Part 23 (1/2)
His fierceness overthrew the boy's outburst of resistance Kenneth had wit enough to see that his mood was not one to brook roan, he went to work to pinion Gregory
Then Joseph spoke again ”Weigh well this act of yours, Sir Crispin,”
he cried ”You are still young; much of life lies yet before you Do not wantonly destroy it by an act that cannot repair the past”
”But it can avenge it, Joseph As for ht to offer me; the present has this” And he drew back his sword to strike
CHAPTER XVII JOSEPH DRIVES A BARGAIN
A new terror leapt into Joseph's eyes at that ht did he taste the agony that is Death's forerunner Yet Galliard delayed the stroke He held his sword poised, the point ai each phase of the terror reflected upon his livid countenance He was loth to strike, for to strike would mean to end this exquisite torture of horror to which he was subjecting him
Broken Joseph had been before and passive; now of a sudden he grew violent again, but in a different way He flung himself upon his knees before Sir Crispin, and passionately he pleaded for the sparing of his miserable life
Crispin looked on with an eye both of scorn and of cold relish It was thus he wished to see hi of all that which he hih despair in the years that were sped With satisfaction then he watched his victi--for a craven was in his eyes an ugly sight, and Joseph in that moment was truly become as vile a coward as ever rey and mottled, his brow bedeith sweat; his lips were blue and quivering, his eyes bloodshot and al tears
In the silence of one aits stood Crispin, listening, cal prayers culminated in an offer to th with an iesture
”What reparation can you make, you murderer? Can you restore to o?”
”I can restore your child at least,” returned the other ”I can and will restore him to you if you but stay your hand That and much more will I do to repair the past”
Unconsciously Crispin lowered his sword-arm, and for a full minute he stood and stared at Joseph His jaas fallen and the grione from his face, and replaced by aain The pallor of his cheeks seeh
”What lie is this you offer me? Zounds, man, are you not afraid?”
”It is no lie,” Joseph cried, in accents so earnest that soain from Galliard's face ”It is the truth-God's truth Your son lives”
”hell-hound, it is a lie! On that fell night, as I swooned under your cowardly thrust, I heard you calling to your brother to slit the squalling bastard's throat Those were your very words, Master Joseph”
”I own I bade hiive the babe a chance of life It should never knohose son it was, he said, and I agreed We took the boy away He has lived and thrived”
The knight sank on to a chair as though bereft of strength He sought to think, but thinking coherently he could not At last:
”How shall I know that you are not lying? What proof can you advance?”
he demanded hoarsely
”I swear that what I have told you is true I swear it by the cross of our Redeemer!” he protested, with a solemnity that was not without effect upon Crispin Nevertheless, he sneered
”I ask for proofs, man, not oaths What proofs can you afford me?”
”There are the man and the woman whom the lad was reared by”
”And where shall I find them?”