s the vesper-bell rang I met him in the
corridor, dressed for walking, and from his countenance I judged that
whatever his mission to the island might be, he was about to bring it
to an end. He passed me without speech, almost as though he had not
seen me, and left the monastery. A few minutes afterwards, looking
down from the windows to watch the brethren come in from their field
tasks, I saw him take the road up to the castle.

"It was in the middle of the night when he returned. Midnight had come
and gone, and every one in the monastery was asleep, when the hoarse,
clanging bell down in the yard rang slightly, as though pulled by
feeble fingers. I threw my cloak over my shoulders, and descended to
admit him. When the last of the huge bolts had been withdrawn, and I
threw the door open, I found him leaning against the wall, with
his fingers clutched together in agony, and his bloodless features
convulsed with pain. The moonlight was falling right across his face,
pale and ghastly with pain, and by its light I seemed to see
something dark dropping from him on the white flags. I leaned forward,
horror-stricken, and I saw that it was blood."

"My God!"

Paul was standing very still and rigid, with his eyes fastened upon
the priest. As yet, he scarcely realized anything more than that
he was being told a very horrible story. But he was conscious of a
feverish impatience, quite beyond his control. When Father Adrian
paused at his exclamation, he beat the ground with his foot
impatiently. "Go on! Go on!" he said hoarsely.

"I had no time to ask questions," the priest continued quietly.
"Directly he left the support of the wall, and endeavoured to move
towards me, your father threw up his arms with a sharp cry of pain,
and almost fell upon his face. I was just in time to catch him, and
exerting all my strength--for he was a powerful man--I dragged him up
the steps and along the corridor to the nearest empty cell. There I
laid him down upon a bed of ferns, and then hurried out to summon one
of the brethren who was skilled in medicine.

"In a few moments he returned with me. By his direction, I gave your
father brandy and other restoratives, while he cut open his coat
to find out, if he could, the nature of the wound. It was easily
discovered. He had been stabbed by a long dagger just below the heart.
Had the dagger entered one-sixteenth of an inch higher, he must have
bled to death upon the spot.

"We bound up the hur