CHAPTER VI.
THE VILLAIN AND HIS VICTIM.
It was certainly something entirely out of the experience of the oldinnkeeper at the country crossroads to be aroused from his slumbers atmidnight by guests seeking the shelter of his hospitable roof, and that,too, on the most terrible night of the year.
The old man could scarcely believe his ears when he heard the sound ofthe old brass knocker on the front door resound loudly through thehouse.
He quite imagined that he must have dreamed it, until a second and thirdpeal brought him to his senses and his feet at the same instant.
His bewilderment knew no bounds when he appeared at the door a fewminutes later and found a coach standing there and the occupants seekinga lodging, also shelter for the horses.
"I haven't but one room to spare," exclaimed the old innkeeper, holdinga flaring candle high above his head to better view his visitor.
"Have you a room in which a fire could be made?" asked one of the men."We have a lady with us."
"I suppose we could let you have my daughter Betsy's, she being off tothe city on a visit."
"My companion and his br--his wife could have that; you can dispose ofme anywhere," returned the speaker. "I could doze in a chair in thebarroom for that matter. The driver could be as easily disposed of."
"Then bring the lady right in," said the old innkeeper. A moment later,the lovely girl, still unconscious, was brought in and laid upon thesettee in the best room.
"What is the matter with the young woman?" gasped the innkeeper, hiseyes opening wide with amazement.
"Merely fainted from the intense cold," returned one of the men briefly,adding: "If you will see that a fire is lighted in the room that youspoke of I shall be very much obliged."
"I'll have my wife down in a jiffy. No doubt the poor creature's halffrozen, but a hot whiskey toddy will thaw her out quicker than you couldsay Jack Robinson," and he trotted off briskly on his double mission ofrousing his wife to look after the girl and his hired help to assist thedriver in putting away the horses, while he himself attended to making ablazing fire in the little chamber over the best room.
In less time than it takes to tell it the good housewife was by thegirl's side.
"What a beautiful young creature!" she exclaimed, as the veil wasthrown back and she beheld the lovely face, white as chiseled marble,framed in its cloud of golden hair. "Is it your sister, sir?" she asked,with all a country woman's thoughtless curiosity.
"No, she is my wife," exclaimed the stranger, who stood over by thefireplace, his brows meeting in a decided frown.
"Laws a mercy! Isn't she young to be married?" exclaimed the woman."Why, she don't look sixteen. Been married long?"
The stranger by the fireplace deliberately turned his back on the woman,vouchsafing her no reply.
By that time the innkeeper announced that the room above was ready, andthat they might come up as soon as they liked.
Again the stranger by the fireplace lifted the slender figure, bore herup the narrow rickety stairway, saying good-night to his friend as hepassed him by.
"Good-night to you, and pleasant dreams," replied Halloran; "the same toyour wife."
The innkeeper followed the tall stranger with his burden to see thateverything was made comfortable, put more logs in the fireplace, thenturning, said:
"Is there anything else I can do for you, stranger?"
"Nothing," replied the man curtly, but as the old innkeeper reached thedoor he called sharply: "Yes, I think there is something else that wouldadd to my comfort, and that is a good stiff glass of brandy, if you havesuch a thing about the place."
The old man hesitated.
"I'll pay well for it," said the other, eagerly.
"You see, we haven't a license, stranger, to sell drinks, and they'repretty strict with us hereabouts. I generally let a man have it when Iknow him pretty well, but I can't say how it would affect you."
"Have no fear on that score," returned the other. "Here's a five-dollarnote for a pint bottle of brandy. Will that pay you?"
"Yes," returned the innkeeper. It was the golden key. The man laughed tosee how quickly he trotted off on his errand, returning with the bottlein a trice.
"Anything else, sir?" he said.
"No," replied the other, "save," adding, "do not call us too earlyto-morrow. We're not of the kind that rise with the sun. Nine o'clockwill answer. And see that that wife of yours gets up the best breakfastthat can be obtained."
