L
HOW RICHARD COVERDALE'S DEBT WAS PAID
For some breathless moments after we three were left alone in theStygian darkness of the wine cellar, no word was spoken. The rolling ofthe thunder drum was muffled now, as it were booming out the dirge ofthe man who had digged a pit and had himself fallen therein; and thelightning flashes coming at longer intervals served but to intensify thegloom they lit up for the instant.
It was a minced oath from Richard that first broke the spell that boundus.
"'Twas too much for Madge," said he, "she has fainted. Swing the door,and light another candle."
I did both as quickly as might be, and we bedded her on the floor,stripping our coats to soften the stone flagging for her and trying byall the means known to two unskilled soldier leeches to bring her to.
"Water!" said Dick; but when we had laved her face with that, and withwine as well, without effect, we were well dismayed, I do assure you.For all our efforts she lay as one dead; and neither of us could becold enough to pry her lips apart to play the drenching doctor with thewine.
"Lord!" cried Dick, the sweat standing out upon his face in great drops;"this is terrible! What shall we do?"
"Jeanne will know what to do," I asserted. "We must get her out of thisand up to her chamber."
Richard started to his feet and stooped to gather the dear body of herin his arms. But in the act he paused and straightened himself to lookfixedly at me.
"Do you take her, Jack; she is--she is--your wife."
"Nay," said I, drawing back. "You are her own true lover; and could shechoose her bearer--"
"A murrain on your finickings!" he burst out. "She may die whilst we arehaggling over the right to help her. Take her up quick, man, andbegone!"
"But bethink you, Dick," I urged; "if you are taken, you have one chancein ten of faring as an officer and a prisoner of war. For me 'tis aspy's death as swift as they can drag me to it."
Now you will know, my dears, how much I loved these two when I couldtwist a cord of such mean fiber to bind them closer together. Richard'seyes flashed and his lip curled.
"Overlook it in me, if you can," he said, with fine scorn. "I had notthought upon the peril of it." And with that he took her in his arms asshe had been a child to be carried, and I swung the door for him. Buton the threshold he gave me back my sorry little subterfuge. "Once more,your forgiveness, Jack. I knew well you were but lying to give meprecedence. Can you trust me with her?"
"Aye, dear lad; now and ever," said I; and so I pushed him out.
After he was gone I made shift to lead the horses through the narrowpassage and out by a rear door, giving them a friendly slap to pointthem toward the stables.
This done I went back to my immurement, and I know not how long it wasthat I paced a weary sentry beat up and down the narrow limits of thewine cellar, alone with such thoughts as go to make the sum of thatdespair which follows hard upon the heels of some climaxing catastrophe.But I do know that, as the hours dragged on leadenshod, a slow fever ofimpatience came to dry the blood in my veins; to make me hunger andthirst for leave to say the final word to Father Matthieu, and so to beset at liberty to find the bottom of the pit into which a mocking fatehad plunged me.
'Twas all over now. My dear lad was told, and he had forgiven me; thepersecuting, plotting factor was effaced, and he could never trouble mysweet lady more. Between the two I loved there stood only the shadow ofthe marriage, and this the good priest would presently help me todispel.
And after that ... I dared not look beyond. There is a way beset withlions, and any man who bears the name of man in honor may draw his swordand fix his eye upon the goal and hew his path to it, joying in theconflict. But there is also another way, a desert trail owning no perilmore affrighting than its own dread waste and limitless monotony; andwhen his eyes behold the dismal prospect, and his feet have pressed thehitherward sands of this desert of despair, a man may well pause to girdhis loins, to cross himself and patter such a prayer for strength andfortitude as his creed hath taught him.
To such a faring through all the days and nights of this grim desert ofa future these lonely hours in the wine vault were a fitting vigil, as Iconceived; and when I had hugged my misery close, and a sort ofmonstrous self-pity had come to make a seeming virtue of the hardnecessity, I was best pleased to be alone. In such a frame of mind thesound of footsteps in the out-cellar, warning me that more company wascoming, sent a wave of sullen anger to submerge me, and I do think 'twasin me to turn my back upon a friend who should come to tell me I wasfree to go at large.
Since I had led forth the good horses the great oaken door had stoodajar. So I wondered why my visitor made so much ado rattling the key inthe lock. Then it came to me suddenly that the noise and delay weremeant to give me timely warning; and at the scent of threateningperil--a peril I might cope with and grapple soldierwise--I became a managain. A sweep of my hat sent the sputtering candle flying from itsbarrel head to the farther corner of the vault, and I dropped quicklybehind a row of empty wine-butts to await what should befall.
Had she been a ghost, Mistress Margery would scarce have startled memore when she swung the door to let me see her. She was gowned in herbest; there was a heightened color in her cheek; her eyes were likestars. Truly, I do think I never saw her so beautiful as she appeared atthat moment, standing under the massive arch of the doorway with hercandle held high to light the inner gloom.
