The Lady of the Mount

by Frederic Stewart Isham

  CHAPTER VIII

  THE OLD WATCH-TOWER

  A wall! A window--a prison-like interior! As her eyes opened, theGovernor's daughter strove confusedly to decipher her surroundings.The wall seemed real; the narrow window, too, high above, framing,against a darkening background, a slant of fine rain! Again she closedher eyes, only to be conscious of a gentle languor; a heaviness likethat of half-sleep; of bodily heat, and also a little bodily pain. Foran indefinite period, really a moment or two, she resigned herself tothat dreamy torpor; then, with an effort, lifted her lashes once more.

  As she gazed before her, something bright seemed leaping back andforth; a flame--that played on the wall; revealing the joints betweenthe stones of massive masonry; casting shadows, but to wipe them out;paling near a small window, the only aperture apparent in the cell-likeplace. Turning from the flickerings, her glance quickly sought theirsource--a fire in a hearth, before which she lay--or half-sat, proppedagainst a stone.

  But why? The spot was strange; in her ears sounded a buzzing, like themurmur of a waterfall. She remembered now; she had lingered beforeone--in the woods; and Saladin had run away, madly, across the sands,until--my lady raised her hand to her brow; abruptly let it fall. Inthe shadow on the other side of the hearth some one moved; some one whohad been watching her and who now stepped out into the light.

  "Are you better?" said a voice.

  She stared. On the bold, swarthy features of a young man now standingand looking down at her, the light flared and gleamed; the open shirtrevealed a muscular throat; the down-turned black eyes were steady,solicitous. His appearance was unexpected, yet not quite strange; shehad seen him before, but, in the general surprise and perplexity of themoment, did not ask herself where. The interval between what she lastremembered on the beach--the rush and swirl of water--and what she woketo, absorbed the hazy workings of her mind.

  The young man stopped; stirred the fire, and after a pause, apparentlyto give her time to collect her thoughts, repeated his question: "Areyou better, now?"

  "Oh, yes," she said, with an effort, half sitting up. And thenirrelevantly, with rather a wild glance about her: "Isn't--isn't itstorming outside?"

  "A little--not much--" A smile crossed the dark features.

  "I remember," she added, as if forcing herself to speak, "it had justbegun to, on the beach, when it--the 'grand' tide--" The words diedaway; mechanically she lifted her hand, brushed back the shining wavesof hair.

  "Why think of it now?" he interposed gently.

  "But," uncertainly she smoothed her skirt; it was damp and warm; "Isuppose this is the island of Casque?"

  "Yes."

  "And this place?"

  "The old watch-tower."

  "But how--" Then she noticed that his hands, long, brown andwell-formed, were cut and bruised; bore many jagged marks as from afierce struggle. "How did you hurt your hands?"

  He thrust them into his pockets.

  "Was it from the rocks--and the waves? How did I get here?"

  "Oh, I was standing on the cliff," he answered carelessly, "and--sawyour horse running away!"

  "You did? And then--came down?"

  "What else was there to do?" he said simply.

  Her gaze returned to the fire. "But the tide was rushing in--rushing!it was right upon me!"

  "But the tide--it was right upon me!"]

  She looked again toward the pockets into which his hands were thrust;observed his shirt, torn at the shoulder; then arose unsteadily. "Iknow--it was not so easy!" she said. "It was brave of you--"

  "Your Ladyship is no coward!" he interrupted, a sparkle in his eyes."When you turned the horse toward the tide, I was watching; hoping youwould dare, and you did!"

  About to reply, she became once more aware she was still very dizzyfrom the fall on the sand; the shapely figure swayed and she put outher hand with a gesture of helplessness. At the same time, the manreached forward quickly and caught her. A moment was she conscious ofa firm grasp; a dark, anxious gaze bent upon her; then, slid gentlyback to the stone seat.

  A brief interval, and gradually she began to see again moredistinctly--a man's face, not far from hers; a face that drew back asher own look cleared. At a respectful distance he now stood, hisbearing at once erect and buoyant, and more curiously she regarded him.A distinct type, here pride and intelligence stamped themselvesstrongly on the dark, handsome features; courage and daring werewritten on the bold, self-reliant brow. And with this realization ofsomething distinctive, compelling, in his personality, came another.

  "I have seen you--spoken with you before! On the beach--the night ofthe dance!"

  The young man turned. "Your Ladyship so far honored me--as to dancewith me!" he said, in his eyes a touch of that brightness that hadcaused her to regard him imperiously, as he had swung her to themeasure of the music, on the occasion in question.

