THE SECRET OF SAREK

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I THE DESERTED CABIN 11
II ON THE EDGE OF THE ATLANTIC 25
III VORSKI'S SON 43
IV THE POOR PEOPLE OF SAREK 67
V "FOUR WOMEN CRUCIFIED" 87
VI ALL'S WELL 113
VII FRANÇOIS AND STÉPHANE 133
VIII ANGUISH 149
IX THE DEATH-CHAMBER 167
X THE ESCAPE 181
XI THE SCOURGE OF GOD 200
XII THE ASCENT OF GOLGOTHA 221
XIII "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!" 243
XIV THE ANCIENT DRUID 262
XV THE HALL OF THE UNDERGROUND SACRIFICES 283
XVI THE HALL OF THE KINGS OF BOHEMIA 309
XVII "CRUEL PRINCE, OBEYING DESTINY" 328
XVIII THE GOD-STONE 349





THE SECRET OF SAREK




CHAPTER I

THE DESERTED CABIN


Into the picturesque village of Le Faouet, situated in the very heart of
Brittany, there drove one morning in the month of May a lady whose
spreading grey cloak and the thick veil that covered her face failed to
hide her remarkable beauty and perfect grace of figure.

The lady took a hurried lunch at the principal inn. Then, at about
half-past eleven, she begged the proprietor to look after her bag for
her, asked for a few particulars about the neighbourhood and walked
through the village into the open country.

The road almost immediately branched into two, of which one led to
Quimper and the other to Quimperlé. Selecting the latter, she went down
into the hollow of a valley, climbed up again and saw on her right, at
the corner of another road, a sign-post bearing the inscription,
"Locriff, 3 kilometers."

"This is the place," she said to herself.

Nevertheless, after casting a glance around her, she was surprised not
to find what she was looking for and wondered whether she had
misunderstood her instructions.