"This way, Scipio," she said, tripping ahead of the mulatto to point outthe madeira bin. "We shall give my Lord and his gentlemen the best theAppleby cellar holds to speed their parting." Wherewith she stood asideto wait whilst he filled his basket with the straw-cased bottles.
At this I saw why she had come. Lord Cornwallis and his gentlemen wereabout to take the road, and the wine was wanted for the stirrup-cup.Trusting my fate to no hand less loyal than her own, she had comeherself with Scipio to stand betwixt me and possible discovery. And herword to the serving man was also a word to me to let me know myprisonment was near an end.
I thought it a most generous thing in her; the last of all her manywifely loyalties; and I would have given much for leave to stand forthand tell her so. Indeed, when the mulatto had poised his basket uponhis head and vanished, and she was lingering to take a last look aroundbefore she followed him, I was upon the point of speaking.
But whilst I hesitated I saw her start back with a little cry of terror.Standing in the arched doorway through which the mulatto had but nowpassed was a man cloaked, hatted, booted and spurred as for the road. Ather cry he doffed his hat and ...
My dears, I shall never be able to draw for you the hideous death-maskthis man was wearing for a face. Seamed and scarred, shriveled and lividin purple and crimson welts, you would think a nine-thonged whip of firehad scourged out every semblance of comeliness, leaving only theskeleton frame on which to hang this ghastly caricature of a human face.Fearing him not at all, I could scarce forbear a shudder at the sight ofthis walking death-mask of the libertine, Sir Francis Falconnet.
And if his face were terrifying in repose, 'twas fair demoniac when helaughed.
"Ha!" he said, bowing again in a mockery of politeness. "You aresurprised, Mistress Margery; you heard my Lord's order and thought Iwould be by now some miles on the road to Salisbury?"
"If you were the loyal soldier you should be, sir," she said, drawingherself up proudly, "you would be at the head of your troop, as hisLordship directed." And then, with a gesture that was most queenly:"Stand aside, Sir--Libertine, and let me pass."
His answer was another mocking laugh, and he stepped within to closethe door and lock it. When he turned to front her again his face was theface of a tormented devil.
"By God! you think too lightly of me, Mistress Margery. Before ever thisday dawned I owed you much, but like a spiteful little hellicat you mustneeds add to the score by making me a target for your wit at thesupper-table. 'Twill cost a life to more than one of them who laughedwith you, my lady, but '
twill cost you dearer still."
He came nearer as he spoke, thrusting that horrible face farther intothe circle of candle-light; but she would not draw back nor flinch ahair, and I marked that the hand that held the candlestick was as steadyas a rock. But when he made an end she flung a quick glance over hershoulder and my heart leaped for joy. For then I knew she was leaningupon me.
"Once more, Captain Falconnet, will you let me pass?" she said.
"No!" he snarled, adding a horrid blasphemy. "'Twas passion in me once,and I am none so sure there was not a time when you could have cooled itinto love. But now 'tis hatred and revenge." He snapped his fingers inher face. "The thing they'll find here in the morning--"
He fell face downward at her feet and I set my heel in the small of hisback to hold him whilst I could drive the point of the Ferara betweenhis ribs. But my dear lady would not have it so.
"No, no! for the love of heaven, not that, Monsieur John!" she cried;and for the moment her fine courage was all swallowed up of pity and shebecame a compassionate woman pleading for a life.
But now my blood was up. "You are my wife," I said, coldly. "If he had adozen lives I should take them all for that which he said to you."
"But not that way--oh, not that way, I do beseech you!" she begged."Think of what it will mean to you--and--and to me. For your own sake,Monsieur John."
I took my heel from the man's back.
"Your wish is law to me, dear lady. But your way is clear now; you maygo."
She took a step toward the door.
"You will not kill him when I am gone, Monsieur John?"
"By the name he bears he was doubtless born a gentlemen; since you wishit, he shall die like one."
I saw she did not take my meaning; that when she was gone I should lethim have his chance to die sword in hand.
"Remember, I have your promise," she said, turning to go. "The army ison the march for Salisbury, and in a little while your friends will behere to--"
The sentence ended in a very womanly shriek of terror. Watching hischance, my dastard enemy had bounded to his feet to make a quick lunge,not at me, but at her.
Of course I came between to parry the murderous thrust, and after thatit was life for one of us and death for the other. I looked to see mylady run, shrieking; indeed, I called to her to go; but she stood fastas if her terror had frozen her; and so it was her candle that lightedthe grim vault for the duel.
As you will know full well, I was not minded to give thisthrice-accursed fiend more than the gentleman's chance I had promised togive him. But now, as twice before, he fought most desperately, tryingby every trick of fence to come between me and the silent little figureholding the candle aloft. As I have often said, he was a prettyswordsman, and at this crisis, with life at stake, and all the fury ofthe seven devils of disappointed vengeance to nerve his arm, his swordplay was most masterly.
