"Well, supposing that is the case," he replied, coolly; "what then?"
"I would say your fool-hardiness had got the better of your reason," shereplied.
"That is the case with most men who do so foolish a thing as to fall inlove," he answered, carelessly.
"Keep an eye on the girl, and do not let her leave this farm-house untilafter our work around here is done."
"I will promise under one condition," replied his companion; "and thatis that you will not attempt to see the girl, or speak to her."
"Do you think I am a fool?" retorted Lamont.
"I do not think; I am certain of it--where a pretty face is concerned,"responded the woman, quickly and blandly.
"I shall make no promises," he said, rudely turning on his heel. "Attendto the girl; she is recovering consciousness. You _dare not_ permit herto escape, no matter what you say to the contrary. I must return to theGardiner mansion to direct the movements of the boys. They will bewaiting for me. Order a fresh horse saddled, and be quick about it. I'vealready wasted too much time listening to your recriminations."
Very reluctantly the woman turned to do his bidding. She saw that shehad gone far enough. His mood had changed from a reflective to an angryone, and Victor Lamont was a man to fear when he was in a rage.
As soon as the woman had quitted the room, Lamont returned to hiscontemplation of the beautiful face of the girl lying so white and stillon the wooden settee, as revealed to him by the light of the swingingoil lamp directly over her head.
The longer Victor Lamont gazed, the more infatuated he became with thatpure, sweet face.
"You shall love me," he muttered; "I swear it! Victor Lamont has neveryet wished for anything that he did not obtain, sooner or later, by fairmeans or foul; and I wish for your love, fair girl--wish, long, cravefor it with all my heart, with all my soul, with all the depth andstrength of my nature! I will win you, and we will go far away from thescenes that know me but too well, where a reward is offered for mycapture, and where prison doors yawn to receive me. I will marry you,and then I will reform--I will do anything you ask of me; but I must, I_will_ have your love, or I--will--kill--you! I could never bear to seeyou the bride of another."
CHAPTER LV.
"Yes, you shall marry me, though Heaven and earth combine to take youfrom me!" muttered Victor Lamont, gazing down upon the pure,marble-white face of Bernardine. "It is said that some day, sooner orlater, every man meets his fate, and when he does meet that one of allothers, his whole life changes. The past, with all those whom he has metand fancied before, is as nothing to him now, and his dreams are only ofthe future and that elysium where he is to wander hand in hand with theone he loves.
"Hand in hand--will I ever _dare_ clasp in mine that little white handthat I know must be as pure and spotless as a lily leaf? Would not myown hand, dark and hardened in sin, ay, bathed in blood even, witheraway at the contact?
"If I had lived a good, honorable, upright life, I might have won thelove and the respect of this young girl. If she knew me as I am, as thepolice know me, she would recoil from me in horror; but _she must neverknow_--never! I do not think she saw my face--ay, I could swear that shedid not. I will tell her that I was a traveler happening to pass and sawher at the mercy of a ruffian, and rescued her.
"I will have her thanks, her heartfelt gratitude. I will tell her that Iwill see her safely back to her friends, as soon as my horse--whichbecame lame in the encounter--is able to make the journey, which willnot be later than a day or two at the furthest. In the meantime, I willcomfort her, pity her, sympathize with her.
"I have always been successful in winning the hearts of women withoutscarcely any effort on my part whatever, and I vow that I will win thisgirl's.
"The _La Gascoigne_ sails in three days from now. I will sail away inher, and this beautiful treasure shall sail with me as my bride, mybeauteous bride.
"I will turn everything into cash. I will see young Mrs. Gardiner, andat the point of a revolver, if need be, cause her to beg, borrow, orsteal a few thousand more for me from that handsome, aristocratichusband of hers.
"Then I will desert this gang that hang like barnacles about me, thatknow too much about me, and would squeal on me any moment to savethemselves if they got into a tight place. I will go so far away thatthey will never get money enough together to attempt to follow me."
