CHAPTER XVI. THE THIRD VISION.
Presentiments are strange things. From the first moment Sir Normanentered the city, and his thoughts had been able to leave Miranda andfind themselves wholly on Leoline, a heavy foreboding of evil to herhad oppressed him. Some danger, he was sure, had befallen her during hisabsence--how could it be otherwise with the Earl of Rochester and CountL'Estrange both on her track? Perhaps, by this time, one or other hadfound her, and alone and unaided she had been an easy victim, and wasnow borne beyond his reach forever. The thought goaded him and his horsealmost to distraction; for the moment it struck him, he struck spursinto his horse, making that unoffending animal jump spasmodically, likeone of those prancing steeds Miss Bonheur is fond of depicting. Throughthe streets he flew at a frantic rate, growing more excited and fullof apprehension the nearer he came to old London Bridge; and callinghimself a select litany of hard names inwardly, for having left the dearlittle thing at all.
"If I find her safe and well," thought Sir Norman, emphatically,"nothing short of an earthquake or dying of the plague will ever induceme to leave her again, until she is Lady Kingsley, and in the old manorof Devonshire. What a fool, idiot, and ninny I must have been, to haveleft her as I did, knowing those two sleuth-hounds were in full chase!What are all the Mirandas and midnight queens to me, if Leoline islost?"
That last question was addressed to the elements in general; and as theydisdained reply, he cantered on furiously, till the old house by theriver was reached. It was the third time that night he had paused tocontemplate it, and each time with very different feelings; first, fromsimple curiosity; second, in an ecstasy of delight, and third and last,in an agony of apprehension. All around was peaceful and still; moonand stars sailed serenely through a sky of silver and snow; a faintcool breeze floated up from the river and fanned his hot and feveredforehead; the whole city lay wrapped in stillness as profound anddeathlike as the fabled one of the marble prince in the Easterntale--nothing living moved abroad, but the lonely night-guard keepingtheir dreary vigils before the plague-stricken houses, and theever-present, ever-busy pest-cart, with its mournful bell and dreadfulcry.
As far as Sir Norman could see, no other human being but himself andthe solitary watchman, so often mentioned, were visible. Even he couldscarcely be said to be present; for, though leaning against the housewith his halberd on his shoulder, he was sound asleep at his post, andfar away in the land of dreams. It was the second night of his watch;and with a good conscience and a sound digestion, there is no earthlyanguish short of the toothache, strong enough to keep a man awake twonights in succession. So sound were his balmy slumbers in his airychamber, that not even the loud clatter of Sir Norman's horse's hoofsproved strong enough to arouse him; and that young gentleman, afterglancing at him, made up his mind to try to find out for himself beforearousing him to seek information.
Securing his horse, he looked up at the house with wistful eyes, and sawthat the solitary light still burned in her chamber. It struck himnow how very imprudent it was to keep that lamp burning; for if CountL'Estrange saw it, it was all up with Leoline--and there was evenmore to be dreaded from him than from the earl. How was he to findout whether that illuminated chamber had a tenant or not? Certainly,standing there staring till doomsday would not do it; and there seemedbut two ways, that of entering the house at once or arousing the man.But the man was sleeping so soundly that it seemed a pity to awakehim for a trifle; and, after all, there could be no great harm orindiscretion in his entering to see if his bride was safe. ProbablyLeoline was asleep, and would know nothing about it; or, even were shewide awake, and watchful, she was altogether too sensible a girl tobe displeased at his anxiety about her. If she were still awake, andwaiting for day-dawn, he resolved to remain with her and keep her fromfeeling lonesome until that time came--if she were asleep, he wouldsteal out softly again, and keep guard at her door until morning.
Full of these praiseworthy resolutions, he tried the handle of thedoor, half expecting to find it locked, and himself obliged to effectan entrance through the window; but no, it yielded to his touch, andhe went in. Hall and staircase were intensely dark, but he knew hisway without a pilot this time, and steered clear of all shoals andquicksands, through the hall and up the stairs.
