CHAPTER X. THE PAGE, THE FIRES, AND THE FALL.
The night was intensely dark when Sir Norman got into it once more; andto any one else would have been intensely dismal, but to Sir Norman allwas bright as the fair hills of Beulah. When all is bright within, wesee no darkness without; and just at that moment our young knight hadgot into one of those green and golden glimpses of sunshine that hereand there checker life's rather dark pathway, and with Leoline besidehim would have thought the dreary shores of the Dead Sea itself a veryparadise.
It was now near midnight, and there was an unusual concourse of peoplein the streets, waiting for St. Paul's to give the signal to light thefires. He looked around for Ormiston; but Ormiston was nowhere to beseen--horse and rider had disappeared. His own horse stood tetheredwhere he had left him. Anxious as he was to ride back to the ruin, andsee the play played out, he could not resist the temptation of lingeringa brief period in the city, to behold the grand spectacle of the myriadfires. Many persons were hurrying toward St. Paul's to witness it fromthe dome; and consigning his horse to the care of the sentinel on guardat the house opposite, he joined them, and was soon striding along, ata tremendous pace, toward the great cathedral. Ere he reached it, itslong-tongued clock tolled twelve, and all the other churches, one afteranother, took up the sound, and the witching hour of midnight rang andrerang from end to end of London town. As if by magic, a thousand forkedtongues of fire shot up at once into the blind, black night, turningalmost in an instant the darkened face of the heavens to an inflamed,glowing red. Great fires were blazing around the cathedral when theyreached it, but no one stopped to notice them, but only hurried on thefaster to gain their point of observation.
Sir Norman just glanced at the magnificent pile--for the old St. Paul'swas even more magnificent than the new,--and then followed after therest, through many a gallery, tower, and spiral staircase till the domewas reached. And there a grand and mighty spectacle was before him--thewhole of London swaying and heaving in one great sea of fire. From oneend to the other, the city seemed wrapped in sheets of flame, and everystreet, and alley, and lane within it shone in a lurid radiance farbrighter than noonday. All along the river fires were gleaming, too; andthe whole sky had turned from black to blood-red crimson. The streetswere alive and swarming--it could scarcely be believed that theplague-infested city contained half so many people, and all wereunusually hopeful and animated; for it was popularly believed that thesefires would effectually check the pestilence. But the angry fiat of aMighty Judge had gone forth, and the tremendous arm of the destroyingangel was not to be stopped by the puny hand of man.
It has been said the weather for weeks was unusually brilliant, days ofcloudless sunshine, nights of cloudless moonlight, and the air was warmand sultry enough for the month of August in the tropics. But now,while they looked, a vivid flash of lightning, from what quarter ofthe heavens no man knew, shot athwart the sky, followed by another andanother, quick, sharp, and blinding. Then one great drop of rain felllike molten lead on the pavement, then a second and a third quicker,faster, and thicker, until down it crashed in a perfect deluge. It didnot wait to rain; it fell in floods--in great, slanting sheets of water,an is the very floodgates of heaven had opened for a second deluge. Noone ever remembered to have seen such torrents fall, and the populacefled before it in wildest dismay. In five minutes, every fire, from oneextremity of London to the other, was quenched in the very blacknessof darkness, and on that night the deepest gloom and terror reignedthroughout the city. It was clear the hand of an avenging Deity was inthis, and He who had rained down fire on Sodom and Gomorrah had not lostHis might. In fifteen minutes the terrific flood was over; the dismalclouds cleared away, a pale, fair, silver moon shone serenely out, andlooked down on the black, charred heaps of ashes strewn through thestreets of London. One by one, the stars that all night had beenobscured, glanced and sparkled over the sky, and lit up with their soft,pale light the doomed and stricken town. Everybody had quitted the domein terror and consternation; and now Sir Norman, who had been lost inawe, suddenly bethought him of his ride to the ruin, and hastened tofollow their example. Walking rapidly, not to say recklessly, along, heabruptly knocked against some one sauntering leisurely before him,and nearly pitched headlong on the pavement. Recovering his centreof gravity by a violent effort, he turned to see the cause of thecollision, and found himself accosted by a musical and foreign-accentedvoice.
"Pardon," said the sweet, and rather feminine tones; "it was quite anaccident, I assure you, monsieur. I had no idea I was in anybody's way."
