A Silver Brand — page 252: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

gid ee A SILVER BRAND. usage. You are anold man, and cannot bear it. If theré is such a place lead on toit. There cannot be any harm in breaking a promise to dead-and-gone Schwarzenbergs. There are none left now. You are absolved from the oath by their death. Give me a single hint and I will save you.” The old man’s trembling hands were raised to push back the long, silvery loeks that dropped low upon his forehead, but his bright, resolute eye looked unflinchingly back, and his steady, determined voice answered calmly : ‘ They may hack me to pieces, or burn me to a crisp, if such things be allowed to transpire here, but little will they gain for it. There is no power on earth able to com- pel me to speak. Heaven be praised! so much of man- hood we are given from above, and kings and princes can- not hinder, if only our own wills are strong.” “Away with him, and give him ten minutes’ grace !” shouted forth the prince. One of the housemaids gave a frightened sob. “Oh! Wirt, Wirt, why don’t you tell? The door is somewhere in the picture-gallery—I know it is, for I saw you go in once, and when I followed I could not find you. It was always a mystery, but now I see through it. Tell them, oh! tell them, Wirt Womberg, before- you are harmed.” The prince whirled round upon her with an impetus that made her shrink back in new terror. ‘‘In the picture-gallery? well told, wench. Hernberg, drag the old man thither.” - And inafew moments more the whole party was trans- ferred to the gallery, and the flaring lamps sent strange shades and flashes dancing across the stony, impassive faces of the dead and gone Schwarzenbergs. Hernberg, with slow and severe scrutiny, followed his master’s hasty strides, and carefully sounded the walls and examined every panel between the pictures. Brave old Womberg stood with quiet dignity, for all a rough hand was laid on either shoulder, his head drooping, his eyes carefully averted from following the movements of search. The prince paused every now and then to fling hima flaming glance, but learned nothing to help the investi- gation. When his subordinate came back from a fruitless, how- ever careful and thorough, examination, he could no longer restrain his wrath, He made a sudden plunge, and, EGrninboo <5) oO)