ook was gone.

"He was warned," she whispered, "three times he was warned, according
to rule, and I--I killed him." The lines deepened in her face, and she
half rose, leaning on her elbow, staring straight ahead of her as
though at a vision, her lips moving:

"_In the name of the Black Cross I do now pledge myself an instrument
in the service of Justice and Retribution. On whomsoever the choice of
Fate shall fall, I vow the sentence of death shall be fulfilled, by
mine own hands if needs be, without weakness, or hesitation, or mercy;
and if by any untoward chance this hand should fall, I swear--I swear,
before the third night shall have passed, to die instead--to
die--instead._"

She struggled up on the bed, kneeling.

"I killed him!" she cried in a whisper, "I killed him! I see him lying
on the floor there--on his face! There--there! Look! With his arms
outstretched--and the blood in a pool!"

She was leaning forward over the edge of the bed, staring with her eyes
dilated, pointing into the shadows and shuddering:

"Don't you see him--there?"

The Kapellmeister was white and his hands shook. He took her strongly
by the shoulders. "Lie down," he said, "You are dreaming. There is
nothing there. Look me in the eyes! I tell you there is nothing
there, and your hands are not stained. Lie down."

Kaya gazed at him for a moment in bewilderment: "Where am I?" she said,
passing her hand over her eyes. "Who are you? I thought you were--
Why no, I must have been dreaming as you say."

"The hunger has made you delirious," said the Kapellmeister: "Look me
in the eyes as I tell you, and I will smooth away those lines from your
forehead. Sleep now--sleep!"

The girl sank reluctantly back on the pillows and the Kapellmeister sat
beside her, his gaze fixed on hers with a strained attention,
unblinking. He was passing his hand over her forehead slowly and
lightly, scarcely touching her: "Sleep--" he said, "Sleep."

Her lids wavered and drooped slowly, and she sighed and stirred against
the pillows, turning on her side.

"Sleep--" he said.

The garret was still, and only the moonbeams danced on the floor. The
doves in the eaves slept with their heads tucked under their wings, and
the spiders were motionless in the midst of the webs; only the water
was splashing below.

The Kapellmeister watched the girl on the pallet. He sat leaning back
with his arms folded, his head in the shadow, and his face was gr