"Give the woman her son, Gilles de Retz!" At that moment the woman caught sight of Sybilla.

Instantly she changed her tone from entreaty to fierce denunciation.
"Behold the witch, friends, let us tear her to pieces.

She is kept young and beautiful by drinking the blood of children.

Throw thyself down, Jezebel, that the dogs may eat thee in the streets." And a shout went up from the populace as Sybilla shut to the window, shuddering at the horrors which surrounded her.
The Marshal de Retz had not moved, watching her face without regarding the noise outside.

Now he went back to his chair, and bending his slender white fingers together, he looked up at her.
Presently he struck a silver bell by his side three times, and the mellow sound pervaded the house.
Poitou appeared instantly at the inner door through which the she-wolf had entered.
"How does it go ?" asked the marshal, with his usual careless easy grace.
"Not well," said Poitou, shaking his head; "that is, rightly up to a point, and then--all wrong!" For the first time the countenance of the marshal appeared troubled.
"And I was sure of success this time.