Una's Choice  (English, Paperback, I Hingston Wakeham)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. DELIBERATIONS. When the rescuer of Sir Basil saw his wounds dressed, and such appliances for his comfort made ready as the scanty stores in the old castle could command, he left him with a trusty servitor of his own, desiring that he should be summoned without delay if any untoward change in the sufferer occurred. Then turning to the vast and nearly deserted hall, where mouldering banners and well-preserved weapons were mementos of a power then passed away, he came, after a few other windings, to a large apartment, whence proceeded the sound of contesting voices and angry words. As he entered, a tall, athletic chief, whose towering height and muscular proportions claimed a superiority of stature above the rest of his companions, was crying out indignantly, 'Shame on 'e, noble gentlemen- shame! I came not from mine own southern country to list the bandying of foul epithets betwixt those who ought now to stifle all private feud. Sir Phelim O'Niall, unsay those harsh words! Sir Roger More, take back those accusations ! Noble M'Quillan, I call on you to put anend to this unseemly strife! Your gray hairs may, perchance, be listened to with regard ! ' No!' shouted the dark-browed Sir Phelim O'Niall; ' I do call on all here to rid us the fellowship of one whose craven heart forbids him to join in what has been determined on by those we must obey.' 'A craven heart!' interrupted Sir Roger More; 'a. craven heart is his, in truth, who would doom women and children to the sword, and counsel a midnight massacre. False to your country and to your race are you, Sir Phelim O'Niall, when you could devise such atrocities! Brave chiefs, and brothers all, are our motives unrighteous, that we should take the name of assassins ? Even from my boyhood have I watched for such opp...