When the front door had shut behind Dirk, but not before, Montalvoemerged from his hiding place and stood over the prostrate Lysbeth. Hetried to adopt his airy and sarcastic manner, but he was shaken by thescene which he had overheard, shaken and somewhat frightened also, forhe felt that he had called into being passions of which the force andfruits could not be calculated.
"Bravo! my little actress," he began, then gave it up and added in hisnatural voice, "you had best rise and see me burn this paper."
Lysbeth struggled to her knees and watched him thrust the documentbetween two glowing peats.
"I have fulfilled my promise," he said, "and that evidence is done with,but in case you should think of playing any tricks and not fulfillingyours, please remember that I have fresh evidence infinitely morevaluable and convincing, to gain which, indeed, I condescended to astratagem not quite in keeping with my traditions. With my own ears Iheard this worthy gentleman, who is pleased to think so poorly of me,admit that he is a heretic. That is enough to burn him any day, andI swear that if within three weeks we are not man and wife, burn heshall."
While he was speaking Lysbeth had risen slowly to her feet. Now sheconfronted him, no longer the Lysbeth whom he had known, but a new beingfilled like a cup with fury that was the more awful because it was soquiet.
"Juan de Montalvo," she said in a low voice, "your wickedness has wonand for Dirk's sake my person and my goods must pay its price. So be itsince so it must be, but listen. I make no prophecies about you; I donot say that this or that shall happen to you, but I call down upon youthe curse of God and the execration of men."
Then she threw up her hands and began to pray. "God, Whom it has pleasedthat I should be given to a fate far worse than death; O God, blastthe mind and the soul of this monster. Let him henceforth never knowa peaceful hour; let misfortune come upon him through me and mine; letfears haunt his sleep. Let him live in heavy labour and die in blood andmisery, and through me; and if I bear children to him, let the evil beupon them also."
She ceased. Montalvo looked at her and tried to speak. Again he lookedand again he tried to speak, but no words would come.
Then the fear of Lysbeth van Hout fell upon him, that fear which was tohaunt him all his life. He turned and crept from the room, and his facewas like the face of an old man, nor, notwithstanding the height of hisimmediate success, could his heart have been more heavy if Lysbethhad been an angel sent straight from Heaven to proclaim to him theunalterable doom of God.
Lysbeth, a Tale of the Dutch Page 11