The door of the lighted room--Leoline's room--lay wide open, and hepaused on the threshold to reconnoitre. He had gone softly for fear ofstartling her, and now, with the same tender caution, he glancedround the room. The lamp burned on the dainty dressing table, whereundisturbed lay jewels, perfume bottles and other knickknacks. Thecithern lay unmolested on the couch, the rich curtains were drawn;everything was as he had left it last--everything, but the pretty pinkfigure, with drooping eyes, and pearls in the waves of her rich, blackhair. He looked round for the things she had worn, hoping she had takenthem off and retired to rest, but they were not to be seen; and with acold sinking of the heart, he went noiselessly across the room, andto the bed. It was empty, and showed no trace of having been otherwisesince he and the pest-cart driver had borne from it the apparentlylifeless form of Leoline.
Yes, she was gone; and Sir Norman turned for a moment so sick with utterdread, that he leaned against one of the tall carved posts, and hatedhimself for having left her with a heartlessness that his worst enemycould not have surpassed. Then aroused into new and spasmodic energy bythe exigency of the case, he seized the lamp, and going out to the hall,made the house ring from basement to attic with her name. No reply, butthat hollow, melancholy echo that sounds so lugubriously through emptyhouses, was returned; and he jumped down stairs with an impetuous rush,flinging back every door in the hall below with a crash, and flyingwildly from room to room. In solemn grim repose they lay; but none ofthem held the bright figure in rose-satin he sought. And he left them indespair, and went back to her chamber again.
"Leoline! Leoline! Leoline!" he called, while he rushed impetuously upstairs, and down stairs, and in my lady's chamber; but Leoline answerednot--perhaps never would answer more! Even "hoping against hope," he hadto give up the chase at last--no Leoline did that house hold; and withthis conviction despairingly impressed on his mind, Sir Norman Kingsleycovered his face with his hands, and uttered a dismal groan.
Yet, forlorn as was the case, he groaned but once, "only that andnothing more;" there was no time for such small luxuries as groaning andtearing his hair, and boiling over with wrath and vengeance against thehuman race generally, and those two diabolical specimens of it, theEarl of Rochester and Count L'Estrange, particularly. He plunged headforemost down stairs, and out of the door. There he was impetuouslybrought up all standing; for somebody stood before it, gazing up atthe gloomy front with as much earnestness as he had done himself, andagainst this individual he rushed recklessly with a shock that nearlysent the pair of them over into the street.
"Sacr-r-re!" cried a shrill voice, in tones of indignant remonstrance."What do you mean, monsieur? Are you drunk, or crazy, that you comerunning head foremost into peaceable citizens, and throwing them heelsuppermost on the king's highway! Stand off, sir! And think yourselflucky that I don't run you through with my dirk for such an insult!"
At the first sound of the outraged treble tones, Sir Norman had startedback and glared upon the speaker with much the same expression ofcountenance as an incensed tiger. The orator of the spirited address hadstooped to pick up his plumed cap, and recover his centre of gravity,which was considerably knocked out of place by the unexpected collision,and held forth with very flashing eyes, and altogether too angry torecognize his auditor. Sir Norman waited until he had done, and thenspringing at him, grabbed him by the collar.
"You young hound!" he exclaimed, fairly lifting him off his feet withone hand, and shaking him as if he would have wriggled him out of hoseand doublet. "You infernal young jackanapes! I'll run you through inless than two minutes, if you don't tell me where you have taken her."
The astonishment, not to say consternation, of Master Hubert for thatsmall young gentleman and no other
it was--on thus having his ideas thusshaken out of him, was unbounded, and held him perfectly speechless,while Sir Norman glared at him and shook him in a way that would haveinstantaneously killed him if his looks were lightning. The boy hadrecognized his aggressor, and after his first galvanic shock, struggledlike a little hero to free himself, and at last succeeded by an artfulspring.
"Sir Norman Kingsley," he cried, keeping a safe yard or two of pavementbetween him and that infuriated young knight, "have you gone mad, orwhat, is Heaven's name, is the meaning of all this?"
"It means," exclaimed Sir Norman, drawing his sword, and flourishing itwithin an inch of the boy's curly head,--"that you'll be a dead page inless than half a minute, unless you tell me immediately where she hasbeen taken to."
"Where who has been taken to?" inquired Hubert, opening his brightand indignant black eyes in a way that reminded Sir Norman forcibly ofLeoline. "Pardon, monsieur, I don't understand at all."
"You young villain! Do you mean to stand up there and tell me to my facethat you have not searched for her, and found her, and have carried heroff?"
