There was a pause, then he continued, with deliberate slowness: "You shall come back with me--my beautiful Hellayne--my wife in name, if not in deed! And you shall submit to my caresses, knowing, as I do, how loathsome they are. And you shall smile--smile--and appear happy--my wife henceforth in name only. And you shall smile no less at what henceforth your lord's pleasure may be with other women--fair as yourself--and you shall grow old and grey, and the thing you call your soul shall die and wither up your beauty--and never a word shall pass your lips anent this chastisement. And at last you shall die--and be laid by--and not a soul shall ever be the wiser for your shame." Hellayne covered her face with her hands. "And if I should refuse to accept this fate?" "Then you shall be flung into a nunnery." "And if I refuse to become a nun?" "Then your lover shall pay the price--with his blood instead of yours. Know you the woman he so madly loves?" "It is a lie!" she shrieked. There was a moment's silence. "Her name is Theodora. Saw you ever fairer creature?" "God!" "I want your answer!" leered the man. "I do not refuse!" An evil smile curved his lips. "I knew you would be reasonable--my fair Hellayne!" His lips were parted in a fatuous smile. He pictured to himself the pain at the parting and indeed his satisfaction was so great that he decided to prolong it yet a little longer. How amusing it would be to watch the face of him who had dared to love Hellayne. Knowing as now he did all the motives for his actions, it gave him pleasure to think that he could mar the astonishing good fortune of this adventurer who had found employment in the service of Alberic by the intrusion of this passion for another woman. It would be real joy to see this creature of sentiment thus torn and tortured. And it was yet a greater joy to force Hellayne to witness the struggle, forced to smile at the conquest of her lover by another woman. And he would watch the pangs of their suffering till the day of his departure. With her own blue eyes Hellayne should witness the love of him she had so madly followed, estranged by the beauty of Theodora, whose lure no mortal might resist. After he had entered his own chamber, Hellayne flew like a mad thing down the gloom-haunted gallery. Could she but escape from this humiliation--even through death's doors--she would not shrink. She felt, if she remained, she would go mad. It was true, then! Tristan loved another. The old love had been forgotten and cast aside! All her fears and misgivings returned in one mad whirl. Frantically she tried to remove the heavy bolt when she was paralyzed by a demoniacal laugh that issued behind her and swooning she fell at the feet of the man whose name she bore. CHAPTER V THE CRESSETS OF DOOM