"May God help us," said Father Eustace, "for, frail wretches as we are,
we cannot help ourselves under sudden and strong temptation.--Edward,
I will rely on your word that you do nothing rashly."
"That will I not," said Edward,--"that, my better than father, I
surely will not. But the blood of my brother,--the tears of my
mother--and--and--and of Mary Avenel, shall not be shed in vain. I
will not deceive you, father--if this Piercie Shafton hath slain my
brother, he dies, if the whole blood of the whole house of Piercie
were in his veins."
There was a deep and solemn determination in the utterance of Edward
Glendinning expressive of a rooted resolution. The Sub-Prior sighed
deeply, and for the moment yielded to circumstances, and urged the
acquiescence of his pupil no farther. He commanded lights to be placed
in the lower chamber, which for a time he paced in silence.
A thousand ideas, and even differing principles, debated with each
other in his bosom. He greatly doubted the English knight's account of
the duel, and of what had followed it. Yet the extraordinary and
supernatural circumstances which had befallen the Sacristan and
himself in that very glen, prevented him from being absolutely
incredulous on the score of the wonderful wound and recovery of Sir
Piercie Shafton, and prevented him from at once condemning as
impossible that which was altogether improbable. Then he was at a loss
how to control the fraternal affections of Edward, with respect to
whom he felt something like the keeper of a wild animal, a lion's
whelp or tiger's cub, which he has held under his command from
infancy, but which, when grown to maturity, on some sudden provocation
displays his fangs and talons, erects his crest, resumes his savage
nature, and bids defiance at once to his keeper and to all mankind.
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