"Why, do you mean the lady we were talking of, that was saved from theriver?" asked Hubert, a new light dawning upon him.
"Do I mean the lady we were talking of?" repeated Sir Norman, withanother furious flourish of his sword. "Yes, I do mean the lady we weretalking of; and what's more--I mean to pin you where you stand, againstthat wall, unless you tell me, instantly, where she has been taken."
"Monsieur!" exclaimed the boy, raising his hands with an earnestnessthere was no mistaking, "I do assure you, upon my honor, that I knownothing of the lady whatever; that I have not found her; that I havenever set eyes on her since the earl saved her from the river."
The earnest tone of truth would, in itself, almost have convinced SirNorman, but it was not that, that made him drop his sword so suddenly.The pale, startled face; the dark, solemn eyes, were so exactly likeLeoline's, that they thrilled him through and through, and almost madehim believe, for a moment, he was talking to Leoline herself.
"Are you--are you sure you are not Leoline?" he inquired, almostconvinced, for an instant, by the marvelous resemblance, that it wasreally so.
"I? Positively, Sir Norman, I cannot understand this at all, unless youwish to enjoy yourself at my expense."
"Look here, Master Hubert!" said Sir Norman with a sudden change of lookand tone. "If you do not understand, I shall just tell you in a word ortwo how matters are, and then let me hear you clear yourself. You knowthe lady we were talking about, that Lord Rochester picked up afloat,and sent you in search of?"
"Yes--yes."
"Well," went on Sir Norman, with a sort of grim stoicism. "After leavingyou, I started on a little expedition of my own, two miles from thecity, from which expedition I returned ten minutes ago. When I left, thelady was secure and safe in this house; when I came back, she was gone.You were in search of her--had told me yourself you were determined onfinding her, and having her carried off; and now, my youthful friend,put this and that together," with a momentary returning glare, "and seewhat it amounts to!"
"It amounts to this:" retorted his youthful friend, stoutly, "thatI know nothing whatever about it. You may make out a case of strongcircumstantial evidence against me; but if the lady has been carriedoff, I have had no hand in it."
Again Sir Norman was staggered by the frank, bold gaze and truthfulvoice, but still the string was in a tangle somewhere.
"And where have you been ever since?" he began severely, and with theair of a lawyer about to go into a rigid cross-examination.
"Searching for her," was the prompt reply.
"Where?"
"Through the streets; in the pest-houses, and at the plague-pit."
"How did you find out she lived here?"
"I did not find it out. When I became convinced she was in none of theplaces I have mentioned, I gave up the search in despair, for to-night,and was returning to his lordship to report my ill success."
"Why, then, were you standing in front of her house, gaping at itwith all the eyes in your head, as if it were the eighth wonder of theworld?"
"Monsieur has not the most courteous way of asking questions, that Iever heard of; but I have no particular objection to answer him. Itstruck me that, as Mr. Ormiston brought the lady up this way, and asI saw you and he haunting this place so much to-night, I thought herresidence was somewhere here, and I paused to look at the house as Iwent along. In fact, I intended to ask old sleepy-head, over there, forfurther particulars, before I left the neighborhood, had not you, SirNorman, run bolt into me, and knocked every idea clean out of my head."
"And you are sure you are not Leoline?" said Sir Norman, suspiciously.
"To the best of my belief, Sir Norman, I am not," replied Hubert,reflectively.
"Well, it is all very strange, and very aggravating," said Sir Norman,sighing, and sheathing his sword. "She is gone, at all events; no doubtabout that--and if you have not carried her off, somebody else has."
"Perhaps she has gone herself," insinuated Hubert.
"Bah! Gone herself!" said Sir Norman, scornfully. "The idea is beneathcontempt: I tell you, Master Fine-feathers, the lady and I were to bemarried bright and early to-morrow morning, and leave this disgustingcity for Devonshire. Do you suppose, then, she would run out in thesmall hours of the morning, and go prancing about the streets, oreloping with herself?"
"Why, of course, Sir Norman, I can't take it upon myself to answerpositively; but, to use the mildest phrase, I must say the lady seemsdecidedly eccentric, and capable of doing very queer things. I hope,however, you believe me; for I earnestly assure you, I never laid eyeson her but that once."
"I believe you," said Sir Norman, with another profound andbroken-hearted sigh, "and I'm only too sure she has been abducted bythat consummate scoundrel and treacherous villain, Count L'Estrange."
