ic cried, swaying himself to and fro.

Claude stared. "But you know nothing!" he made shift to say after a
pause. "You have nothing against her, Messer Blondel. He may be all you
say, but she----"

"I have ears!"

The tone said more than the words, and Claude trembled. He knew the
width of the net where witchcraft or blasphemy was in question. He knew
that, were Basterga seized, all in the house would be taken with him,
and though men often escaped for the fright, it was seldom that women
went free so cheaply. The knowledge of this tied his tongue; and urgent
as he felt the need to be, he could only glare helplessly at the
magistrate.

Blondel, on his part, saw the effect of his words, and desperately
resolved to force the young man to his will, he followed up the blow.
"If you would see her burn, well and good!" he cried. "It is for you to
choose. Either break the spell, bring me the box, and set her free; or
see the law take its course! Last night----"

"Last night," Claude replied, hurt to the quick, "you were not so bold,
Messer Blondel!"

The Syndic winced, but merged his wrath in an anxiety a thousand times
deeper. "Last night is not to-day," he answered. "Midnight is not
daylight! I have told you where the spell is, where, at least, it is
reputed to be, what it does, and under what sway it lays her; you who
love her--and I see you do--you who have access to the house at all
hours, who can watch him out----"

"We watched him out last night!" Claude muttered.

"Ay, but day is day! In the daylight----"

"But it is not laid on me to do this! I am not the only one----"

"You love her!"

"Who has access to the house."

"Are you a coward?"

Claude breathed hard. He was driven to the wall. Between his promise to
her, and the Syndic's demand, he found himself helpless. And the demand
was not so unreasonable. For it was true that he loved her, and that he
had access to the house; and if the plan suggested seemed unusual, if it
was not the course most obvious or most natural, it was hardly for him
to cavil at a scheme which promised to save her, not only from the evil
influence which mysteriously swayed her, but from the law, and the
danger of an accusation of witchcraft. Apart from his promise he would
have chosen this course; as it had been his first impulse to pursue it
the evening before. But now he had given his word to her that he would
not interfere, and he was conscious that he understood but in par