In the silence of the night,
How we shiver with affright
At the melancholy1 menace of their tone!
For every sound that floats
—Edgar Allan Poe.
"We cannot go now, Father dear," she said with quivering voice, whilst her eyes burning with hot tears, looked down appealingly at her father, "we must surely hear what becomes of him."
"Nay5, my child," said Papa Legros with a heavy sigh, "what can we do by remaining here? Your duty is to your husband. No doubt he, too, fears for his life, and would wish to leave this country ere suspicion fall upon him."
"But Father, methinks you do not understand. I know not if there hath been conspiracy6 or not, but this I do know, that the charge was preferred against my husband. Then why is my lord arrested?"
"I know not, my jewel," replied Papa Legros, deeply perplexed7 and miserable8. "England seems to be a queer country just now. Mayhap all these gentlemen do conspire9. God knows there always have been many conspiracies10 against our own most high and most Catholic King Louis, the ever victorious11."
[377]
Even as he spoke14, Rupert's steps were heard once more along the corridor. He entered, still looking miserably15 anxious, but at sight of Rose Marie a blush of shame-facedness overspread his pale cheeks.
"Your pardon, Mistress," he said, striving to speak quietly, "methinks the coast is clear now. Will you deign16 to descend17?"
He offered Rose Marie his arm. She felt like some wild creature trapped, looking round her with wild, terrified eyes as if for a means of escape. Her father gave her an appealing look, and Rupert reiterated18 his request with more distinct command in his tone. His eyes, wherein wrath19, fear, and a certain look of shame were obviously fighting for mastery, seemed to dare her to disobey. He was her master after all, and a master of her own choosing. The bars of that cage against which she would henceforth for ever bruise21 her heart were fashioned by her own hands.
"Come, Mistress, I wait," said Rupert, and with a gesture which was almost rough in its peremptoriness22, he took her hand and slipped it under his arm.
Papa Legros gathered the sundry23 small bags and parcels which formed his own and his daughter's hand luggage, and then he followed the young couple out of the room.
But Rose Marie once across the threshold and in the corridor soon disengaged her arm. This masterful appropriation24 of her person and of her will caused her an instinctive25 pang26 of fear. Good God! Was she going to hate this man whom through an impulse of loyalty27 and righteousness she had openly acknowledged as her lord,[378] and to whom she almost wilfully28 had surrendered her whole young life, her hopes of happiness, her every thought and wish? Now with every look of unfettered admiration29, with every word of command, he roused her numbed30 spirits into rebellion. Even now she could not bear to take his arm, she could not bear the touch of his hand on hers as he began to lead her along the corridor, as if already she were part of his goods and chattels31, the obedient servant of his caprice.
When she withdrew her hand from his, he looked inquiringly on her face, then realising her motive32, guessing her repugnance33, he laughed a forced, ironical34 laugh and said with obvious intent to wound:
"Nay, Madam! I'm vastly sorry that even in this dark passage you cannot fancy that I am my cousin Michael. But you made your choice yourself 'twixt him and me, and therefore pray understand that 'tis too late to repent35."
He walked, however, on ahead, keeping a little in front of her, and soon reached the door which gave on the yard.
His coach stood there all in readiness, the driver on the box holding the ribbons, the groom36 standing37 by the carriage holding open the door. But between the coach and the door through which Rupert with Rose Marie and Papa Legros had just stepped forth20 into the yard, there stood a group composed of three musketeers, one of whom was a little in advance of the others, and apparently38 in command.
Master Savage39, landlord of the Bell Inn, was in close and voluble converse40 with the soldier, as Rupert with a peremptory41 voice called to his own driver to pull up a little closer.
At the sound, Master Savage turned, and the musketeer now came up to the little party in the door.
[379]
"Which of you two gentlemen," he said, looking from Rupert Kestyon to Master Legros, "is Master Legros, tailor-in-chief to His Majesty42 the King of France?"
Papa Legros, hearing his name thus mentioned, instinctively43 stepped forward, more fussy44 than ever, poor man, wondering indeed if some fresh misfortune was not coming his way. Rupert, pale to the lips, stood mutely staring at the musketeer.
"By order of His Majesty the King!" resumed the soldier now addressing Legros, and presenting a paper to him, which the worthy tailor, hopelessly bewildered and not a little frightened, now took from him.
"My orders are to intimate to Master Legros, tailor-in-chief to His Majesty the King of France, that he is not to leave his present place of abode45 without express permission from the Lord Chief Justice of England."
"That we may not leave England just now," she said, feeling not a little bewildered, too, for this was so unexpected. "Let me see that paper, Father dear."
Rupert, whom this incident had thrown into a well-nigh unbearable47 state of fear, had kept silent all this while, longing48 yet not daring to question the officer closer. But the latter seemed in no way concerned with him, his errand was apparently solely49 confined to these peremptory orders to Master Legros.
