You are not yet Urco's
wife, and may be rid of him by other paths than that of death, but from
the grave there is no escape."
"And in the grave there is no more fear, Lord. Thither Urco cannot come;
there are neither wars nor plottings; there honour does not beckon
and love hold back. I say that I will die and make an end, as for like
causes many of my blood have done, though not here and now. When I am
about to be delivered to Urco then I will die, and perchance not alone.
Perchance he will accompany me," she added slowly.
"And if this happens, what shall I do?"
"Live on, Lord, and find other women to love you, as a god should. There
are many in this land fairer and wiser than I, and, save myself, you may
take whom you will."
"Listen, Quilla. I have a story to tell you."
Then, as briefly as I could, I set out the tale of Blanche and of her
end, while she hung upon my every word.
"Oh! I grieve for you," she said, when I had finished.
"You grieve for me, and yet, what she did for my sake you would do also,
so that, as it were, both my hands must be dyed with blood.
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