The Argosy — page 319: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

294 By the Vulture’s Nest. of the small casements. In a few moments he stood below the house, and, as he approached the door, suddenly the loud tones of an angry voice struck his ear. Two strides brought him to the window, which was of rude, coarse glass, but admitted of his seeing what passed within the cottage, and still better, of hearing what was said there. He felt at once that he had before him the very ideal of a brave woman. Louise was standing beside her small, black hearth, almost touch- ing its low vaulted roof. One of her hands was lowered to the fire, the other was extended with a menacing gesture towards the door of the cottage. Her head was no longer covered with a kerchief as it had been in the morning, and two rich plaits of golden hair fell upon her bare neck and shoulders, which were as white as her pale face. She would have been more like a statue than a living being, had not her blue eyes flashed fire. Now she parted her lips, and Graham felt a throb of gladness at being there to protect her, as he heard her exclaim : * ‘You will not come a step nearer if your life is dear to you. You may be thankful if I let you go out at that door without giving you a keepsake that will mark you for the rest of your life.” She bent down to the fire, and stretched out her hand to seize one of the flaming brands, but as she was bending low one of her long plaits fell forward, and took fire. She dropped the burning log, and caught her hair to extinguish the fire between her hands; and with a cry of triumph the Chevalier jumped to the hearth and caught the girl in his arms. Graham saw his form but a second—the next moment he had burst open the door, and sprung into the low kitchen. An iron hand had seized the Chevalier by the back of the neck, and shook him so violently that he was obliged to loosen his hold. Then the two men faced each other. Graham stood cool and motion- less, but the scornful curl of his lip and the burning glance. of his eye told the Frenchman what he thought of him. The Chevalier broke the silence. ‘So then,” he hissed out, between his lips, “I have a rival! Well, all the better. None but the brave deserve the fair! Come on, and let us fight it out at once.” They walked out into the moonlight, and Louise, followed them without saying a word. But when she saw that they were going to stand up in earnest, she threw herself between them, stretched out a hand towards them, and said: “Tam not going to let you quarrel about me. Neither of you has any right to suffer in my cause. I am very grateful to you, Mr. Graham, for having helped me. I should have had some trouble without your kind assistance, and perhaps the Chevalier a chastisement he would have remembered to his dying day. But it is all at an end now, and you must separate peacefully.” The two men stood motionless. It was evident that they in- Gomicbooks (Ele) i at —