The clock on the mantel of an inner room warned him that time was flyingswift-winged past him.
He stooped to kiss the beautiful, marble-like lips, that could not uttera demur, locked as they were in unconsciousness; then he drew back.
Even in her utter helplessness there was something like an armor abouther--even as the innocent bud is encompassed and protected by thesharpest thorns from the hand that would ruthlessly gather it.
"The kiss from those pure lips must be freely offered, not stolen," hemuttered; and turning on his heel, he hurried quickly from the apartmentwhile that worthy resolution was strong upon him and his good impulsesin the ascendency.
Mrs. Dick was suspiciously near the door; in his own mind he felt surethat she had been spying upon him through the key-hole.
"Your horse is ready, Victor Lamont," she said.
"It took you a long time to go upon your errand," he replied,tauntingly. "No doubt you harnessed the horse yourself, to spare thatlazy husband of yours the trouble of doing it," he added.
The woman muttered something between her teeth which he did not quitecatch; nor did he take the trouble to listen.
Vaulting quickly into the saddle, his mettlesome horse was off quite assoon as he could grasp the reins, and in an instant he was lost to sightin the dense gloom which precedes the dawn.
It was quite light when Victor Lamont reached the spot by thebrook-side--the spot where he had met the lovely young stranger but ashort time before.
What a strange fate it was that caused him to discover a flask of brandyin the pocket of the saddle!
That was his failing--drink! He had always guarded against taking even asingle draught when he had an important duty to perform; but on thisoccasion he told himself he must make an exception.
"I will drink to the health of my beautiful bride to be," he muttered,raising the flask to his lips; and he drank long and deep, the brandyleaping like fire through his veins.
He had not long to wait in his place of concealment ere he heard thesound of footsteps.
Looking through the heavy branches, he saw the figure of a woman--afamiliar figure, it seemed to him--moving rapidly to and fro among theblooms.
He called to her, believing this time he was face to face with youngMrs. Gardiner, when he found to his keen disappointment it was onlyAntoinette, the clever French maid.
She should take a message to her mistress, he determined; and tearing aleaf from his memorandum-book, he hastily penciled a note to SallyGardiner, which he felt sure would bring her with all possible haste tothe place at which he awaited her.
"Give this to your mistress with dispatch, Antoinette," he said.
He knew the golden key that would be apt to unlock this French maid'sinterest to do his bidding. As he spoke, he took from his pocket-book acrisp bank-note, which he told the girl she was to spend for bon-bons orribbons for herself.
He had always made it a point to fee the French maid well, that he mighthave a powerful ally in the home of his intended victim.
The money, together with a little judicious flattery now and then, hadwon Antoinette completely over.
As Victor Lamont sat on the mossy bowlder by the brook-side, watchingand waiting, he observed, early as the hour was, that the servants ofthe mansion had begun to bestir themselves. One hour passed afterAntoinette had returned to the house; then another.
Young Mrs. Gardiner did not come to the rendezvous.
"Why is she not here?" he asked himself; and for the first time in hislife he quite lost control of himself in a fit of terrible anger, and tocalm himself he had recourse more than once to the silver flask
which hecarried in his breast-pocket.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed; then slowly one, two, three,four--another five; then replacing his watch in his pocket, andquivering with rage, Victor Lamont started for the house.
CHAPTER LVI.
The sound of the galloping hoofs of Victor Lamont's steed had scarcelydied away in the distance ere Bernardine opened her eyes and lookedwonderingly about her. For an instant she believed that her strangesurroundings--the bare room, with its curtainless windows, and thestrange women bending over her--were but the vagaries of a too realisticdream from which she was awakening. But even while this impression wasstrong upon her, the woman said, sneeringly:
"So you have regained consciousness--that's bad;" and she looked crosslyat the girl.
