The Midnight Queen [103]
back, held a
brief colloquy with him who seemed the leader of the horsemen.
He rode up to them, smiling still, and saying, as he passed
"Now then, Kingsley; lead on, and we will follow!"
"I go not one step further," said Sir Norman, firmly, "until I
know who I am leading. Who are you, Count L'Estrange?"
The count looked at him, but did not answer. A warning hand -
that of Hubert - grasped Sir Norman's arm; and Hubert's voice
whispered hurriedly in his ear:
"Hush, for God's sake! It is the king!"
CHAPTER XX.
AT THE PLAGUE-PIT.
The effect of the whisper was magical. Everything that had been
dark before, became clear as noonday; and Sir Norman sat
absolutely astounded at his own stupidity in not having found it
out for himself before. Every feature, notwithstanding the
disguise of wig and beard, became perfectly familiar; and even
through the well-assumed voice, he recognized the royal tones.
It struck him all at once, and with it the fact of Leoline's
increased danger. Count L'Estrange was a formidable rival, but
King Charles of England was even more formidable.
Thought is quick - quicker than the electric telegraph or balloon
traveling; and in two seconds the whole stated things, with all
the attendant surprises and dangers, danced before his mind's eye
like a panorama; and he comprehended the past, the present, and
the future, before Hubert had uttered the last word of his
whisper. He turned his eyes, with a very new and singular
sensation, upon the quondam count, and found that gentlemen
looking very hard at him, with, a preternaturally grave
expression of countenance. Sir Norman knew well as anybody the
varying moods of his royal countship, and, notwithstanding his
general good nature, it was not safe to trifle with him at all
times; so he repressed every outward sign of emotion whatever,
and resolved to treat him as Count L'Estrange until he should
choose to sail under his own proper colors.
"Well," said the count, with unruffled eagerness, "and so you
decline to go any further Sir Norman?"
Hubert's eye was fixed with a warning glance upon him, and Sir
Norman composedly answered
"No, count; I do not absolutely decline; but before I do go any
further, I should like to know by what right do you bring all
these men here, and what are your intentions in so doing."
"And if I refuse to answer?"
"Then I refuse to move a step further in the business!" said Sir
Norman, with decision.
"And why, my good friend? You surely can have no objection to
anything that can be done against highwaymen and cut-throats."
"Right! I have no objections, but others may."
"Whom do you mean by others?"
"The king, for instance. His gracious majesty is whimsical at
times; and who knows that he may take it into his royal head to
involve us somehow with them. I know the adage, 'put not your
trust in princes.'"
"Very good," said the count, with a slight and irrepressible
smile; "your prudence is beyond all praise! But I think, in this
matter I may safely promise to stand between you and the king's
wrath. Look at those horsemen beyond you, and see if they do not
wear the uniform of his majesty's own body-guard."
Sir Norman looked, and saw the dazzling of their splendid
equipments glancing and glistening in the moonbeams.
"I see. Then you have the royal permission for all this?"
"You have said it. Now, most scrupulous of men, proceed!"
"Look there!" exclaimed Hubert, suddenly pointing to a corner of
the rain. "Someone has seen us, and is going now to give the
alarm."
"He shall miss it, though!" said Sir Norman, detecting, at the
same instant, a dark figure getting through the broken doorway;
and striking spurs into his horse, he was instantaneously beside
it, out of the saddle, and had grasped the retreater by the
shoulder.
brief colloquy with him who seemed the leader of the horsemen.
He rode up to them, smiling still, and saying, as he passed
"Now then, Kingsley; lead on, and we will follow!"
"I go not one step further," said Sir Norman, firmly, "until I
know who I am leading. Who are you, Count L'Estrange?"
The count looked at him, but did not answer. A warning hand -
that of Hubert - grasped Sir Norman's arm; and Hubert's voice
whispered hurriedly in his ear:
"Hush, for God's sake! It is the king!"
CHAPTER XX.
AT THE PLAGUE-PIT.
The effect of the whisper was magical. Everything that had been
dark before, became clear as noonday; and Sir Norman sat
absolutely astounded at his own stupidity in not having found it
out for himself before. Every feature, notwithstanding the
disguise of wig and beard, became perfectly familiar; and even
through the well-assumed voice, he recognized the royal tones.
It struck him all at once, and with it the fact of Leoline's
increased danger. Count L'Estrange was a formidable rival, but
King Charles of England was even more formidable.
Thought is quick - quicker than the electric telegraph or balloon
traveling; and in two seconds the whole stated things, with all
the attendant surprises and dangers, danced before his mind's eye
like a panorama; and he comprehended the past, the present, and
the future, before Hubert had uttered the last word of his
whisper. He turned his eyes, with a very new and singular
sensation, upon the quondam count, and found that gentlemen
looking very hard at him, with, a preternaturally grave
expression of countenance. Sir Norman knew well as anybody the
varying moods of his royal countship, and, notwithstanding his
general good nature, it was not safe to trifle with him at all
times; so he repressed every outward sign of emotion whatever,
and resolved to treat him as Count L'Estrange until he should
choose to sail under his own proper colors.
"Well," said the count, with unruffled eagerness, "and so you
decline to go any further Sir Norman?"
Hubert's eye was fixed with a warning glance upon him, and Sir
Norman composedly answered
"No, count; I do not absolutely decline; but before I do go any
further, I should like to know by what right do you bring all
these men here, and what are your intentions in so doing."
"And if I refuse to answer?"
"Then I refuse to move a step further in the business!" said Sir
Norman, with decision.
"And why, my good friend? You surely can have no objection to
anything that can be done against highwaymen and cut-throats."
"Right! I have no objections, but others may."
"Whom do you mean by others?"
"The king, for instance. His gracious majesty is whimsical at
times; and who knows that he may take it into his royal head to
involve us somehow with them. I know the adage, 'put not your
trust in princes.'"
"Very good," said the count, with a slight and irrepressible
smile; "your prudence is beyond all praise! But I think, in this
matter I may safely promise to stand between you and the king's
wrath. Look at those horsemen beyond you, and see if they do not
wear the uniform of his majesty's own body-guard."
Sir Norman looked, and saw the dazzling of their splendid
equipments glancing and glistening in the moonbeams.
"I see. Then you have the royal permission for all this?"
"You have said it. Now, most scrupulous of men, proceed!"
"Look there!" exclaimed Hubert, suddenly pointing to a corner of
the rain. "Someone has seen us, and is going now to give the
alarm."
"He shall miss it, though!" said Sir Norman, detecting, at the
same instant, a dark figure getting through the broken doorway;
and striking spurs into his horse, he was instantaneously beside
it, out of the saddle, and had grasped the retreater by the
shoulder.