"The answer is—'This House will endure as long as there are Princes on earth.'"
William of Orange spoke now; it was the first word he had said since the skryer had commenced—
"What manner of death shall we die?"
"Liliana says she may not tell, but that in the crystal will come visions."
"Enough, enough," cried Adolphus, rising. "I will not meddle with these matters——"
But the others caught him back to his seat.
"Hear it to the end," said Louis.
The strong beam had now disappeared from the globe, which burnt suddenly dim with a sullen fire that lit the red table-cover and left the rest of the room in darkness; the skryer now seemed to be in a trance or swoon, he swayed to and fro the crystal, his face was blank as virgin paper, his eyes like glass.
"I see blood," he muttered, "nothing but blood and black horses—and men. It is a battle—the sun is setting—again the blood, there are four knights trampled under the horses—one is taken from the mêlée and his bones laid in holy ground. The other three disappear—there is search for them, they are not found. They are all young. The blood and smoke clears. I see trees, I see an older man, worn, grey, murdered—there is great lamentation—and now the black curtain falls—falls."
All the light in the globe went out, and the skryer dropped forward across the magic table. William sprang up, opened the door, and called for lights.