"Yes, you shall marry me, though Heaven and earth combine to take you from me!" muttered Victor Lamont, gazing down upon the pure, marble-white face of Bernardine. "It is said that some day, sooner or later, every man meets his fate, and when he does meet that one of all others, his whole life changes. The past, with all those whom he has met and fancied before, is as nothing to him now, and his dreams are only of the future and that elysium where he is to wander hand in hand with the one he loves.
"Hand in hand—will I ever dare clasp in mine that little white hand that I know must be as pure and spotless as a lily leaf? Would not my own hand, dark and hardened in sin, ay, bathed in blood even, wither1 away at the contact?
"If I had lived a good, honorable, upright life, I might have won the love and the respect of this young girl. If she knew me as I am, as the police know me, she would recoil2 from me in horror; but she must never know—never! I do not think she saw my face—ay, I could swear that she did not. I will tell her that I was a traveler happening to pass and saw her at the mercy of a ruffian, and rescued her.
"I will have her thanks, her heartfelt gratitude3. I will tell her that I will see her safely back to her friends, as soon as my horse—which became lame4 in the encounter—is able to make the journey, which will not be later than a day or two at the furthest. In the meantime, I will comfort her, pity her, sympathize with her.
"I have always been successful in winning the hearts of women without scarcely any effort on my part whatever, and I vow5 that I will win this girl's.
"The La Gascoigne sails in three days from now. I will sail away in her, and this beautiful treasure shall sail with me as my bride, my beauteous bride.
"I will turn everything into cash. I will see young Mrs. Gardiner, and at the point of a revolver, if need be, cause her to beg, borrow, or steal a few thousand more for me from that handsome, aristocratic husband of hers.
"Then I will desert this gang that hang like barnacles about me, that know too much about me, and would squeal6 on me any moment to save themselves if they got into a tight place. I will go so far away that they will never get money enough together to attempt to follow me."
The clock on the mantel of an inner room warned him that time was flying swift-winged past him.
He stooped to kiss the beautiful, marble-like lips, that could not utter a demur7, locked as they were in unconsciousness; then he drew back.
Even in her utter helplessness there was something like an armor about her—even as the innocent bud is encompassed8 and protected by the sharpest thorns from the hand that would ruthlessly gather it.
"The kiss from those pure lips must be freely offered, not stolen," he muttered; and turning on his heel, he hurried quickly from the apartment while that worthy9 resolution was strong upon him and his good impulses in the ascendency.
Mrs. Dick was suspiciously near the door; in his own mind he felt sure that she had been spying upon him through the key-hole.
"Your horse is ready, Victor Lamont," she said.
"It took you a long time to go upon your errand," he replied, tauntingly10. "No doubt you harnessed the horse yourself, to spare that lazy husband of yours the trouble of doing it," he added.
The woman muttered something between her teeth which he did not quite catch; nor did he take the trouble to listen.
Vaulting11 quickly into the saddle, his mettlesome12 horse was off quite as soon as he could grasp the reins13, and in an instant he was lost to sight in the dense14 gloom which precedes the dawn.
It was quite light when Victor Lamont reached the spot by the brook-side—the spot where he had met the lovely young stranger but a short time before.
What a strange fate it was that caused him to discover a flask15 of brandy in the pocket of the saddle!
That was his failing—drink! He had always guarded against taking even a single draught16 when he had an important duty to perform; but on this occasion he told himself he must make an exception.
"I will drink to the health of my beautiful bride to be," he muttered, raising the flask to his lips; and he drank long and deep, the brandy leaping like fire through his veins17.
He had not long to wait in his place of concealment18 ere he heard the sound of footsteps.
Looking through the heavy branches, he saw the figure of a woman—a familiar figure, it seemed to him—moving rapidly to and fro among the blooms.
He called to her, believing this time he was face to face with young Mrs. Gardiner, when he found to his keen disappointment it was only Antoinette, the clever French maid.
She should take a message to her mistress, he determined19; and tearing a leaf from his memorandum-book, he hastily penciled a note to Sally Gardiner, which he felt sure would bring her with all possible haste to the place at which he awaited her.
"Give this to your mistress with dispatch, Antoinette," he said.
He knew the golden key that would be apt to unlock this French maid's interest to do his bidding. As he spoke20, he took from his pocket-book a crisp bank-note, which he told the girl she was to spend for bon-bons or ribbons for herself.
He had always made it a point to fee the French maid well, that he might have a powerful ally in the home of his intended victim.
The money, together with a little judicious21 flattery now and then, had won Antoinette completely over.
As Victor Lamont sat on the mossy bowlder by the brook-side, watching and waiting, he observed, early as the hour was, that the servants of the mansion22 had begun to bestir themselves. One hour passed after Antoinette had returned to the house; then another.
Young Mrs. Gardiner did not come to the rendezvous23.
"Why is she not here?" he asked himself; and for the first time in his life he quite lost control of himself in a fit of terrible anger, and to calm himself he had recourse more than once to the silver flask which he carried in his breast-pocket.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed; then slowly one, two, three, four—another five; then replacing his watch in his pocket, and quivering with rage, Victor Lamont started for the house.
CHAPTER
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1
wither
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| vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡 | |
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recoil
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| vi.退却，退缩，畏缩 | |
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3
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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4
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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6
squeal
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| v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音 | |
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7
demur
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| v．表示异议，反对 | |
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8
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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tauntingly
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| 嘲笑地，辱骂地； 嘲骂地 | |
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11
vaulting
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| n.（天花板或屋顶的）拱形结构 | |
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mettlesome
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| adj.（通常指马等）精力充沛的，勇猛的 | |
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13
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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14
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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15
flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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16
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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18
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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20
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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21
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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22
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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23
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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