"Don't you be frightened, my dear," he said to the trembling waiting-woman, whom her young mistress had done her best to reassure2 before leaving her. "I love your sex far too dearly ever to harm one of you. With your leave I will ride part of the way with you, and should anybody ask my name, you may call me Mr. Darke."
He removed his mask as he spoke3; but it was too dark inside the chaise to allow of his features being distinguished4, even if the waiting-woman had not been too terrified to do more than glance furtively5 at him.
They had gone on slowly for about a quarter of an hour when it became evident that some other vehicle was approaching them rapidly from the rear.
"Keep your veil down and don't say a word," said Mr. Darke to his companion after a backward glance through the open window.
He drew his hat down over his brows and turned up the collar of his redingote about his ears, so that even had it been daylight little of his face would have been visible. It was not unlikely that the Sir Peter of whom mention had been made might do the same as he had done--throw the light of a lantern on the inmates7 of the chaise.
Presently the pursuing chaise came up at a great pace, the post-boy lashing8 his horses freely, and, passing the other one, drew up suddenly some dozen yards ahead, straight across the narrow road, so as effectually to bar its progress and bring it to a stand.
Mr. Darke put his head out of the window. "Post-boy, what is the meaning of this stoppage?" he called. "Why don't you go on?"
"Can't do it, sir--road blocked by t'other shay."
Before more could be said, Sir Peter himself came stalking up trembling with rage, followed by his servant with a lantern.
"So, so! sir, your nefarious10 scheme has not succeeded; your villainous plot has miscarried, as it deserved to do," he stuttered, his words tumbling headlong over each other in his passion. "I'll have the law of you, sir, for this! You shall be taught that you cannot run off with a gentleman's ward6 with impunity11! You shall be cast for damages, sir. Five thousand pounds--not one farthing less--damme!--But where is that niece of mine--the shameless hussy? I will----"
"May I ask, sir, the meaning of this singular outrage12?" demanded a grave, stern voice from the interior of the chaise. "If His Majesty's liege subjects are to be stopped on the highway by every inebriate13 brawler14, it is indeed time for the hand of authority to intervene. I am myself in the Commission of Peace, and I must demand from you your name and address, sir, in order that further inquiry15 may be made into this most discreditable proceeding16."
But by this time the servant had directed the rays of his lantern into the interior of the chaise. Sir Peter stood like a man petrified17. In the farther corner sat a plainly-dressed, thin, angular woman, bolt upright, and as rigid18 as a ramrod, who, although her face was hidden by a thick veil, no one in his senses would for a moment mistake for Miss Dulcie Peyton, and it was doubtless owing to the veil that he failed to recognize in her that young lady's maid, with whose features he was presumably not unfamiliar19. Of the person who had addressed him little could be seen save a large aquiline20 nose and a pair of fierce black eyes. It was equally impossible, however, to confound him with Captain Pascoe.
"I crave21 your pardon, sir," said Sir Peter, in a tone of almost abject22 apology, as he took off his hat and made a ceremonious bow. "I shall never forgive myself for my stupid blunder; but the fact is I mistook your chaise for the one in which a niece of mine--confound her!--is at the present moment on her way to Gretna Green. We had tidings of her at the place where we last changed horses, and I made sure that the first chaise we should overtake must be the one of which we were in pursuit."
"Sir, your apology makes ample amends," responded Mr. Darke in the most gracious of tones. "Your mistake was a most natural one. No doubt the flight of your niece has been a source of much annoyance23 to you."
The scowl24 on Sir Peter's face was not pleasant to see.
"If once I clap hands on her, she won't escape me again. Bolts and bars and bread-and-water--that's the only treatment for refractory25 wenches. But pardon me for not introducing myself. I am Sir Peter Warrendale, of Scrope Hall, near Whatton Regis."
"And I, Colonel Delnay, of Scowthwaite, by Carlisle." At this point the two gentlemen bowed ceremoniously to each other. "I trust, Sir Peter, to have the pleasure of meeting you on some more auspicious26 occasion."
"With all my heart, Colonel, I reciprocate27 the wish. But, ouns-an-codlins! I'm forgetting all about my runaway28 niece. May I ask whether anything has passed you on the road at all resembling a fly-by-night couple in a post-chaise?"