Rose Marie read the paper through, then she looked inquiringly on Rupert.
"What are we to do, sir," she asked coldly.
"You have no option," he said, as he took hold of her wrist and quietly drew her back under the shadow of the doorway50.
[380]
"There is no doubt," he continued in an agitated51 whisper, "that if your father attempts to disobey the order, he would be stopped more forcibly, and his situation would then become more uncomfortable. Does this paper state on what grounds your father is thus forbidden to go away?"
"Yes," she replied calmly; "it says that by order of the king, Master Legros, tailor of Paris, is required to give evidence on behalf of the Crown in the forthcoming trial of the Earl of Stowmaries and Rivaulx, for conspiracy and treason."
"He is summoned as a witness. He has no option—he must stay—they would stop him if he attempted to go," reiterated Rupert Kestyon, whose trembling voice scarce contrived52 to pass from his dry throat through his parched53 lips.
"Then with your permission," she rejoined, "I will stay with my father."
"As you please," he said hurriedly.
Rose Marie bent54 her head in token of farewell. She felt more like a puppet moving and acting55 mechanically than like a sentient56 woman. She suffered such an agony of mind and heart at thought of what had occurred, what she visualized57 and what she guessed, that the mere58 act of speaking and of moving seemed no part of her present existence. She was called upon to act and to decide for herself and for her father—but as Rupert Kestyon very properly said, there was no option. Nor had Rose Marie anything to fear for her father; it was difficult for her to imagine how the present situation had come about, and why the King of England should desire Master Legros to be a witness for the Crown against the Earl of Stowmaries and Rivaulx, accused of conspiracy and treason, nor did she[381] quite understand what being a witness for the Crown really meant, but for her own part she was conscious of an intense sense of relief when she saw Rupert Kestyon—her husband—turning on his heel, and without looking either to right or left, making his way somewhat hurriedly to his coach.
She went back to her father's side, and taking his arm in order to assure him that all was well, she turned to the musketeer.
"Sir," she said to him, "are there any further orders which you have to transmit to my father?"
"No, Mistress, none," replied the soldier. "Your father must understand that he is free to come and go as he pleases, so long as he remains59 in the city. Strong measures would only be taken if he attempted to go."
"My father understands all that, sir," she said with a haughty60 little toss of the head; "though we are strangers, we respect the laws of your country just as we in France would expect you to respect ours. My father understands the order as set forth in this paper, and he will not leave this city until His Majesty the King of England hath no longer any need of his services. Come, Father dear," she whispered, in her own mother tongue and with gentle pressure trying to lead the good man away, "I will explain everything to you when we are alone."
"But thy husband, child!" urged Papa Legros, whose bewilderment had reached its veriest climax61. "Thy husband!"
Without giving direct reply, Rose Marie pointed62 to the coach, just ahead of them both, in the middle of the yard. Papa Legros, following his daughter's glance, saw Rupert Kestyon in the act of stepping into the carriage, and the groom closing the door in after him.
[382]
"He goes to France without us, Father dear," she said simply.
And for the first time for many days now, a real smile lit up the girl's eyes, and chased away the miserable, haggard look from her young face.
She bowed graciously to the musketeer officer, who saluted63 her with utmost deference64. Then she led her father away. The soldier's eyes followed her graceful65 form with undisguised admiration. At the door she turned back and gave him a final little bow of farewell.
For Rose Marie in the midst of her great sorrow and of her agonizing66 fear, looked on that young musketeer as a deliverer and was grateful to him, too, for the good news which he had brought.
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1
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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4
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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5
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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6
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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7
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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9
conspire
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| v.密谋，（事件等）巧合，共同导致 | |
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10
conspiracies
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| n.阴谋，密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 ) | |
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11
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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12
doffed
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| v.脱去，（尤指）脱帽( doff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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14
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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15
miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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16
deign
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| v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事) | |
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17
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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18
reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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20
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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21
bruise
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| n.青肿，挫伤；伤痕；vt.打青；挫伤 | |
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22
peremptoriness
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| n.专横，强制，武断 | |
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23
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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24
appropriation
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| n.拨款，批准支出 | |
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25
instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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26
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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27
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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28
wilfully
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| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
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29
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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30
numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
chattels
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| n.动产，奴隶( chattel的名词复数 ) | |
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32
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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33
repugnance
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| n.嫌恶 | |
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34
ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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35
repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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36
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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37
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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38
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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39
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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40
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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41
peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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42
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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43
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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44
fussy
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| adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的 | |
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45
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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46
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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47
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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48
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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49
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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50
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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51
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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52
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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53
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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54
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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55
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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56
sentient
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| adj.有知觉的，知悉的；adv.有感觉能力地 | |
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57
visualized
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| 直观的，直视的 | |
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58
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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59
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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60
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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61
climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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62
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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63
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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64
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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65
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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66
agonizing
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| adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式) | |
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