"Where am I--and who are you?" asked Bernardine, amazedly, sitting boltupright on the wooden settee, and staring in wonder up at the hard facelooking down into her own. But before she could answer, a wave of memoryswept over Bernardine, and she cried out in terror: "Oh, I rememberstanding by the brook, and the dark-faced man that appeared--how hecaught hold of my arms in a grasp of steel, and I fainted. Did he bringme away from Gardiner Castle?" she demanded, indignantly--"_dared_ he dosuch a thing?"
"Do not get excited," replied the woman, coolly. "Always take everythingcool--that's the best way."
"But why did he bring me here?" insisted Bernardine.
"You will have to ask him when he comes back. He is the only one who cananswer that," returned the woman.
Bernardine sprung quickly to her feet; but it was not until sheattempted to take a step forward that she realized how weak she was.
"What are you intending to do?" asked the woman, sneeringly.
"Leave this place," replied Bernardine, sharply. "I have no idea as towhy I was brought here; but I do not intend to stop for explanations.Step out of my way, please, and allow me to pass."
The woman laughed, and that laugh was not pleasant to hear.
"That is contrary to my orders. You are to remain here, in my charge,under my eye, until--well, until the person who brought you here saysyou may go."
Bernardine's dark eyes flashed; she looked amazed.
"Do you mean to infer that I am to be detained here--against my will?"demanded the girl.
"That is as you choose to look at it, miss. I am to coax you to keep mecompany here, and, if you refuse, to insist upon your doing so; andfinally, if it becomes necessary, to _make_ you accede to my wishes, or,rather, the wishes of the one who brought you here."
Bernardine drew herself up to her full height, and looked at the womanwith unflinching eyes, saying, slowly:
"You have lent yourself to a most cruel scheme to entrap an innocentgirl; but know this: I would die by my own hand sooner than marry thevillain who had me conveyed in this most despicable way to this isolatedplace. I have no doubt you know the whole story; but I say this: When mypoor father died, I was freed forever from the power of my mortal foe.His sword fell from over my head, where he had held it suspended. He cannot pursue my hapless father beyond the gates of death."
"What you are talking about is an enigma to me," returned the woman,grimly.
"If he has not told you the truth about this matter, listen to me, andlet me tell it," cried Bernardine, trembling with excitement. "I--I haveknown this man who had me brought here for long years, and I know himonly to fear and distrust him--more than words can express.
"One day, quite by accident, he met me on the street--right before myown door--and he stopped short, looking at me with evident admirationexpressed in his coarse face and glittering black eyes."
"'Ah, ha! you turn up your little nose at me, eh?' he cried. 'Well, youshall be sorry for that, and in a fortnight, too, I'll warrant.'
"I would have passed him by without deigning him a reply; but he caughtme by the shoulder, and held me fast.
"'No, you don't move on like that!' he yelled in my ear, a great flushrising to his already florid, wine-stained features. 'You shall kiss me,my pretty, here and now!'
"I endeavored to pass him, but he still clutched me tightly, fiercely inhis strong grasp, and I--I dealt him a stinging blow across the facewith the palm of my hand.
"The action surprised him so that he released me from his grasp for asingle instant, and in that instant I darted away from him like astartled hare.
"'You shall pay for this!' he cried, looking after me. 'He laughs bestwho laughs last!'
"It was within a fortnight after that most unfortunate event that thecrisis came. My father sent for me, and told me he had had a proposalfor my hand.
"'The man who wants to marry you will make a great lady of you, mygirl,' said my father, eagerly. 'You are lucky! I repeat you are _very_lucky! Why are you looking at me with troubled eyes,' he demanded, 'whenyou ought to be clapping your hands in delight and asking me who it is?'
"'I am silent because I fear to inquire the name,' I replied, slowly,'lest you should utter a name which I loathe.'
"'The man is rich,' he said, leaning forward eagerly.
