THOUGH the stars were out, the night was black as pitch and the courtyard of the inn was only lighted by the broad bands of red that flared1 across it from the gaping2 doors of hall and kitchen, serving to make the surrounding darkness more palpable. So it was that Lady Betty and Alice—cloaked and hooded—nearly stumbled against young Mackie, and would not have known him but for his exclamation3 of impatience4. He took them for kitchen wenches, and when Lady Betty cried out his name, he stopped short with a gasp5 of sheer amazement6.
“Oh, Sir Edward, ’twas you—of all men—I wanted to see!” she cried.
Poor Mackie, if he could have taken her at her word! But, alas7, her tone belied8 her words and his heart sank drearily9.
“You here, my lady!” he exclaimed, “what has happened? I am at your service; I pray you—”
[Pg 181]But she cut him short.
“Where is he?” she whispered.
She mentioned no name, but the young man understood.
“His servant removed him two hours ago, Lady Clancarty,” he replied quietly, “whither, I know not. The man, a wild Irish clown, would not trust me, though, ’pon my honor, I meant to serve—Mr. Trevor,” his voice faltered10 so at the name that she was again assured that he had divined their secret and a weight slipped from her heart.
She laid her hand on his arm.
“Thank you,” she said simply, “he is my husband.”
“He also trusted me, madam,” he said, and she did not see the pain in the boy’s eyes; “I shall endeavor to deserve it.”
But Betty was not thinking of him.
Young Mackie was silent. From the kitchen[Pg 182] came the hubbub16 of voices, the clatter17 of dishes; while, looking over Betty’s shoulder, he saw Spencer and Savile cross the main hall, arm in arm, their heads together. Sir Edward knew well enough that Savile had tried to kill Clancarty and he set his teeth, for he saw her cloaked figure sway and quiver in the passion of emotion that shook her. He was a generous fellow and he forgot himself.
“I will try to find him, my lady,” he said in a low tone, glancing cautiously at the hall door, “he can’t be very far away, he could not travel; that man has hidden him somewhere because of the stir made by the duel18—I think his identity was very near discovery.”
“I know it,” she said, “but how to find him—oh, Sir Edward, I must do it! He—he may be in need of a surgeon—of care—of everything!” she broke off wildly, and then, “Come, Alice, we must go on.”
But he detained her. “Whither, madam?” he asked gravely, “not in a vain search—at night—for—for him?”
She drew herself up proudly. “Do you think I will let my husband die thus?—and stir no finger to help him?” she asked bitterly.
“Then you will let me go with you,” he said quietly, taking his place beside her.
[Pg 183]She hesitated and quickly assented19. “If you will,” she replied, “since it is late and we are only two women—but we must make haste,” and she ran down the old stone steps into the garden, taking the very path she had walked with Clancarty. Mackie and Alice followed her silently, though both were convinced of the fruitlessness of such an errand at such an hour.
But the night had worn on many hours more and the moon had risen before Betty acknowledged that her quest was vain. Meanwhile, young Mackie had patiently searched in every tavern20 and inn in Newmarket; he had invaded all the alleys21 and byways, all the nooks and corners, and inquired of grooms22 and porters and stable-men—but to no purpose. Denis had covered his retreat with more skill than Sir Edward had looked for. If the truth be told, the Irishman was no new hand at the business and he understood it well, having followed Lord Clancarty in his adventurous23 life, from Dublin, and later in a wild career on the Continent when the gay young nobleman had kept pace with his fellow exiles of high birth and slim purses, but unlimited24 daring. It was not the first duel nor the first cause for flight, and Denis had spirited the wounded man away[Pg 184] and left no sign. Even Betty, determined25 and vigilant26 as she was, was forced to acknowledge herself defeated, and she walked drearily back to the Lion’s Head with an aching heart. He believed her indifferent to him—would he ever send her a message or a token again? Never; she was sure of it, and she bowed her head in dejection—Lady Betty, who was never crestfallen27. She and Alice crept in, at last, by the garden way and fled to her apartments in no little trepidation28, but they fancied themselves safe when they found that Lady Sunderland had gone to bed, to get her beauty sleep, and the woman, Melissa, slept in her room that night, in the absence of the countess’ own attendant.
Lady Betty did not sleep nor did she open her heart to the faithful girl who was nearly as grieved as she was to see her trouble. She knelt for hours by the window looking out over the moonlit garden where the shadows were black between the hedgerows. It was a night of agony; to know that he might be dying—dying with hard thoughts of her indifference—almost within reach of her and yet so far. She was his wife, she thought with sharp pain, and yet he could not send her word—and she did not deserve it. He was[Pg 185] dying, because Savile had been determined to kill him: he had divined the secret, he was resolved to remove her husband. Betty saw it all; she had wrung29 some admissions from Mackie, the rest she knew by intuition.
She had a high spirit—all her life she had had her way at last, in spite of her heartless, frivolous30 mother and her selfish, brilliant father, and this was a trial hard to bear. Clancarty was the first man who had not done her homage31, who met her on her own ground and demanded that she should love him. Perhaps it was that which won her; howbeit, her eyes were dim with tears as she looked out of the window and looked, indeed, until the sun rose on another day.
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1
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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2
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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3
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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4
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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5
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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6
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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7
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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8
belied
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| v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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9
drearily
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| 沉寂地，厌倦地，可怕地 | |
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10
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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11
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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12
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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14
reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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15
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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16
hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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17
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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18
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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19
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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21
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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22
grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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23
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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24
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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25
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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26
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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27
crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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28
trepidation
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| n.惊恐，惶恐 | |
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29
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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30
frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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31
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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