CHAPTER XV
HOW REBECCA RETURNED TO NEWINGTON
Within the palace all was confusion and dismay. Only a very few knew thecause of this riot which had burst so suddenly upon the wonted peace ofthe place, and those few never in all their lives gave utterance to whatthey had learned.
Within the presence chamber Elizabeth lay on the floor in a swoon,surrounded by her women only. Among these was Rebecca, whose one thoughtwas now to devise some plan for overtaking Droop. From the window shehad witnessed his flight, and she had guessed his destination. She feltsure that if Droop reached the Panchronicon alone, he would departalone, and then what was to become of Phoebe and herself?
Just as the Queen's eyes were opening and her face began to show areturn of her passion with recollection of its cause, Rebecca had aninspiration, and with the promptitude of a desperate resolution, sheacted upon it.
"Look a-here, your Majesty!" she said, vigorously, "let me speak alonewith you a minute and I'll save you a lot of trouble. I know where thatman keeps more of them machines."
This was a new idea to Elizabeth, who had destroyed, as she supposed,the only existing specimen of the malignant instrument.
With a gesture she sent her attendants to the opposite end of the room.
"Now speak, woman! What would you counsel?" she said.
"Why, this," said Rebecca, hurriedly. "You don't want any more o' themthings talkin' all over London, I'm sure."
A groan that was half a growl broke from the sorely tried sovereign.
"Of course you don't. Well--I told you him and I come from Americatogether. I know where he keeps all his phonograph things, and I knowhow to get there. But you must be quick or else he'll get there fust andtake 'em away."
"You speak truly, Lady Rebecca," said the Queen. "How would you go--bywhat conveyance? Will you have horses--men-at-arms?"
"No, indeed!" was the reply. "Jest let me hev a swift boat, with plentyo' men to row it, so's to go real fast. Then I'll want a carryall or abuggy in Southwark----"
"A carryall--a buggy!" Elizabeth broke in. "What may these be?"
"Oh, any kind of a carriage, you know, 'cause I'll hev to ride somedistance into the country."
"But why such haste?" asked the Queen. "Had this American a horse?"
"He had a bicycle an' that's wuss," said Rebecca. "But ef I can startright away and take a short cut by the river while he finds his waythrough all them dirty, dark streets, I'll get there fust an' get therest of his phonographs."
"Your wit is nimble and methinks most sound," said the Queen,decisively. Then, turning to the group of ladies, she continued:
"Send us our chamberlain, my Lady Temple, and delay not, we charge you!"
In ten minutes Rebecca found herself once more upon the dark, stillriver, watching the slippery writhings of the moonbeams' path. She wasalone, save for the ten stalwart rowers and two officers; but in onehand was her faithful umbrella, while in the other she felt the welcomeweight of her precious satchel.
The barge cut its way swiftly up the river in silence save for theoccasional exclamations of the officers urging the willing oarsmen totheir utmost speed.
Far ahead to the right the huge bulk of the Tower of London loomed inclumsy power against the deep dark blue of the moonlit sky. Rebecca knewthat London Bridge lay not far beyond that landmark, although it was asyet invisible. For London Bridge she was bound, and it seemed to herimpatience that the lumbering vessel would never reach that goal.
She stood up and strained her eyes through the darkness, trying to seethe laboring forms of the rowers in the shadow of the boat's side, butonly the creak of the thole-pins and the steady recurrent splash andtinkle from the dripping oars told of their labor.
"Air ye goin' as fast as ye can?" she called. "Mr. Droop'll get therefust ef ye ain't real spry."
"If spry be active, mistress," said a voice from the darkness aft, "thenshould you find naught here amiss. Right lusty workers, these, I promiseyou! Roundly, men, and a shilling each if we do win the race!"
"Ay--ay, sir!" came the willing response, and Rebecca, satisfied thatthey could do no more, seated herself again, to wait as best she might.
At length, to her great delight, there arose from the darkness ahead anuneven line of denser black, and at a warning from one of the officersthe boat proceeded more cautiously. Rebecca's heart beat high as theypassed under one of the low stone arches of the famous bridge and theirstrokes resounded in ringing echoes from every side.
