The Cloister and the Hearth: A Tale of the Middle Ages

  CHAPTER XV

  WHERE is the woman that cannot act a part? Where is she who will not doit, and do it well, to save the man she loves? Nature on these greatoccasions comes to the aid of the simplest of the sex, and teaches herto throw dust in Solomon's eyes. The men had no sooner retired, thanMargaret stepped out of bed, and opened the long chest on which she hadbeen lying down in her skirt and petticoat and stockings, and nightdressover all; and put the lid, bed-clothes and all, against the wall: thenglided to the door and listened. The footsteps died away through herfather's room, and down the stairs.

  Now in that chest there was a peculiarity that it was almost impossiblefor a stranger to detect. A part of the boarding of the room had beenbroken, and Gerard being applied to to make it look neater, and beingshort of materials, had ingeniously sawed away a space sufficient justto admit Margaret's _soi-disant_ bed, and with the materials thusacquired he had repaired the whole room. As for the bed or chest itreally rested on the rafters a foot below the boards. Consequently itwas full two feet deep, though it looked scarce one.

  All was quiet. Margaret kneeled and gave thanks to Heaven. Then sheglided from the door, and leaned over the chest, and whispered tenderly,"Gerard!"

  Gerard did not reply.

  She then whispered, a little louder, "Gerard, all is safe, thank Heaven!You may rise; but, oh! be cautious!"

  Gerard made no reply.

  She laid her hand upon his shoulder--"Gerard!"

  No reply.

  "Oh! what is this?" she cried, and her hands ran wildly over his faceand his bosom. She took him by the shoulders; she shook him; she liftedhim; but he escaped from her trembling hands, and fell back not like aman but like a body. A great dread fell on her. The lid had been down.She had lain upon it. The men had been some time in the room. With allthe strength of frenzy she tore him out of the chest. She bore him inher arms to the window. She dashed the window open. The sweet air camein. She laid him in it and in the moonlight. His face was the colour ofashes, his body was all limp and motionless. She felt his heart. Horror!it was as still as the rest! Horror of horrors! she had stifled him withher own body.

  * * * * *

  The mind cannot all at once believe so great and sudden and strange acalamity. Gerard, who had got alive into that chest scarce five minutesago, how could he be dead?

  She called him by all the endearing names that heart could think ortongue could frame. She kissed him and fondled him and coaxed him andimplored him to speak to her.

  No answer to words of love, such as she had never uttered to him before,nor thought she could utter. Then the poor creature, trembling all over,began to say over that ashy face little foolish things that were at onceterrible and pitiable.

  "Oh, Gerard! I am very sorry you are dead. I am very sorry I have killedyou. Forgive me for not letting the men take you, it would have beenbetter than this. Oh, Gerard! I am very, very sorry for what I havedone." Then she began suddenly to rave. "No! no! such things can't be,or there is no God. It is monstrous. How can my Gerard be dead? How canI have killed my Gerard? I love him. Oh, God! you know how I love him.He does not. I never told him. If he knew my heart, he would speak tome, he would not be so deaf to his poor Margaret. It is all a trick tomake me cry out and betray him: but, no, I love him too well for that.I'll choke first." And she seized her own throat, to check her wilddesire to scream in her terror and anguish.

  "If he would but say one word. Oh, Gerard! don't die without a word.Have mercy on me and scold me! but speak to me: if you are angry withme, scold me! curse me! I deserve it: the idiot that killed the man sheloved better than herself. Ah! I am a murderess. The worst in all theworld. Help, help! I have murdered him. Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!"

  She tore her hair, and uttered shriek after shriek so wild, so piercing,they fell like a knell upon the ears of Dierich Brower and his men. Allstarted to their feet, and looked at one another.