" Take heed," said Michael Wing-the-wind, in a veiy
low tone of voice, and first glancing cautiously round to
see if any one Ustened — " Take heed, my young friend,
for those who fall on these boards seldom rise again —
Seest thou that," he added, in a still lower voice, point-
ing to some dark crmison stains on the floor, on wHch
a ray of Hght, shot through a small aperture, and tra-
versing the general gloom of the apartment, fell with
mottled radiance — "Seest thou that, youth? — walk
warily, for men have fallen here before you."

" What mean you 1" said the page, his flesh creeping,
though he scarce knew why; "Is it blood?"

"Ay, ay," said the domestic, in the same whispering
tone, and dragging the youth on by the arm — "Blood
it is, — but this is no time to question, or even to look
at it. Blood it is, foully and fearfully shed, as foully
and fearfully avenged. The blood," he add, in a still
more cautious tone, " of Seignior David."

Eoland Graeme's heart throbbed when he found
himself so unexpectedly in the scene of Rizzio's slaughter,
a catastrophe which had chilled with horror all even in
that rude age, which had been the theme of wonder
and pity through every cottage and castle in Scotland,



THE ABBOT 297

and had not escaped that of AveneL But his guide
hurried him forward, permitting no further question,
and with the manner of one who has already tampered
too much with a dangerous suhject. 