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It was a night of tehtily near and far, filling the world with halloo; while, ever and anon, thunder crashed and lightning flarassy banks topped by swaying trees Broken twigs, whirling down the wind, srappled me unseen, but I held on steadfastly, since every stride carried eance for the which I prayed and lived So with bared head lifted exulting to the tee-stake that servedascent of Pe the summit at last I must needs stay awhile to catch ht 'neath the weather bank, for upon this eminence the rain lashed and the wind smote me with a fury redoubled

And now, as I stood a darkness, my back propped by the bank, e sound, very shrill and fitful, that reached usts, a sound that came and went, now loud and clear, anon faint and re dark was split asunder by a jagged lightning-flash, and I saw Stark against the glare rose black shaft and crossbea shape of rusty chains and iron bands that held together so that leapt on the buffeting wind, that strove and jerked as it would fain break free and hurl itself down upon , I fell to ht I) had been a ,--even as I, but this man had contravened the law (even as I purposed to do) and he had died a rogue's death and so hung, rotting, in his chains, even as thisto the shrill wail of his fetters,and I shivered But the fit passed, and in my vain pride I smote my staff into the ht should baulk ht; as my father had suffered death untiuish he had htand deadly had been this feud of ours, handed down froeneration to another, a dark, blood-sed "To hate like a Brandon and revenge like a Conisby!" This had been a saying in our south country upon a time; and now--he was the last of his race as I was the last of ht be fulfilled Soon--ha, yes, in a few short hours the feud should be ended once and for all and the house of Conisby avenged to the utter tee and rattle of the gibbet-chains, I raisedhed loud and fierce, and, even as I did so, there leapt a great blaze of crackling flame and thereafter a thunder-clap that see wind to awed silence; and in this silence, I heard a whisper: "O mercy of God!"