Yet twice in his stamping rushes I found my opening; once the Ferara'spoint passed his blade, and but for the ringed guard of the Germanlong-sword that stopped it when his parry failed, the steel would havepassed through him. After this he grew warier, having in mind, as Isupposed, that other time when I had shown him that my wrist and armcould outweary his. Yet his savage onset never flagged for an instant;and when the light fell upon his hideous face, I could see the fierceeyes glinting like a basilisk's, with no sign in them that my time wascome to press him home.
None the less, I did press him, inch by inch, driving him at each newclash of the steel a little deeper into the gloom that crowded closeupon the narrow circle of candle-light. He saw my object--to push him tounfamiliar ground where he might trip and stumble in the darkness--andhe strove furiously to defeat it. Yet he had no choice, and presently Ihad him among the empty wine-butts, foining and parrying for his lifeand pouring out such blasphemies as would make your blood run cold.
Here the end came quickly. Being entangled among the broached butts hehad no room to play skilfully. So presently it chanced that he caughthis point in the chine of a cask and his blade snapped short at thehilt. With a yelling oath, hissing hot from the devil's thumb-book, hesnatched up the broken blade to fling and stick it javelin-wise in myshoulder; and then I saw the dull gleam of the candle-light on thebarrel of a pistol.
Had he aimed the pistol at me, I trust I should still have given him hisgentleman's chance. But when I saw him level the weapon at my dear lady... they came in one and the same heart-beat; the sword-thrust thatfound his life and took it; the crash of the pistol-shot echoing like aclap of thunder in the close vault, and pitchy darkness to draw itscurtain over all.
I know not how I reached her, pulling the broken sword-blade from myshoulder as I ran; nor can I tell you how an upgushing spring ofthankfulness choked me when I found her unharmed by the bullet which hadsnuffed the candle out.
She was in a most piteous state, now it was all over; and though Icharged it all where I supposed it should belong--to the account of anatural womanly passion to cling to something in her moment ofweakness--yet the blood ran quick in my veins when she suffered me tolead her out of that dismal, smoking death-pit, she clinging to me thewhile so close that I could feel the warmth of her and the fluttering ofher dear heart beneath my hand.
She said no word, nor did I, till we were come above stairs. We foundthe rooms on the main floor deserted by all save the blacks, who wereclearing away the debris of the feast of leave-taking. In the hall wecame upon old Anthony, putting on the chain of the outer door. Here mylady drew apart from me.
"Is my Lord gone?" she asked.
"Yis, Missa. He say tell yo' he gwine tek it mighty hawd yo' no come tergib him de sti'up-cup."
"And my father?"
"Gone to de lib'ry to wait fo' Massa Pengarbin; yis, Missa."
She turned away, shuddering at this mention of the factor for whosecoming the master would wait long and in vain, and I heard her murmur:"Oh, the horror of this night!" But in a moment she came back to me, andwas her cool, calm self again.
"For that I am here, alive and well, I thank you, Captain Ireton. Need Isay more?"
I can not tell you what was in the words to make me hot with anger, as Ihad but now been hot with love. But the new wound in my shoulder wasbleeding freely, and I would not let her see I was hurt; and if aughtwill stanch a wound, 'tis anger.
"You need not say so much," I retorted, bowing low. "You have spoken nowand then of certain duties binding upon those who are knotted up, everso loosely, in the marriage bond; I have my part in these as well asyou, Mistress Margery."
She bit her lip and was upon the edge of tears. I saw what I had doneand would curse the masterless tongue that must needs add its word-thongto the night's whip of scourgings.
When she spoke again it was to say: "This is your own house, CaptainIreton; what will you do?"
"One question first, is Richard Jennifer safe?"
"He is."
"Then, by your good leave, I shall do what I came to do."
She bent her head in acquiescence.
"You will find the--the person whom you wish to see in your old room inthe north gable. Shall I have Anthony light you up?"
"No; I can find the way."
My hand was on the stair rail when the cruel irony of it struck me likea blow. She had planned the loosing of the bond in the very room wherewe had knelt to take the good father's blessing upon it.
I stepped back, stumbled, I should say, for a curious weakness had comeupon me, and drew her arm in mine.
"We will go together, if you please, my lady. 'Tis only just to me thatyou should hear what I must say to Father Matthieu."
And so, dear heart! she bore with me to the last; and together weclimbed the stair to come into the upper corridor with the room ofdestiny at its farther end.
We came as far as the door; I mind it perfectly, for I remember markingthat the wooden bar my father had put upon it was gone, and the ironbrackets as well. But whilst I was groping for the latch there came ataste of blood in my mouth, an
d I heard my dear lady's voice as if shewere calling to me across the eternal abysses. "Monsieur John!--you arehurt!" And then, from a still remoter distance: "Oh, FatherMatthieu--Dick! come quickly! He is dying!"
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