Book Excerpt
ore to share our meal. To satisfy my conscience, I ate for both.The old cook and housekeeper was nearly out of her mind. After taking so much trouble, to find her master not appear at dinner was to her a sad disappointment–which, as she occasionally watched the havoc I was making on the viands, became also alarm. If my uncle were to come to table after all?
Suddenly, just as I had consumed the last apple and drunk the last glass of wine, a terrible voice was heard at no great distance. It was my uncle roaring for me to come to him. I made very nearly one leap of it–so loud, so fierce was his tone.
CHAPTER 2
THE MYSTERIOUS PARCHMENT
[Illustration: Runic Glyphs]
“I Declare,” cried my uncle, striking the table fiercely with his fist, “I declare to you it is Runic–and contains some wonderful secret, which I must get at, at any price.”
I was about to reply when he stopped me.
“Sit down,” he said,
