"The knife, Miss de Haldimar," exclaimed Sir Everard,
after a few moments of breathless and intense anxiety.
"See, there is one in the belt that Ellen Halloway has
girt around her loins. Quick, for Heaven's sake, quick;
our only chance of safety is in this."
With an activity arising from her despair, the unhappy
Clara sprang from the rude couch on which she had been
left by Wacousta, and, stooping over the form of the
maniac, extended her hand to remove the weapon from her
side; but Ellen, who had been awakened from her long
slumber by the yells just uttered, seemed resolute to
prevent it. A struggle for its possession now ensued
between these frail and delicate beings; in which Clara,
however, had the advantage, not only from the recumbent
position of her opponent, but from the greater security
of her grasp. At length, with a violent effort, she
contrived to disengage it from the sheath, around which
Ellen had closely clasped both her hands; but, with the
quickness of thought, the latter were again clenched
round the naked blade, and without any other evident
motive than what originated in the obstinacy of her
madness, the unfortunate woman fiercely attempted to
wrest it away.
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