imagine; my victory was easy, for the bludgeon, with which one of them
aimed at me, gave way at once to the edge of your good sword, and my
pistol delivered me of the other.--There ends the history."

Lester overwhelmed him with thanks and praises, but Aram, glad to escape
them, hurried away to see after Madeline, whom he now met on the landing-
place, leaning on Ellinor's arm and still pale.

She gave him her hand, which he for one moment pressed passionately to
his lips, but dropped, the next, with an altered and chilled air. And
hastily observing he would not now detain her from a rest which she must
so much require, he turned away and descended the stairs. Some of the
servants were grouped around the place of encounter; he entered the room,
and again started at the sight of the blood.

"Bring water," said he fiercely: "will you let the stagnant gore ooze and
rot into the boards, to startle the eye, and still the heart with its
filthy, and unutterable stain--water, I say! water!"

They hurried to obey him, and Lester coming into the room to see the
window reclosed by the help of boards found the Student bending over the
servants as they performed their reluctant task, and rating them with a
raised and harsh voice for the hastiness with which he accused them of
seeking to slur it over.




CHAPTER VI.