"'Riches do not bring happiness,' I replied. 'I know of a man whom theworld calls rich, and yet I would not marry him if he had all the wealthof the world to pour at my feet. But who is this man who has come to youwithout even the formality of finding out if it was worth hiswhile--without deigning to take the trouble to find out if I could carefor him to the extent of becoming his wife?'
"'The son of our landlord,' replied my father, his voice a little husky.
"'Were I not so angry I should be amused,' I answered. 'If there was notanother man on the face of the earth, I would not marry Jasper Wilde.I----'"
The woman had been listening to Bernardine's story indifferently enoughuntil she uttered that name. At the sound of it, she caught her breathsharply, and sprung suddenly forward.
"What name did you say? What is the name of the man who wanted to marryyou?" she gasped. "Did I understand you to say Jasper Wilde?"
"Yes," replied Bernardine, wonderingly; and her wonder grew into theutmost consternation when the woman fell at her feet shrieking withrage.
CHAPTER LVII.
Bernardine was tender of heart. She saw that the woman who was grovelingat her feet was suffering mental pain, and she realized that in somevague way the name Jasper Wilde, which she had just uttered, hadoccasioned it.
She forgot her surroundings, forgot the woman had declared it herintention to detain her there even against her will; she remembered onlythat a human being was suffering, and she must aid her if she could.
Suddenly the woman struggled to her feet.
"I did not know who you were talking about until you mentioned _thatname_!" she cried, excitedly and almost incoherently; "for it was _not_Jasper Wilde who brought you here. It never occurred to me that JasperWilde had a hand in it--that he had anything to do with it. I am JasperWilde's wife, girl, and the story you have told is a revelation to me.He must have got the other man to bring you here, and he means to flywith you and desert me! Ha, ha, ha! I always find out everything heattempts to do in _some_ way!"
"He went off on his horse just as you were brought in. Before he comes,I will set you free."
"Oh, I thank you more than words can express!" said Bernardine,fervently.
"You can take the horse and buggy that they always have hitched andready for an emergency. If they took you from Gardiner mansion, you willfind it a good hour's drive; but if you start at once you will get thereby sunrise. You may meet some of them on the road; but you seem to be abrave girl. You have a horse that not one of them could overtake in afive-mile race, if you lay on the whip. Now go!"
"But you?" cried Bernardine. "I can not go and leave you suffering here.You are very ill--I see it in your face. You are white as death. Let metake you to the nearest doctor--there are several hereabouts----"
But the woman shook her head sadly.
"I feel that it is of no use," she whispered, hoarsely. "I feel that Iam doomed--that my hour has come. Your startling news
has done it," shegasped. "Jasper once dealt me a terrible blow over the heart. I--I didnot die then, but my heart has been weak ever since. Go--go, girl, whilethe opportunity is yours. You can not escape him, if he returns andfinds you here! Leave me to my fate. It is better so."
As she uttered the last word, she fell back with a dull thud, andBernardine saw--ah, she knew--that the patient heart of this poorcreature who had loved faithless, cruel Jasper Wilde to the bitter endhad slowly broken at last.
Reverently covering the white, staring face with her apron, andbreathing a sobbing prayer for her, Bernardine fled from the room.
A faint belt of light over the eastern hills told her that dawn was notfar off.
She found the horse and buggy where the woman had indicated, and withhands trembling with nervous excitement untied the bridle.
The animal scarcely gave her time to climb into the vehicle, ere he wasoff with the speed of the wind through the stubble fields of the olddeserted farm and on to the high-road.
It was all that Bernardine could do to cling to the reins, let aloneattempt to guide the animal, whose speed was increasing perceptibly atevery step he took.
The trees, the wild flowers by the road-side, the dark pines andmile-posts, seemed to whirl past her, and she realized, with a terriblequaking of the heart, that the horse was getting beyond her control andwas running away.
The light buggy seemed to fairly spin over the road without touching it.From a run, the horse had broken into a mad gallop, which the smallwhite hands clinging to the reins was powerless to stop.