Having passed to the upper side of the bridge, the boat was headed forthe south shore, and in a few moments Rebecca saw that they had reachedthe side of a wooden wharf which stood a little higher than their deck.One of the officers leaped ashore with the end of a rope in his hand,and quickly secured the vessel. As he did so a faint light was seenproceeding toward them, and they heard the steps of a half dozen menadvancing on the sounding planks. It was the watch, and the light shonefrom a primitive lantern with sides of horn scraped thin.
"Who goes there?" cried a gruff voice.
"The Queen's barge--in the service of her Majesty," was the reply.
The watchman who carried the lantern satisfied himself that this accountwas correct, and then asked if he could be of service.
"Tell me, fellow," said he who had landed, "hast seen one pass thebridge to-night astride of two wheels, one before the other, ridingpost-haste?"
There was a long pause as the watchman sought to comprehend thisextraordinary question.
"Come--come!" cried the officer, who had remained on the boat. "Canstnot say yes or no, man?"
"Ay, can I, master!" was the reply. "But you had as well ask had I seena witch riding across the moon on a broomstick. We have no been asleepto dream of flying wheels."
"Well--well!" said he who had landed. "Go you now straight and stand atthe bridge head. We shall follow anon."
The watch moved slowly away and Rebecca was helped ashore by the lastspeaker.
"Our speed hath brought us hither in advance, my lady," he said. "Nowshall we doubtless come in before the fugitive."
"Well, I hope so!" said Rebecca. Then, with a smothered cry: "Oh, Lando' Goshen! I've dropped my umbrella!"
They stooped together and groped about on the wharf in silence for a fewmoments. The landing was encumbered with lumber and stones for building,and, as the moon was just then covered by a thick cloud, the search wasdifficult.
"I declare, ain't this provokin'!" Rebecca cried, at length.
"These beams and blocks impede us," said the officer. "We must havelight, perforce. Ho there! The watch, ho! Bring your lanthorn!"
"Why, 'tain't worth while to trouble the watchman," said Rebecca. "I'lljest strike a light myself."
She fumbled in her satchel and found a card of old-fashioned silentcountry matches, well tipped with odorous sulphur. The officer at herside saw nothing of her movements, and his first knowledge of herintention was the sudden and mysterious appearance of a bluish flameclose beside him and the tingle of burning brimstone in his nostrils.
With a wild yell, he leaped into the air and then, half crazed by fear,tumbled into the boat and cut the mooring-rope with his sword.
"Cast off--cast off!" he screamed. "Give way, lads, in God's name! Awitch--a witch! Cast off!"
A gentle breeze off the shore carried the sulphurous fumes directly overthe boat, and these, together with their officer's terror-stricken tonesand the sight of that uncanny, sourceless light, struck the crew withpanic. Fiercely and in sad confusion did they push and pull withboat-hook and oar to escape from that unhallowed vicinity, and, evenafter they were well out in the stream, it was with the frenzy ofsuperstitious horror that they bent their stout backs to their oars andglided swiftly down stream toward Greenwich.
As for Rebecca--comprehending nothing of the cause of this commotion atfirst--she stood with open mouth, immovable as a statue, watching thedeparture of her escort until the flame reached her fingers. Then, witha little shriek of pain, she flick
ed the burnt wood into the river.
"Well, if I ever!" she exclaimed. "I'm blest ef I don't b'lieve thoseninnies was scared at a match!"
Shaking her head, she broke a second match from her card, struck it, andwhen it burned clear, stooped to seek her umbrella. It was lying betweentwo beams almost at her feet, and she grasped it thankfully just as herlight was blown out by the breeze.
Then, with groping feet, she made her way carefully toward the inshoreend of the wharf, and soon found herself in the streets of Southwark,between London Bridge and the pillory. From this point she knew her wayto the grove where the Panchronicon had landed, and thither she nowturned a resolute face, walking as swiftly as she dared by the light ofthe now unobscured moon.
"If Copernicus Droop ketches up with me," she muttered, "I'll make himstop ef I hev to poke my umbrella in his spokes."