"
"Ah!"
"I told him, nowhere, thank Heaven: you were alive and saving other folk
from the churchyard."
"Well?"
"Well, the long and the short is, he knew thy Gerard in Italy; and a
letter came saying you were dead; and it broke thy poor lad's heart. Let
me see; who was the letter written by? Oh, by the demoiselle van
Eyck. That was his way of it. But I up and told him nay; 'twas neither
demoiselle nor dame that penned yon lie, but Ghysbrecht Van Swieten, and
those foul knaves, Cornelis and Sybrandt; these changed the true letter
for one of their own; I told him as how I saw the whole villainy done
through a chink; and now, if I have not been and told you!"
"Oh, cruel! cruel! But he lives. The fear of fears is gone. Thank God!"
"Ay, lass; and as for thine enemies, I have given them a dig. For yon
friar is friendly to Gerard, and he is gone to Eli's house, methinks.
For I told him where to find Gerard's enemies and thine, and wow but he
will give them their lesson. If ever a man was mad with rage, its yon.
He turned black and white, and parted like a stone from a sling. Girl,
there was thunder in his eye and silence on his lips. Made me cold a
did."
"Oh, Jorian, what have you done?" cried Margaret. "Quick! quick! help me
thither, for the power is gone all out of my body. You know him not as
I do. Oh, if you had seen the blow he gave Ghysbrecht; and heard the
frightful crash! Come, save him from worse mischief.
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