"Nothing resembling what you speak of, Sir Peter, I give you my word. Most likely they have a post-boy with them who is acquainted with the short cut across the fells. It's a dangerous road for a chaise to traverse after dark, and the chances are that they will come to grief before they reach the end of it."
"I'd give a hundred guineas, damme if I wouldn't, if one of their linch-pins was to drop out! But I may yet be in time to overtake 'em."
And so, with a few more polite phrases on both sides, the two men parted.
No sooner had the other chaise started on its way than Mr. Darke lay back in his seat and gave vent29 to a burst of hearty30 laughter. Then, in a full rich voice, he sang as under:--
You may ride through the night, nor draw rein31 all the day,
Change horse as you list, and--tantivy! away!
But from Humber to Ribble, 'twixt Derwent and Dee,
You'll ne'er find a trace of sweet Ellen O'Lee!
"Poor uncle! Poor Sir Peter!" he exclaimed. "His pretty niece will have been wed9 a couple of hours ere he crosses the Border. What a surly old curmudgeon32 he looks! No wonder his little bird was tired of its cage, and seized the first chance to flutter its wings and away."
When they had gone about a mile further, he called to the post-boy to stop, and alighted from the chaise. Dipping his hand into one of his capacious pockets, he drew out something which he presented with a bow to the maid. "Here's a trifle for you, my dear, to keep you in mind of Mr. Darke," he said. "And now I must wish you good-night and bon voyage, with the hope that one of these days you will be run away with by as gallant33 a gentleman as he who has carried off your mistress."
With that he took off his hat and swept her a low bow with all the grace imaginable. Then, stepping up to the post-boy, he put a couple of guineas into his hand, "just to drink my health with," as he said.
Half-a-minute later he was lost to view in a plantation34 of young trees which at that point lined one side of the road. The present he had given the maid proved to be a chased-silver sweetmeat box of elaborate workmanship, which had doubtless at one time been the property of some person of quality.
Some six weeks later than the events just recorded, Mrs. Ringwood, the landlady35 of the King's Arms, was drinking a dish of tea with her friend, Miss Capp, who had been from home for a couple of months, and was agog36 to hear all the news.
"The young people had been three hours married by the time Sir Peter reached Gretna Green," said the landlady, in continuation of what had gone before. "He stormed and raved37, as a matter of course, and vowed38 he would have the law of Captain Pascoe; but it was well known that he would never have dared to go into court and let the world know with how much cruelty he had treated his orphan39 niece. When the captain and his bride came south a week later they stopped and dined at the King's Arms, and it was then I learned all the particulars I have just told you of their strange adventure."
"But what about Mr. Darke? What about the highwayman?" queried40 Miss Capp eagerly.
"I can tell you very little about him. As to who he really was, nothing has ever come out. He may have been the notorious Captain Nightshade, as the post-boy firmly believes, or he may not. The post-boy says he recognized him by the horse he was riding--a black mare41, with a white stocking on the near fore-leg and a white blaze on the forehead. In any case, the act was that of one who had not forgotten that once on a time he was a gentleman."
"It was the act of one who, whatever his other faults may be, has not yet forfeited42 all right to that title," responded the enthusiastic spinster, who envied Miss Peyton's maid her adventure.
"By the way, I mustn't forget to tell you that poor Sir Peter was unlucky enough to be stopped on his way back from Gretna Green, and eased of his watch and purse, together with his snuff-box, which latter it seems he set great store by, it being a sort of family heirloom. And I have it from the post-boy in charge of the chaise that as the highwayman was on the point of riding away he lifted his hat and said: 'Colonel Delnay has the honor, Sir Peter, to wish you a very good-night.'"
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1
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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6
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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nefarious
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| adj.恶毒的，极坏的 | |
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impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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inebriate
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| v.使醉 | |
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brawler
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| 争吵者，打架者 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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petrified
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| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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aquiline
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| adj.钩状的，鹰的 | |
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crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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refractory
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| adj.倔强的，难驾驭的 | |
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auspicious
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| adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的 | |
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reciprocate
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| v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答 | |
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runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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31
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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32
curmudgeon
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| n. 脾气暴躁之人，守财奴，吝啬鬼 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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agog
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| adj.兴奋的，有强烈兴趣的； adv.渴望地 | |
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raved
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| v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说 | |
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38
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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40
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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42
forfeited
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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