CHAPTER III.
THE LOVELY LORENZA.
The woman who was in the fore part of the coach, in the cab, remainedfor a time deprived of sense. As fear alone had caused the swoon, shecame to consciousness.
"Heavens!" she cried, "am I abandoned helpless here, with no humanbeing to take pity upon me?"
"Lady," said a timid voice at hand, "I am here, and I may be some helpto you."
Passing her head and both arms out of the cab by the leather curtains,the young woman, rising, faced a youth who stood on the steps.
"Is it you offered me help? What has happened?"
"The thunderbolt nearly struck you, and the traces were broken of theleading pair, which have run off with the postboy."
"What has become of the person who was riding the other pair?" sheasked, with an anxious look round.
"He got off the horses as if all right and went inside the other partof this coach."
"Heaven be praised," said she, breathing more freely. "But who are youto offer me assistance so timely?"
"Surprised by the storm, I was in that dark hole which is a quarryoutlet, when I suddenly saw a large wagon coming down at a gallop. Ithought it a runaway, but soon saw it was guided by a mighty hand, butthe lightning fell with such an uproar that I feared I was struck andwas stunned. All seemed to have happened in a dream."
The lady nodded as if this satisfied her, but rested her head on herhand in deep thought. He had time to examine her. She was in hertwenty-third year, and of dark complexion, but richly colored with theloveliest pink. Her blue eyes sparkled like stars as she appealed toheaven, and her hair fell in curls of jet, unpowdered contrary to thefashion, on her opal neck.
"Where are we?" she suddenly inquired.
"On the Strasburg to Paris highway, near Pierrefittes, a village.Bar-le-Duc is the next town, with some five thousand population."
"Is there a short cut to it?"
"None I ever heard of."
"What a pity!" she said in Italian.
As she kept silent toward him, the youth was going away, when this drewher from her reverie, for she called him for another question.
"Is there a horse still attached to the coach?"
"The gentleman who entered, tied it to the wheel."
"It is a valuable animal, and I should like to be sure it is unhurt;but how can I go through this mud?"
"I can bring it here," proposed the stripling.
"Do so, I prithee, and I shall be most grateful to you."
But the barb reared and neighed when he went up.
"Do not be afraid," said the lady: "it is gentle as a lamb. Djerid,"she called in a low voice.
The steed recognized the mistress's voice, for it extended itsintelligent head toward the speaker, while the youth unfastened it. Butit was scarcely loose before it jerked the reins away and bounded up tothe vehicle. The woman came forth, and almost as quickly leaped on thesaddle, with the dexterity of those sylphs in German ballads who clingto riders while seated on the crupper. The youth sprang toward her butshe stopped him with an imperative wave of the hand.
"List to me. Though but a boy, or because you are young, you havehumane feelings. Do not oppose my flight. I am fleeing from a man Ilove, but I am above all a good Catholic. This man would destroy mysoul were I to stay by him, as he is a magician whom God sent a warningto by the lighting. May he profit by it! Tell him this, and bless youfor the help given me. Farewell!"
Light as the marsh mist, she was carried away by the gallop of Djerid.On seeing this, the youth could not restrain a cry of surprise, whichwas the one heard inside the coach.