Sir Norman looked at the voice, or rather in the direction whence itcame, and found it proceeded from a lad in gay livery, whose clear,colorless face, dark eyes, and exquisite features were by no meansunknown. The boy seemed to recognize him at the same moment, andslightly touched his gay cap.
"Ah! it is Sir Norman Kingsley! Just the very person, but one, in theworld that I wanted most to see."
"Indeed! And, pray, whom have I the honor of addressing?" inquired SirNorman, deeply edified by the cool familiarity of the accoster.
"They call me Hubert--for want of a better name, I suppose," saidthe lad, easily. "And may I ask, Sir Norman, if you are shod withseven-leagued boots, or if your errand is one of life and death, thatyou stride along at such a terrific rate?"
"And what is that to you?" asked Sir Norman, indignant at hisfree-and-easy impudence.
"Nothing; only I should like to keep up with you, if my legs were longenough; and as they're not, and as company is not easily to be had inthese forlorn streets, I should feel obliged to you if you would justslacken your pace a trifle, and take me in tow."
The boy's face in the moonlight, in everything but expression, wasexactly that of Leoline, to which softening circumstance may beattributed Sir Norman's yielding to the request, and allowing the pageto keep along side.
"I've met you once before to-night?" inquired Sir Norman, after aprolonged and wondering stare at him.
"Yes; I have a faint recollection of seeing you and Mr. Ormiston onLondon Bridge, a few hours ago, and, by the way, perhaps I may mention Iam now in search of that same Mr. Ormiston."
"You are! And what may you want of him, pray?"
"Just a little information of a private character--perhaps you candirect me to his whereabouts."
"Should be happy to oblige you, my dear boy, but, unfortunately, Icannot. I want to see him myself, if I could find any one good enough todirect me to him. Is your business pressing?"
"Very--there is a lady in the case; and such business, you are aware,is always pressing. Probably you have heard of her--a youthful angel,in virgin white, who took a notion to jump into the Thames, not a greatwhile ago."
"Ah!" said Sir Norman, with a start that did not escape the quick eyesof the boy. "And what do you want of her?"
The page glanced at him.
"Perhaps you know her yourself, sir Norman? If so, you will answer quiteas well as your friend, as I only want to know where she lives."
"I have been out of town to-night," said Sir Norman, evasively, "andthere may have been more ladies than one jumped into the Thames duringmy absence. Pray, describe your angel in white."
"I did not notice her particularly myself," said the boy, with easyindifference, "as I am not in the habit of paying much attentionto young ladies who run wild about the streets at night and jumppromiscuously into rivers. However, this one was rather remarkable, forbeing dressed as a bride, having long black hair, and a great quantityof jewelry about her, and looking very much like me. Having said shelooks like me, I need not add she is handsome."
"Vanity of vanities, all in vanity!" murmured Sir Norman, meditatively."Perhaps she is a relative of yours, Master Hubert, since you take suchan interest in her, and she looks so much like you."
"Not that I know of," said Hubert, in his careless way. "I believe Iwas born minus those common domestic afflictions, relatives; and I don'ttake the slightest interest in her, either; don't think it!"
"Then why are you in search of her?"
"For a very good reason--because I've been ordered to do so."
"By whom--your master?"
"My Lord Rochester," said that nobleman's page, waving off theinsinuation by a motion of his hand and a little displeased frown;"he picked her up adrift, and being composed of highly inflammablematerials, took a hot and vehement fancy for her, which fact he did notdiscover until your friend, Mr. Ormiston, had carried her off."
Sir Norman scowled.
"And so he sent you in search of her, has he?"
"Exactly so; and now you perceive the reason why it is quite importantthat I find Mr. Ormiston. We do not know where he has taken her to, butfancy it must be somewhere near the river."
"You do? I tell you what it is, my boy," exclaimed Sir Norman, suddenlyand in an elevated key, "the best thing you can do is, to go home andgo to bed, and never mind young ladies. You'll catch the plague beforeyou'll catch this particular young lady--I can tell you that!"
"Monsieur is excited," lisped the lad raising his hat and running histaper fingers through his glossy, dark curls. "Is she as handsome asthey say she is, I wonder?"
"Handsome!" cried Sir Norman, lighting up with quite a new sensation atthe recollection. "I tell you handsome doesn't begin to describe her!She is beautiful, lovely, angelic, divine--" Here Sir Norman's litany ofadjectives beginning to give out, he came to a sudden halt, with a faceas radiant as the sky at sunrise.
