Venetia

  CHAPTER XVII.

  It was the afternoon of the third day after the arrival of Cadurcis atthe gipsy encampment, and nothing had yet occurred to make him repenthis flight from the abbey, and the choice of life he had made. He hadexperienced nothing but kindness and hospitality, while the beautifulBeruna seemed quite content to pass her life in studying hisamusement. The weather, too, had been extremely favourable to his newmode of existence; and stretched at his length upon the rich turf,with his head on Beruna's lap, and his eyes fixed upon the rich forestfoliage glowing in the autumnal sunset, Plantagenet only wonderedthat he could have endured for so many years the shackles of hiscommon-place home.

  His companions were awaiting the return of their leader, Morgana,who had been absent since the preceding day, and who had departed onPlantagenet's pony. Most of them were lounging or strolling in thevicinity of their tents; the children were playing; the old woman wascooking at the fire; and altogether, save that the hour was not solate, the scene presented much the same aspect as when Cadurcis hadfirst beheld it. As for his present occupation, Beruna was giving hima lesson in the gipsy language, which he was acquiring with a rapidfacility, which quite exceeded all his previous efforts in suchacquisitions.

  Suddenly a scout sang out that a party was in sight. The men instantlydisappeared; the women were on the alert; and one ran forward as aspy, on pretence of telling fortunes. This bright-eyed professor ofpalmistry soon, however, returned running, and out of breath, yetchatting all the time with inconceivable rapidity, and accompanyingthe startling communication she was evidently making with the mostanimated gestures. Beruna started up, and, leaving the astonishedCadurcis, joined them. She seemed alarmed. Cadurcis was soon convincedthere was consternation in the camp.

  Suddenly a horseman galloped up, and was immediately followed by acompanion. They called out, as if encouraging followers, and one ofthem immediately galloped away again, as if to detail the resultsof their reconnaissance. Before Cadurcis could well rise and makeinquiries as to what was going on, a light cart, containing severalmen, drove up, and in it, a prisoner, he detected Morgana. Thebranches of the trees concealed for a moment two other horsemenwho followed the cart; but Cadurcis, to his infinite alarm andmortification, soon recognised Dr. Masham and Peter.

  When the gipsies found their leader was captive, they no longerattempted to conceal themselves; they all came forward, and would haveclustered round the cart, had not the riders, as well as those whomore immediately guarded the prisoner, prevented them. Morgana spokesome words in a loud voice to the gipsies, and they immediatelyappeared less agitated; then turning to Dr. Masham, he said inEnglish, 'Behold your child!'

  Instantly two gipsy men seized Cadurcis, and led him to the Doctor.

  'How now, my lord!' said the worthy Rector, in a stern voice, 'is thisyour duty to your mother and your friends?'

  Cadurcis looked down, but rather dogged than ashamed.

  'You have brought an innocent man into great peril,' continued theDoctor. 'This person, no longer a prisoner, has been arrested onsuspicion of robbery, and even murder, through your freak. Morgana, orwhatever your name may be, here is some reward for your treatment ofthis child, and some compensation for your detention. Mount your pony,Lord Cadurcis, and return to your home with me.'

  'This is my home, sir,' said Plantagenet.

  'Lord Cadurcis, this childish nonsense must cease; it has alreadyendangered the life of your mother, nor can I answer for her safety,if you lose a moment in returning.'

  'Child, you must return,' said Morgana.

  'Child!' said Plantagenet, and he walked some steps away, and leantagainst a tree. 'You promised that I should remain,' said he,addressing himself reproachfully to Morgana.

  'You are not your own master,' said the gipsy; 'your remaining herewill only endanger and disturb us. Fortunately we have nothing to fearfrom laws we have never outraged; but had there been a judge less wiseand gentle than the master here, our peaceful family might have beenall harassed and hunted to the very death.'

  He waved his hand, and addressed some words to his tribe, whereupontwo brawny fellows seized Cadurcis, and placed him again, in spite ofhis struggling, upon his pony, with the same irresistible facilitywith which they had a few nights before dismounted him. The littlelord looked very sulky, but his position was beginning to getludicrous. Morgana, pocketing his five guineas, leaped over the sideof the cart, and offered to guide the Doctor and his attendantsthrough the forest. They moved on accordingly. It was the work of aninstant, and Cadurcis suddenly found himself returning home betweenthe Rector and Peter. Not a word, however, escaped his lips; once onlyhe moved; the light branch of a tree, aimed with delicate precision,touched his back; he looked round; it was Beruna. She kissed her handto him, and a tear stole down his pale, sullen cheek, as, taking fromhis breast his handkerchief, he threw it behind him, unperceived, thatshe might pick it up, and keep it for his sake.

