"Thy spells have been o'ermastered. Henceforth I renounce these unholy rites; I would not pass nights of horror and days of dread any longer. Maiden, thou art in my power. Unless thou wilt be mine,--renouncing thine impious vows,--for ever shunning thy detested arts,--breaking that accursed chain the enemy has wound about thee,--I will deliver thee up to thy tormentors, and those that seek thy destruction. This done, and thou art free." The maiden threw her snake-like glance upon him. "Alas!" she cried, "I am not free. This magic noose! remove it, and my promise shall be without constraint." "Nay, thou arch-deceiver,--deceiver of thine own self, and plotter of thine own ruin,--I would save thee from thy doom. Promise, renounce, and for ever forswear thy vows. The priest will absolve thee; it must be done ere I unbind that chain." "I promise," said the maiden, after a deep and unbroken silence. "I have not been happy since I knew their power. I may yet worship this fair earth and yon boundless sky. This heart would be void without an object and a possession!" She shed no tear until the holy man, with awful and solemn denunciations, exorcised the unclean spirit to whom she was bound. He admonished her, as a repentant wanderer from the flock, to shun the perils of presumption, reminding her that HE, of whom it is written that He was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be _tempted_ of the devil,--HE who won for us the victory in that conflict, taught _us_ in praying to say, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." She was rebaptized as one newly born, and committed again to the keeping of the Holy Church. Shortly afterwards were united at the altar Lord William and Lady Sibyl. He accompanied her to Bernshaw Tower, their future residence,--becoming, in right of his wife, the sole possessor of those domains. * * * * * FOOTNOTES: [41] In Lancashire these noises are called the Gabriel Ratchets, according to Webster, which seem to be the same with the German Rachtvogel or Rachtraven. The word and the superstition are still prevalent. Gabriel Ratchets are supposed to be like the sound of puppies yelping in the air, and to forebode death or misfortune. PART THIRD.