"Ah! I did not believe them, when they told me she was so much likeme; but if she is as near perfection as you describe, I shall begin tocredit it. Strange, is it not, that nature should make a duplicate ofher greatest earthly chef d'oeuvre?"
"You conceited young jackanapes!" growled Sir Norman, in deepdispleasure. "It is far stranger how such a bundle of vanity cancontrive to live in this work-a-day world. You are a foreigner, Iperceive?"
"Yes, Sir Norman, I am happy to say I am."
"You don't like England, then?"
"I'd be sorry to like it; a dirty, beggarly, sickly place as I eversaw!"
Sir Norman eyed the slender specimen of foreign manhood, uttering thissentiment in the sincerest of tones, and let his hand fall heavily onhis shoulder.
"My good youth, be careful! I happen to be a native, and not altogetherused to this sort of talk. How long have you been here? Not long, I knowmyself--at least, not in the Earl of Rochester's service, or I wouldhave seen you."
"Right! I have not been here a month; but that month has seemed longerthan a year elsewhere. Do you know, I imagine when the world wascreated, this island of yours must have been made late on Saturdaynight, and then merely thrown in from the refuse to fill up a dent inthe ocean."
Sir Norman paused in his walk, and contemplated the speaker a moment inseverest silence. But Master Hubert only lifted up his saucy face andlaughing black eyes, in dauntless sang froid.
"Master Hubert," began Master Hubert's companion, in his deepest andsternest bass, "I don't know your other name, and it would be of noconsequence if I did--just listen to me a moment. If you don't want toget run through (you perceive I carry a sword), and have an untimelyend put to your career, just keep a civil tongue in your head, and don'tslander England. Now come on!"
Hubert laughed and shrugged his shoulders:
"Thought is free, however, so I can have my own opinion in spite ofeverything. Will you tell me, monsieur, where I can find the lady?"
"You will have it, will you?" exclaimed Sir Norman, half drawing hissword. "Don't ask questions, but answer them. Are you French?"
"Monsieur has guessed it."
"How long have you been with your present master?"
"Monsieur, I object to that term," said Hubert, with calm dignity."Master is a vulgarism that I dislike; so, in alluding to his lordship,take the trouble to say, patron."
Sir Norman laughed.
"With all my heart! How long, then, have you been with your presentpatron?"
"Not quite two weeks."
"I do not like to be impertinently inquisitive in addressing sodignified a gentleman, but perhaps you would not consider it too great aliberty, if I inquired how you became his page?"
"Monsieur shall ask as many questions as he pleases, and it shall not beconsidered the slightest liberty," said the young gentleman, politely."I had been roaming at large about the city and the palace of hismajesty--whom may Heaven preserve, and grant a little more wisdom!--insearch of a situation; and among that of all nobles of the court, theEarl of Rochester's livery struck me as being the most becoming, and soI concluded to patronize him."
"What an honor for his lordship! Since you dislike England so much,however, you will probably soon throw up the situation and, patronizethe first foreign ambassador--"
"Perhaps! I rather like Whitehall, however. Old Rowlie has taken rathera fancy to me," said the boy speaking with the same easy familiarityof his majesty as he would of a lap-dog. "And what is better, so hasMistress Stewart--so much so, that Heaven forefend the king shouldbecome jealous. This, however, is strictly entre nous, and not to bespoken of on any terms."
"Your secret shall be preserved at the risk of my life," said SirNorman, laying his hand on the left side of his doublet; "and in return,may I ask if you have any relatives living--any sisters for instance?"
"I see! you have a suspicion that the lady in white may be a sister ofmine. Well, you may set your mind at rest on that point--for if she is,it is news to me, as I never saw her in my life before tonight. Is she aparticular friend of yours, Sir Norman?"
"Never you mind that, my dear boy; but take my advice, and don't troubleyourself looking for her; for, most assuredly, if you find her, I shallbreak your head!"
"Much obliged," said Hubert, touching his cap, "but nevertheless, Ishall risk it. She had the plague, though, when she jumped into theriver, and perhaps the best place to find her would be the pest-house. Ishall try."
"Go, and Heaven speed you! Yonder is the way to it, and my road lieshere. Good night, master Hubert."
"Good night, Sir Norman," responded the page, bowing airily; "and if Ido not find the lady to-night, most assuredly I shall do so to-morrow."
