N O É M I BY S. BARING-GOULD AUTHOR OF EVE, RED SPIDER, LITTLE TU'PENNY, GABRIELLE ANDRÉ, ETC. [Illustration] NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1895 COPYRIGHT, 1894, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I.--THE STAIR PERILOUS 1 II.--WHO IS THE FOOL NOW? 11 III.--THE WOLVES OUT 22 IV.--IN NOMINE BEELZEBUB 32 V.--RAISING THE RANSOM 43 VI.--THE JEW 53 VII.--THE NEW COMPANION 62 VIII.--IN THE DEVIL'S CUPS 73 IX.--A SINGED GLOVE 84 X.--BY FIRE 95 XI.--THE TEN CROSSES 106 XII.--THREE CROSSES 116 XIII.--THE END OF L'EGLISE GUILLEM 125 XIV.--THE BATTLE OF THE BEUNE 132 XV.--A THREATENED HORROR 143 XVI.--VADE IN PACE 153 XVII.--IN THE RAVEN'S NEST 165 XVIII.--IN THE DEPTHS 174 XIX.--A NIGHT RIDE 185 XX.--THE RING 194 XXI.--A DISAPPEARANCE 207 XXII.--THE CASTELLAN 216 XXIII.--IN THE HAIL 227 XXIV.--THE FOURTH TIME 238 XXV.--A HELEBORE WREATH 249 XXVI.--THE ELEVENTH CROSS 260 NOÉMI. CHAPTER I. THE STAIR PERILOUS. JEAN del' Peyra was standing scraping a staff to form a lance-shaft. The sun shone hot upon him, and at his feet lay his shadow as a blot. He was too much engrossed in his work to look about him, till he heard a voice call from somewhere above his head-- "Out of the way, clown!" Then there crashed down by him a log of wood that rolled to his feet and was followed by another piece.