CHAPTER XXXVII
A CONFESSION OF LOVE
I could scarcely believe my eyes as the mantel swung slowly outward,revealing the black hole beyond. I glanced about helplessly, and sprangto the door of the room to call back Farrell. He was not in the upperhall, but as my eyes swept its length I remembered a half-burned candlein the chamber opposite. By the time I returned with it lighted, themantel had turned on its pivot, leaving the way clear. The narrow stairwas vacant, stretching down into the black depths. I listened, my heartthrobbing, but no sound came from below. Could she be there? Was thereany other secret passage by which she could have disappeared? I shudderedat memory of what it meant to be shut up in that dismal hole, without thecompanionship of light. Fearful of some accident I paused long enough towedge a heavy piece of furniture in the opening, and then, shading thebit of candle, began groping my way down. I had reached the lower floorbefore the flickering yellow rays revealed any evidence of her presence.Then I saw a girl lying head down upon the table. My hand touched her armbefore she moved, but then she faced me, wild-eyed, the pistol gleamingin the candle-light.
"Claire! Claire!" I exclaimed, startled at her sudden movement. "Surelyyou know me."
For the instant she did not, her eyes full of terror.
"No! no!" she cried hysterically. "Oh, it cannot be! It is a dream!You--you--tell me who you are?"
I caught her hand, the pistol falling to the floor, and placed thecandlestick upon the table.
"It is no dream, dear. I am Allen Lawrence, and I have come for you. Iknow I look disreputable enough, but there has been fighting--surely youknow me now."
She caught her breath quickly, clinging to me with both hands--her eyessoftening as she studied my face.
"Allen--Allen Lawrence!" she repeated softly. "Oh, I can scarcely believeit true. Let me feel of you. I--I believe I was going insane--the dark,the awful dark, and, and no way out--no way out."
"Yes, yes, I understand," I whispered, drawing her to me. "I was hiddenhere once, remember. But it is over with now."
"But--how did you find a way to me? I--I never thought until it was allover that I had shut myself in here to die. I was so frightened. I justran and hid. Oh, you cannot conceive what I had gone through."
She drew away from me, and again hid her face on the table.
"Oh, but I can, Claire," and I bent over her, my hand fondling her hair."I was there in the hall below, ready even then to act in your defence. Iheard all that was said, saw all that was done."
"You--you were there?" sobbing out the words. "You saw me kill him?"
"Yes, and had you delayed another instant I should have done it."
"Then--then," she glanced up, tears dimming her eyes, "you do not blameme? You do not think me a wicked wretch?"
"I think you a brave, noble woman," I burst forth. "How could I feelotherwise? Look up, little girl; I want to see your face. No, don'tshrink back from me. There is no cause. I know the whole story withoutyour speaking a word. You asked me to come back to help you, and I came."
"Yes," she whispered, "I know. You have been so good."
"Good! I loved you, dear. From the moment I lifted you out of the way ofthat mob in Philadelphia, I have loved you. I did not understand muchthat occurred, but I have never doubted you. Now I realize the cause ofyour masquerade and know you were justified. I can bring you goodnews--Eric is not a traitor, but was a prisoner, captured by Fagin, andheld at Grant's request. We found him bound and under guard out yonder,as we approached the house."
"And he is here now?"
"Yes; he was hurt in the fight, and is still unconscious, but will live."
"His reputation--"
"Is safe. Washington believes he brought him the news of Clinton's routeof march, and will never know otherwise."
She arose to her feet, standing straight and slender before me, theflickering light of the candle on her face.
"Major Lawrence," she began, "I wish to get out of here--it seems like agrave to me,--but I must speak first. Oh, I am so glad I haveaccomplished what I endeavored to do for my brother. Captain Grant triedto make me believe him a deserter, but I would not. When he failed tocome back to me as he had promised, I could hardly determine what my dutywas. I knew his plans, his orders, and the thought came that I shouldcarry these out myself. We looked sufficiently alike so that this couldbe done with little danger of discovery. He had uniforms concealed here,and I felt driven to impersonate him. I do not insist that I did right; Ido not know--only it seemed right to me. Then--then," her voice faltered,"I met you, again and again, and I--I began to doubt myself. I had no oneto confide in, no one to advise me. I was simply compelled to go ahead,and keep my own secret. The only ones I knew I could absolutely trustwere our old house servants."
"You doubted me even?"
"Yes, at first, but you must not blame me. We met strangely; you were agentleman and an officer; I felt sure of this, and was tempted oftentimesto tell you my story. But before I dared do so, you--you spoke of otherthings and--and then I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?" and I caught her hand in mine. "That a knowledge ofwhat you were attempting to accomplish would turn me against you?"
Her eyes fell, shaded by the long lashes.
"Yes; once, do you remember I almost began a confession, when you spokeof your old-fashioned mother, and her conception of womanhood. How couldI tell you then that I had dressed as a man, and played the part of aspy? I--I thought you might despise me, and--and I wished so to retainyour respect. It was an accident we were with Delavan that night. We wereendeavoring to waylay a courier, and rode suddenly into his party. I hadto invent a tale on the spur of the moment. Major Lawrence, now that youknow all, tell me the one thing I must know before we join theothers--would you wish your own sister to do as I have done?"
"Not to pass through the dangers, surely," I returned eagerly, "but Ishould rejoice at her loyalty, and be proud of her. Claire, Claire, therehas never been in my heart aught but love for you. As Lady of the BlendedRose, as daughter of a Colonel of Queen's Rangers, even in the disguiseof a Dragoon, I have never questioned the depth of your womanhood. Once Iguessed you a British spy, yet ceased not to love you. Am I to have myreward? You know little of me, as you say, but as an officer and agentleman, I ask you to repeat again what you whispered to me once outyonder under the stars--do you remember, dear?"
"It was only to compel you to leave me."
"And now it is an invitation to remain."
Her eyes were uplifted to mine. Slowly I drew her toward me, her armswere upon my shoulders, and our lips met.
"I love you," she said slowly. "Yes, dear, I love you."
Above us, his head thrust through the opening, Farrell called:
"Have you found her, Major? Shall I come down?"
"It's not necessary."
"The Colonel is half crazy, and the boy is getting back his senses."
We went up together, I bearing the candle in one hand, and helping heralong the circular stairs with the other. In the upper hall I glancedbelow, but the bodies of the dead had been removed. Farrell stoodbareheaded, a great figure on his short legs.
"This has been a fine night's work," he said steadily, "the last ofFagin's gang."
"Dead?"
"Ay, and Grant with him--begging your pardon, mistress."
Her eyes glanced from his face into mine, and my hand-clasp tightened. Itwas thus we went in together, and stood beside the Colonel's bed.
THE END
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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards.
2. List of books "By Mr. Parrish" moved to end of text.
3. Frontispiece illustration moved to after title page.
4. Typographic errors corrected from original: p. 31 seen to see ("you can see") p. 59 surpressed to suppressed ("suppressed excitement") p. 202 addresed to addressed ("The man addressed as Colonel") p. 367 SEACHING to SEARCHING ("SEARCHING FOR CLAIRE")
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