Marjorie Bowen

“ He seated himself beside her. "What do you do here?" he asked.
"So little—there are two sisters here, and I help them; one can do nothing against the plague, but for the little forsaken children something, rend something for the miserable sick."
"The wretched of Rome are not in your keeping," he said eagerly. "It will mean your life—why did you not go with the Empress?"
She shook her head. "I was not needed. I suppose what they said of her was true. I cannot remember clearly, but I think that when Melchoir died I knew it was her doing."
"We must not dwell on the past," cried Theirry. ”

“ If they tried to wander in this dark likely enough they would but find themselves at the college gates; Theirry cursed softly.
"Little avail our enchantments now," he commented bitterly. It was raining heavily, drumming on the leaves above them, splashing from the boughs and dripping on the grass; Dirk raised himself feebly. "Cannot we get shelter?" he asked peevishly. "I am all bruised, shaken and wet—wet——"
"Likely enough," responded Theirry grimly. "But unless the charms you know, Zerdusht's incantations and Magian spells, can avail to spirit us away we must even stay where we are." ”

“ The light held by the servant showed a muddy, twisting path, the shining wet trunks, the glistening leaves either side, the great brown horse, steaming and passive, with his bright scarlet trappings and his rider muffled in a mantle to the chin; Dirk looked at man and horse quickly in silence; Theirry spoke. "It is an ill night to be abroad."
"I have been in the town," answered the stranger, "buying silks for my lady. And you—so you killed a man?"
"He is not dead," answered Theirry. "But we shall never return to the college."
The horseman had a soft and curiously pleasing voice ”

“ She said a strange little word underneath her breath; the ape jumped up and tore away the man's hands while the girl bent to a run and sped through the gate. Theirry gave a cry of pain and rage, and glanced towards the convent; the door was closed; lady and lamp had disappeared in the darkness.
"Shut out!" whispered Theirry. "Shut out!"
He turned into the street and saw, by the scattered lanterns along the Appian Way, the figure of the dancer slipping fast towards the city gates. But he gained on her, and at sound of his clattering step she looked round. ”

“ The ever-gathering tempest was drawing near, with fitful flashes of lightning playing over his jewel-like mail and her orange gown as they made their way through the ruins.
"Do you wander here alone at night?" asked Theirry. "It is a vile place; a man might be afraid."
"I have the ape," she said.
"Where are we going?" asked Theirry. ”

“ Theirry left the rich-scented chamber and the vast halls of the Vatican and passed into the riotous and lawless streets of Rome. The storm that had hung so unnaturally long over the city had affected the people; bravoes and assassins crept from their hiding-places in the Catacombs, or the Palatine, and flaunted in the streets ”

“ He put out his hand round the tree and touched the wet silk mantle; despite the heat Dirk was shivering. "What shall we do?" he asked, and strove to keep his teeth from chattering. "If we might journey to Frankfort——"
"Why Frankfort?"
"Certes, I know an old witch there who was friendly to Master Lukas, and she would receive us, surely."
"We cannot reach Frankfort or any place without money ... how dark it is!"
"Ugh! How it rains! I am wet to the skin...and my ankle ..."
Theirry set his teeth.
"We will get there in spite of them. Are we so easily daunted?"" ”

“ Witches gathered in the low marches of the Maremma and came at night into the city, trailing grey, fever-laden vapour after them. The bell-ropes began to rot in the churches, and the bells clattered from the steeples; the gold rusted on the altars, and mice gnawed the garments on the holy images of the Saints. ”

“ As they must wait for the horse to get a foothold on the slippery stones, for the servant to go ahead and cast the lantern light across the blackness, their progress was slow, but neither of the three spoke until they halted before a gate in a high wall that appeared to rise up, suddenly before them, out of the night. ”

“ THE CASTLE Theirry spoke angrily through the dark.
"Little fool, we are safe enough. They think the Devil has carried us off. Be silent."
Dirk gasped from where he lay. "Am not afraid. But spent ... they have gone?"
"Ay," said Theirry, peering about him; there was no trace of light anywhere in the murky dark nor any sound ”