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During this narration the Countess had risen slowly to her feet She

was labouring under some stress which Prosper could not fatho her torture before him Then she suddenly

smote herself on the breast and cried at hiain she struck herself, and then,

co, she shrieked at him as

if possessed--"You fool, you fool! Look at me!"

He could not help hiht at his two hands and peered into his face with her blind

eyes

"Do you love Isoult, Prosper?"

He could hardly hear her But he raised his head

"By God and His Christ, I believe that I do," said he

The Countess took a dagger froirdle, unsheathed it, and put it

in his hand She knelt down before him as a woman kneels to a saint in

a church With a sudden frenzy she tore open the front of her gown so

that all her bosom was bare, and then as suddenly whipt her hands

behind her back

"Now kill me, Prosper," she whined; "for I love thee, and I have

killed thy love Isoult"

So she bowed her head and waited

But Prosper gave a terrible cry, and turned and left her kneeling He

ran down the corridor blindly, not knowing hohither he fared At

the end of it was a door which gave on to the Minstrel Gallery over

the great hall Into this trap he ran and fetched up against the

parapet Below him in the hall were countless faces--as it see He stood glaring