"You won't have to complain of that, sir," exclaimed the innkeeper,pompously. "You'll get a piece of steak with the blood followin' theknife; crisp potatoes, a plate of buckwheat cakes, with butter as isbutter, and honey that's the real thing; a mug of coffee that would bearup an egg, with good old-fashioned cream, not skim milk, to say nothingof--"
"That will do," exclaimed the stranger, with an impatient wave of hiswhite hand. "I never like to know beforehand what I'm going to get."
"But the lady, sir? Mebbe she'd like somethin' kind a delicate like--abit o' bird or somethin' like that?"
"We'll see about that to-morrow all in good time," fairly closing thedoor in the garrulous innkeeper's face "Good-night," and he shut thedoor with a click and turned the key in the lock, and for the first timehe was alone with the girl he had forced so dastardly into the cruellestof marriages. He had placed Faynie on the white couch. He crossed theroom and stood looking down at her, with his hands behind his back, anda sardonic smile on his face.
"You and your millions of money belong to me," he cried, under hisbreath. "Ye gods! what a lucky dog I am after all!" and a low laugh thatwas not pleasant to hear broke from his lips.
At that instant a broken sigh stirred the girl's white lips.
"Ah, you are coming to, are you?" he muttered. "The old lady's toddy isbeginning to revive you."
He could not help but notice how unusually beautiful the girl was.
"What a chance of fortune this is for me, but it does not follow, eventhough she was madly in love with my cousin, that she will hold me inthe same favor. But I'll stand none of her airs. I'll show her rightfrom the start that I'm the boss, and see how that will strike herfancy. There'll be a terrible time when she comes to--screams, shrieksof anger, that will call everybody to the door."
He turned on his heel and walked over to the mantel, where the innkeeperhad deposited the bottle and the glass.
He poured out a heavy draught and drank it at a single swallow. This wasfollowed by another and yet another.
"Ah, there's nothing like bracing oneself up for a scene like this," hemuttered, with a sardonic laugh.
The liquor seemed to turn the blood in his veins to fire and set hisheart in a glow. He laughed aloud. In that moment he felt as rich as aking, and as diabolical as Satan himself.
He was nerved for any emergency; he was the girl's lord and master, herwedded husband. She would be made to understand that fact with littleceremony.
He threw himself down in a chair, where he could watch her, and waitedresults, and each instant he sat there the fumes of the brandy rosehigher and higher, until it reached his brain.
"There was a laughing devil in his sneer That woke emotions of both hate and fear; And where his scowl of fierceness darkly fell, Hope, withering, fled and mercy sighed farewell."
Yes, a few short moments and consciousness would return to the girl--thestormy scene would begin.
Would the sharp eyes of love detect the difference between himself andLester Armstrong, whom he was impersonating? He knew every tone of hiscousin's voice so perfectly that he would have little difficulty inimitating that. The more closely he watched the girl, the more conscioushe became of her wonderful beauty, and his heart gave a bound oftriumph.
It was worth a struggle, after all, to have as beautiful a bride as she,even though she hated him.
"If I watch her much longer it will end by my being madly in love withher," he mused. "I never could withstand a pretty face."
The w
ild winds moaned like demons outside. The bare branches writhed andtwisted in the storm, tapping weirdly against the window pane. The roomgrew warmer as the fire took hold of the logs in the grate, and withthe heat the fumes of the brandy rose into his brain, and with it hiscolor heightened, his cheeks and lips were flushed and his eyesscintillating. With unsteady hand he reached out for the flask again,uncorked it, and without taking the trouble to reach for the glass,placed the bottle to his lips and drained it to the dregs.
"She is awaking," he muttered, with a maudlin laugh, and springing fromhis seat with unsteady steps, he crossed the room and stood by thecouch, looking down eagerly into the beautiful white face upon thepillow. As if impelled by that steady, serpentine, fiery glance, thegirl moaned uneasily.
"Awaking at last!" he muttered, with a diabolical smile. At that momentFaynie's violet eyes opened wide and stared up into his face.
Mischievous Maid Faynie Page 6