Turning along a road leading to the pest-house, and laughing as hewent, the boy disappeared. Fearing lest the page should follow him, andthereby discover a clue to Leoline's abode, Sir Norman turned into astreet some distance from the house, and waited in the shadow until hewas out of sight. Then he came forth, and, full of impatience to getback to the ruin, hurried on to where he had left his horse. He wasstill in the care of the watchman, whom he repaid for his trouble; andas he sprang on his back, he glanced up at the windows of Leoline'shouse. It was all buried in profound darkness but that one window fromwhich that faint light streamed, and he knew that she had not yet goneto rest. For a moment he lingered and looked at it in the absurd waylovers will look, and was presently rewarded by seeing what he watchedfor--a shadow flit between him and the light. The sight was a strongtemptation to him to dismount and enter, and, under pretence of warningher against the Earl of Rochester and his "pretty page," see heronce again. But reflection, stepping rebukingly up to him, whisperedindignantly, that his ladylove was probably by this time in her nightrobe, and not at home to lovers; and Sir Norman respectfully bowed toreflection's superior wisdom. He thought of Hubert's words, "If I donot find her tonight, I shall most assuredly to-morrow," and a chillpresentiment of coming evil fell upon him.
"To-morrow," he said, as he turned to go. "Who knows what to-morrow maybring forth! Fairest and dearest Leoline, good-night!"
He rode away in the moonlight, with the stars shining peacefully downupon him. His heart at the moment was a divided one--one half beinggiven to Leoline, and the other to the Midnight Queen and her mysteriouscourt. The farther he went away from Leoline, the dimmer her star becamein the horizon of his thoughts; and the nearer he came to Miranda, thebrighter and more eagerly she loomed up, until he spurred his horse toa most furious gallop, lest he should find the castl
e and the queen lostin the regions of space when he got there. Once the plague-stricken citylay behind him, his journey was short; and soon, to his great delight,he turned into the silent deserted by-path leading to the ruin.
Tying his horse to a stake in the crumbling wall, he paused for a momentto look at it in the pale, wan light of the midnight moon. He had lookedat it many a time before, but never with the same interest as now;and the ruined battlements, the fallen roof, the broken windows, andmouldering sides, had all a new and weird interest for him. No one wasvisible far or near; and feeling that his horse was secure in the shadowof the wall, he entered, and walked lightly and rapidly along inthe direction of the spiral staircase. With more haste, but the sameprecaution, he descended, and passed through the vaults to where he knewthe loose flag-stone was. It was well he did know; for there was neitherstrain of music nor ray of light to guide him now; and his heart sankto zero as he thought he might raise the stone and discover nothing.His hand positively trembled with eagerness as he lifted it; and withunbounded delight, not to be described, looked down on the same titledassembly he had watched before. But there had been a change since--halfthe lights were extinguished, and the great vaulted room wascomparatively in shadow--the music had entirely died away and all wassolemnly silent. But what puzzled Sir Norman most of all was, the factthat there seemed to be a trial of acme sort going on.
A long table, covered with green velvet, and looking not unlike a modernbilliard table, stood at the right of the queen's crimson throne; andbehind it, perched in a high chair, and wearing a long, solemn, blackrobe, sat a small, thick personage, whose skin Sir Norman would haveknown on a bush. He glanced at the lower throne and found it as heexpected, empty; and he saw at once that his little highness was notonly prince consort, but also supreme judge in the kingdom. Two or threesimilar black-robed gentry, among whom was recognizable the noble dukewho so narrowly escaped with his life under the swords of Sir Normanand Count L'Estrange. Before this solemn conclave stood a man who wasevidently the prisoner under trial, and who wore the whitest and mostfrightened face Sir Norman thought he had ever beheld. The queen waslounging negligently back on her throne, paying very little attentionto the solemn rites, occasionally gossiping with some of the snow-whitesylphs beside her, and often yawning behind her pretty finger-tips, andevidently very much bored by it all.
The rest of the company were decorously seated in the crimson and gildedarm-chairs, some listening with interest to what was going on, othersholding whispered tete-a-tetes, and all very still and respectful.
Sir Norman's interest was aroused to the highest pitch; he imprudentlyleaned forward too far, in order to hear and see, and lost his balance.He felt he was going, and tried to stop himself, but in vain; and seeingthere was no help for it, he made a sudden spring, and landed right inthe midst of the assembly.