  After proceeding two or three miles under the guidance of Morgana, theequestrians gained the road, though it still ran through the forest.Here the Doctor dismissed the gipsy-man, with whom he had occasionallyconversed during their progress; but not a sound ever escaped from themouth of Cadurcis, or rather, the captive, who was now substituted inMorgana's stead. The Doctor, now addressing himself to Plantagenet,informed him that it was of importance that they should make the bestof their way, and so he put spurs to his mare, and Cadurcis sullenlycomplied with the intimation. At this rate, in the course of littlemore than another hour, they arrived in sight of the demesne ofCadurcis, where they pulled up their steeds.

  They entered the park, they approached the portal of the abbey; atlength they dismounted. Their coming was announced by a servant, whohad recognised his lord at a distance, and had ran on before with thetidings. When they entered the abbey, they were met by Lady Annabel inthe cloisters; her countenance was very serious. She shook hands withDr. Masham, but did not speak, and immediately led him aside. Cadurcisremained standing in the very spot where Doctor Masham left him, as ifhe were quite a stranger in the place, and was no longer master ofhis own conduct. Suddenly Doctor Masham, who was at the end of thecloister, while Lady Annabel was mounting the staircase, looked roundwith a pale face, and said in an agitated voice, 'Lord Cadurcis, LadyAnnabel wishes to speak to you in the saloon.'

  Cadurcis immediately, but slowly, repaired to the saloon. Lady Annabelwas walking up and down in it. She seemed greatly disturbed. When shesaw him, she put her arm round his neck affectionately, and said ina low voice, 'My dearest Plantagenet, it has devolved upon me tocommunicate to you some distressing intelligence.' Her voice faltered,and the tears stole down her cheek.

  'My mother, then, is dangerously ill?' he inquired in a calm butsoftened tone.

  'It is even sadder news than that, dear child.'

  Cadurcis looked about him wildly, and then with an inquiring glance atLady Annabel:

  'There can be but one thing worse than that,' he at length said.

  'What if it have happened?' said Lady Annabel.

  He threw himself into a chair, and covered his face with his hands.After a few minutes he looked up and said, in a low but distinctvoice, 'It is too terrible to think of; it is too terrible to mention;but, if it have happened, let me be alone.'

  Lady Annabel approached him with a light step; she embraced him, and,whispering that she should be found in the next room, she quitted theapartment.

  Cadurcis remained seated for more than half an hour without changingin the slightest degree his position. The twilight died away; it grewquite dark; he looked up with a slight shiver, and then quitted theapartment.

  In the adjoining room, Lady Annabel was seated with Doctor Masham,and giving him the details of the fatal event. It had occurred thatmorning. Mrs. Cadurcis, who had never slept a wink since her knowledgeof her son's undoubted departure, and scarcely for an hour been freefrom violent epileptic fits, had fallen early in the morning into adoze, which lasted about half an hour, and from which her
medicalattendant, who with Pauncefort had sat up with her during the night,augured the most favourable consequences. About half-past six o'clockshe woke, and inquired whether Plantagenet had returned. They answeredher that Doctor Masham had not yet arrived, but would probably be atthe abbey in the course of the morning. She said it would be too late.They endeavoured to encourage her, but she asked to see Lady Annabel,who was immediately called, and lost no time in repairing to her. WhenMrs. Cadurcis recognised her, she held out her hand, and said in adying tone, 'It was my fault; it was ever my fault; it is too latenow; let him find a mother in you.' She never spoke again, and in thecourse of an hour expired.

  While Lady Annabel and the Doctor were dwelling on these sadcircumstances, and debating whether he should venture to approachPlantagenet, and attempt to console him, for the evening was nowfar advanced, and nearly three hours had elapsed since the fatalcommunication had been made to him, it happened that MistressPauncefort chanced to pass Mrs. Cadurcis' room, and as she did so sheheard some one violently sobbing. She listened, and hearing the soundsfrequently repeated, she entered the room, which, but for her candle,would have been quite dark, and there she found Lord Cadurcis kneelingand weeping by his mother's bedside. He seemed annoyed at being seenand disturbed, but his spirit was too broken to murmur. 'La! my lord,'said Mistress Pauncefort, 'you must not take on so; you must notindeed. I am sure this dark room is enough to put any one in lowspirits. Now do go downstairs, and sit with my lady and the Doctor,and try to be cheerful; that is a dear good young gentleman. I wishMiss Venetia were here, and then she would amuse you. But you must nottake on, because there is no use in it. You must exert yourself, forwhat is done cannot be undone; and, as the Doctor told us last Sunday,we must all die; and well for those who die with a good conscience;and I am sure the poor dear lady that is gone must have had a goodconscience, because she had a good heart, and I never heard any onesay the contrary. Now do exert yourself, my dear lord, and try to becheerful, do; for there is nothing like a little exertion in thesecases, for God's will must be done, and it is not for us to say yea ornay, and taking on is a murmuring against God's providence.' And soMistress Pauncefort would have continued urging the usual topics ofcoarse and common-place consolation; but Cadurcis only answered with asigh that came from the bottom of his heart, and said with streamingeyes, 'Ah! Mrs. Pauncefort, God had only given me one friend in thisworld, and there she lies.'