--Do you suppose he left me here to die?"
"Who can tell!" returned Donal. "I suspect he is more of a madman
than we knew. I wonder if a soul can be mad.--Yes; the devil must be
mad with self-worship! Hell is the great madhouse of creation!"
"Take me away," she said.
"I must first get you free," answered Donal.
She heard him rise.
"You are not going to leave me?" she said.
"Only to get a tool or two."
"And after that?" she said.
"Not until you wish me," he answered. "I am your servant now--his no
more."
CHAPTER LXXVII.
THE ANGEL OF THE DEVIL.
There came a great burst of thunder. It was the last of the storm.
It bellowed and shuddered, went, and came rolling up again. It died
away at last in the great distance, with a low continuous rumbling
as if it would never cease. The silence that followed was like the
Egyptian darkness; it might be felt.
Out of the tense heart of the silence came a faint sound. It came
again and again, at regular intervals.
"That is my uncle's step!" said Arctura in a scared whisper through
the dark.
It was plainly a slow step--far off, but approaching.
"I wonder if he has a light!" she added hurriedly. "He often goes in
the dark without one. If he has you must get behind the altar."
"Do not speak a word," said Donal; let him think you are asleep. If
he has no light, I will stand so that he cannot come near the bed
without coming against me.
Pages:
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591