  "Started to!" She corrected him, straightening suddenly at therecollection of that evening, when humility and modesty were virtuesconspicuously wanting in his demeanor.

  "Your Ladyship is right," he said quietly. "An alarm from the Mountinterrupted."

  She glanced at him quickly. His eyes met hers with a look of unconcern.

  "Are you--a fisherman?" she asked abruptly.

  "On occasions."

  "And when you are not one--what are you then?"

  "At times--a hunter."

  "Ah!" Her eye lingered on something bright on the ledge beneath thewindow. "And that is the reason you have--pistols?"

  "Exactly, my Lady!"

  She continued to regard the weapons, of finest workmanship, inlaid witha metal that gleamed dully, like gold, in the light from the fire. Hisglance followed hers; she was about to speak, when quickly heinterrupted.

  "Has your Ladyship thought how she is going to get back to the Mount?"

  My lady's questioning, along the line of personal inquiry, ceased; theGovernor's daughter looked a little blank. "No--that is, haven't you aboat?"

  "Not here."

  "Then you walked over?"

  He neither affirmed, nor denied.

  "And the tide will not be out for hours!" Her look showedconsternation; she glanced toward the opening in the wall. "Isn't itbecoming dark now?"

  "Yes, my Lady."

  "Of course, it was almost sundown when-- But I must return at once!Don't you understand?"

  He regarded her silently; the beautiful, impatient eyes; the slim,white fingers that tapped restlessly, one against another. "I will dowhat I can!" he said at last slowly.

  "But what?" she demanded. "What can you do?"

  He did not answer; my lady made a gesture.

  "How ridiculous! A prisoner on an island!"

  "There may be a way," he began.

  "My horse?" she said quickly. "What became of him?"

  "He was swept away by the tide!"

  Into the proud eyes came a softer light--of regret, pain.

  "Your Ladyship should remember it might have been worse," he added, intones intended to reassure her. "After all, it was only a horse--"

  "Only a horse!" she exclaimed indignantly. "But, I suppose you can'tunderstand--caring for a horse!"

  "I can understand caring for a ship!" he answered quickly, a flash ofamusement, hardly concealed, in his bold, dark eyes.

  "A ship!" scornfully; "dead wood and iron."

  "Live wood and iron! Beautiful as--" The simile failed him; he lookedat my lady. "Something to be depended on, with a hand to the wheel,and an eye keen for mad dancings and curvetings."

  "I might appreciate them better," she interrupted dryly, with delicatebrows uplifted, "an they brought me nearer to the Mount. That, and notidle opinions," in accents that conveyed surprise at the temerity ofone in his position to express them, "is of most moment!"

  He accepted the reproof with a readiness that further surprised her."Your Ladyship is right," he said. "I will see what may be done. Thestorm has passed. There is yet daylight
, and"--an expression, almostpreoccupied, came to his features--"a boat may be sighted."

  "To be sure!" At the prospect, all other considerations passed from mylady's mind. "A boat may be sighted! Why did you not think of itbefore? Come! Too much time has already been lost." And she rose.

  "One moment!" His voice was quiet; respectful; although, she fancied,constrained. "I had better go alone. The way to the cliff is rough,and--"

  "I shall not mind that!"

  "Besides, your clothes--"

  "Are dry!"

  "No!" She flushed at the abrupt contradiction. "I mean, I don't seehow they could be!" he went on hurriedly, "and," his tone assumed acertain obduracy, "I assure your Ladyship, it will be best."

  "Best?" She looked at him more sharply. "Is that your only reason?"

  "Why?" A trace of embarrassment, for an instant, crossed his darkfeatures. "What other reason, my Lady?"

  "That I know not!" quickly, assured her words had struck home. "Only Iam certain there is one!"

  "Then, if your Ladyship must know," he spoke slowly. "I did not wishto alarm you. But this is a rough coast, with--many rough peopleabout--smugglers, privateersmen--"

  "Whom you, perhaps, are expecting?" she cried suddenly.

  "I!" with a careless laugh. "A fisherman! Your Ladyship isimaginative--" he began, when a sudden, hasty footstep clinked on thestones without; a hand caught at the fastenings of the door; flung itopen.

  "I thought I should find you here, Seigneur!" exclaimed a voice."Since--"

  The young man made a movement and the speaker stopped; caught sight ofmy lady, just beyond, in the fading light. And at the picture--herfigure behind that other one--the fine, patrician features, framed bythe disordered golden hair, the widely opened eyes, bright, expectant,the intruder started back.

  "The Governor's daughter! You, Seigneur!" he stammered, and, raisinghis hand, involuntarily crossed himself.