"Count who?" said Hubert, with a quick start, and a look of intensecuriosity. "What was the name?"
"L'Estrange--a scoundrel of the deepest dye! Perhaps you know him?"
"No," replied Hubert, with a queer, half musing smile, "no; but I have anotion I have heard the name. Was he a rival of yours?"
"I should think so! He was to have been married to the lady this verynight!"
"He was, eh! And what prevented the ceremony?"
"She took the plague!" said Sir Norman, strange to say, not at alloffended at the boy's familiarity. "And would have been thrown into theplague-pit but for me. And when she recovered she accepted me and casthim off!"
"A quick exchange! The lady's heart must be most flexible, or unusuallylarge, to be able to hold so many at once."
"It never held him!" said Sir Norman, frowning; "she was forced intothe marriage by her mercenary friends. Oh! if I had him here, wouldn't Imake him wish the highwaymen had shot him through the head, and done forhim, before I would let him go!"
"What is he like--this Count L'Estrange?" said Hubert, carelessly.
"Like the black-hearted traitor and villain he is!" replied Sir Norman,with more energy than truth; for he had caught but passing glimpsesof the count's features, and those showed him they were decidedlyprepossessing; "and he slinks along like a coward and an abductor ashe is, in a slouched hat and shadowy cloak. Oh! if I had him here!"repeated Sir Norman, with vivacity; "wouldn't I--"
"Yes, of course you would," interposed Hubert, "and serve him right,too! Have you made any inquiries about the matter--for instance, of ourfriend sleeping the sleep of the just, across there?"
"No--why?"
"Why, it seems to me, if she's been carried off before he fell asleep,he has probably heard or seen something of it; and I think it would notbe a bad plan to step over and inquire."
"Well, we can try," said Sir Norman, with a despairing face; "but Iknow it will end in disappointment and vexation of spirit, like all therest!"
With which dismal view of things, he crossed the street side by sidewith his jaunty young friend. The watchman wa
s still enjoying the balmy,and snoring in short, sharp snorts, when Master Hubert remorselesslycaught him by the shoulder, and began a series of shakes and pokes, anddigs, and "hallos!" while Sir Norman stood near and contemplated thescene with a pensive eye. At last while undergoing a severe course ofthis treatment the watchman was induced to open his eyes on this mortallife, and transfix the two beholders with, an intensely vacant and blankshare.
"Hey?" he inquired, helplessly. "What was you a saying of, gentlemen?What is it?"
"We weren't a saying of anything as yet," returned Hubert; "but we meanto, shortly. Are you quite sure you are wide awake?"
"What do you want?" was the cross question, given by way of answer."What do you come bothering me for at such a rate, all night, I want toknow?"
"Keep civil, friend, we wear swords," said Hubert, touching, withdignity, the hilt of the little dagger he carried; "we only want to askyou a few questions. First, do you see that house over yonder?"
"Oh! I see it!" said the man gruffly; "I am not blind!"
"Well who was the last person you saw come out of that house?"
"I don't know who they was!" still more gruffly. "I ain't got thepleasure of their acquaintance!"
"Did you see a young lady come out of it lately?"
"Did I see a young lady?" burst out the watchman, in a high key ofaggrieved expostulation. "How many more times this blessed night am Ito be asked about that young lady. First and foremost, there comes twoyoung men, which this here is one of them, and they bring out the younglady and have her hauled away in the dead-cart; then comes along anotherand wants to know all the particulars, and by the time he gets properlyaway, somebody else comes and brings her back like a drowned rat. Thenall sorts of people goes in and out, and I get tired looking at them,and then fall asleep, and before I've been in that condition about aminute, you two come punching me and waken me up to ask questions abouther! I wish that young lady was in Jerico--I do!" said the watchman,with a smothered growl.
"Come, come, my man!" said Hubert, slapping him soothingly on theshoulder. "Don't be savage, if you can help it! This gentleman has agold coin in some of his pockets, I believe, and it will fall to you ifyou keep quiet and answer decently. Tell me how many have been in thathouse since the young lady was brought back like a drowned rat?"
