demanded the Cardinal.
"Alas! alas! no; I fell from worse sin to worse sin—we were poor, we met a monk, robbed him of God His moneys, and left him for dead ... we came to Frankfort and lived in the house of an Egyptian hag, and I began to loathe the youth because the lady was ever in my thoughts, and he hated the lady bitterly because of this; he tempted me to do murder for gain, and I refused for her sake." Theirry's voice became hot and passionate. "Then I found that he was tempting her—my saint! ”

“ You are the one thing in all the world I care for ... Love! what was your love when you left her at Sebastian's feet?—had she been my lady I had stayed and laughed at all of it...."
"It is not the Devil who has taught you to be so faithful," said Theirry. ”

“ Always have you thought too much, and not enough, of that; you served too many masters and not one faithfully; had you been a stronger man you had stayed with your fallen saint, not spurned her, and then avenged her by my betrayal. ”

“ The last rumble of the thunder crossed their speech.
"Stay, and I will make you Emperor."
"Oh devil!" cried Theirry, "can you do that?"
"We will rule the world between us; yea, I will make you Emperor, if you will stay in Rome and serve me ”

“ Certes, he said so, and acted so ... we went to Basle College—then, I also thought I loved him ... he was the only thing in the world I had ever spoken to of my hopes, my desires ... we continued our experiments ... our researches were blasphemous, horrible, he was ever more skilful than I ... then one day I met a lady, and then I knew myself hideous, but that very night I was drawn into the toils again ... we cast a spell over another student—we were discovered and fled the college. ”

“ The Knight went after his host through the silent rooms, up a twisting staircase into a low chamber looking on to the quadrangle. It contained a wooden bedstead covered with a scarlet quilt, a table, and some richly carved chairs ”