ere
this, but pity was there now, and she was thankful that it had been in
her power to aid him at the moment of his most dire peril.

But that danger still existed of course. The household was still astir
and the servants not yet all abed. Gilda could hear Jakob, the old
henchman, making his rounds, seeing that all the lights were safely out,
the bolts pushed home and chains securely fastened, and Maria might come
back at any moment, wondering why her mistress had not yet sent for her.
Nicolaes too was at home, and had already said that he wished to see his
sister.

She tried to rouse the sleeping man, but he lay there like a log. She
dared not speak loudly to him or to call his name, and all her efforts
at shaking him by the shoulder failed to waken him.

Lonely and seriously frightened now Gilda fell on her knees beside the
bed. Clasping her hands she tried to pray. Surely God could not leave a
young girl in such terrible perplexity, when her only sin had been an
act of mercy. The candle on the bureau close by burnt low in its socket
and its flickering light outlined her delicate profile and the soft
tendrils of hair that escaped from beneath her coif. Her eyes were
closed in the endeavour to concentrate her thoughts, and time flew by
swiftly while she tried to pray. She did not perceive that after awhile
the Lord of Stoutenburg woke and that he remained for a long time in
mute contemplation of the exquisite picture which she presented, clad
all in white, with the string of pearls still round her throat, her
hands clasped, her lips parted breathing a silent prayer.

"How beautiful you are, Gilda!" he murmured quite involuntarily at last.

Then--as suddenly startled and terrified--she tried to jump up quickly,
away from him, he put out his hand and succeeded in capturing her wrists
and thus holding her pinioned and still kneeling close beside him.

"An angel of goodness," he said, "and exquisitely beautiful."

At his words, at the renewed pressure of his hand upon her wrists she
made a violent effort to recover her composure.

"I pray you, my lord, let go my hands. They were clasped in prayer for
your safety. You slept so soundly that I feared I could not wake you in
order to tell you that you must leave this house instantly."

"I will go, Gilda," he said quietly, making no attempt to move or to
relax his hold on her, "for this brief interval of sleep, your kind
ministrations and the food you gave me have alr