"How many?" said the man, meditating, with his eyes fixed on SirNorman's garments, and he, perceiving that, immediately gave himthe promised coin to refresh his memory, which it did with amazingquickness. "How many--oh--let me see; there was the young man thatbrought her in, and left her there, and came out again, and went away.By-and-by, he came back with another, which I think this as gave me themoney is him. After a little, they came out, first the other one, thenthis one, and went off; and the next that went in was a tall woman inblack, with a mask on, and right behind her there came two men; thewoman in the mask came out after a while; and about ten minutes after,the two men followed, and one of them carried something in his arms,that didn't look unlike a lady with her head in a shawl. Anything wrong,sir?" as Sir Norman gave a violent start and caught Hubert by the arm.
"Nothing! Where did they carry her to? What did they do with her? Go on!go on!"
"Well," said the watchman, eyeing the speaker curiously, "I'm going to.They went along, down to the river, both of them, and I saw a boat shoveoff, shortly after, and that something, with its head in a shawl, lyingas peaceable as a lamb, with one of the two beside it. That's all--Iwent asleep about then, till you two were shaking me and waking me up."
Sir Norman and Hubert looked at each other, one between despair andrage, the other with a thoughtful, half-inquiring air, as if he had somesecret to tell, and was mentally questioning whether it was safe to doso. On the whole, he seemed to come to the conclusion, that a silenttongue maketh a wise head, and nodding and saying "Thank you!" to thewatchman, he passed his arm through Sir Norman's, and drew him back tothe door of Leoline's house.
"There is a light within," he said, looking up at it; "how comes that?"
"I found the lamp burning, when I returned, and everything undisturbed.They must have entered noiselessly, and carried her off without astruggle," replied Sir Norman, with a sort of groan.
"Have you searched the house--searched it well?"
"Thoroughly--from top to bottom!"
"It seems to me there ought to be some trace. Will you come back with meand look again?"
"It is no use; but there is nothing else I can do; so come along!"
They entered the house, and Sir Norman led the page direct to Leoline'sroom, where the light was.
"I left her here when I went away, and here the lamp was burning when Icame back: so it must have been from this room she was taken."
Hubert was gazing slowly and critically round, taking note ofeverything. Something glistened and flashed on the floor, under themantel, and he went over and picked it up.
"What have you there?" asked Sir Norman in surprise; for the boy hadstarted so suddenly, and flushed so violently, that it might haveastonished any one.
"Only a shoe-buckle--a gentleman's--do you recognize it?"
Though he spoke in his usual careless way, and half-hummed the air ofone of Lord Rochester's love songs, he watched him keenly as he examinedit. It was a diamond buckle, exquisitely set, and of great beauty andvalue; but Sir Norman knew nothing of it.
"There are initials upon it--see there!" said Hubert, pointing, andstill watching him with the same powerful glance. "The letters C. S.That can't stand for Count L'Estrange."
"Who then can it stand for?" inquired Sir Norman, looking at himfixedly, and with far more penetration than the court page had given himcredit for. "I am certain you know."
"I suspect!" said the boy, emphatically, "nothing more; and if it isas I believe, I will bring you news of Leoline before you are two hoursolder."
"How am I to know you are not deceiving me, and will not betray her intothe power of the Earl of Rochester--if, indeed, she be not in his poweralready."
"She is not in it, and never will be through me! I feel an odd interestin this matter, and I will be true to you, Sir Norman--though why Ishould be, I really don't know. I give you my word of honor that I willdo what I can to find Leoline and restore her to you; and I have neveryet broken my word of honor to any man," said Hubert, drawing himselfup.
"Well, I will trust you, because I cannot do anything better," said SirNorman, rather dolefully; "but why not let me go with you?"
"No, no! that would never do! I must go alone, and you must trust meimplicitly. Give me your hand upon it."
They shook hands silently, went down stairs, and stood for a moment atthe door.
"You'll find me here at any hour between this and morning," said SirNorman. "Farewell now, and Heaven speed you!"
The boy waved his hand in adieu, and started off at a sharp pace. SirNorman turned in the opposite direction for a short walk, to cool thefever in his blood, and think over all that had happened. As he wentslowly along, in the shadow of the houses, he suddenly tripped up oversomething lying in his path, and was nearly precipitated over it.
Stooping down to examine the stumbling-block, it proved to be the rigidbody of a man, and that man was Ormiston, stark and dead, with his faceupturned to the calm night-sky.