Finding she ran so quickly round a
table that he could not catch her, and that she was strong enough to
break away from him twice, he despaired of ravishing her alive, and
dealt her a terrible sword-thrust in the loins, thinking that, if fear
and force had not brought her to yield, pain would assuredly do so.
The contrary, however, happened, for just as a good soldier, on seeing
his own blood, is the more fired to take vengeance on his enemies and
win renown, so her chaste heart gathered new strength as she ran fleeing
from the hands of the miscreant, saying to him the while all she could
think of to bring him to see his guilt. But so filled was he with rage
that he paid no heed to her words. He dealt her several more thrusts, to
avoid which she continued running as long as her legs could carry her.
When, after great loss of blood, she felt that death was near, she
lifted her eyes to heaven, clasped her hands and gave thanks to God,
calling Him her strength, her patience, and her virtue, and praying
Him to accept her blood which had been shed for the keeping of His
commandment and in reverence of His Son, through whom she firmly
believed all her sins to be washed away and blotted out from the
remembrance of His wrath.
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