The Midnight Queen [107]
the
horn-pipe of exasperation he went through when Sir Norman ceased.
The blood was raining from his side, and from the point of his
adversary's sword, as he withdrew it; and, maddened like a wild
beast at the sight of his own blood, he screeched, and foamed,
and kicked about his stout little legs, and gnashed his teeth,
and made grabs at his wig, and lashed the air with his sword, and
made such desperate pokes with it, at Sir Norman and everybody
else who came in his way, that, for the public good, the young
knight run him through the sword-arm, and, in spite of all his
distracted didos, captured him by the help of Hubert, and passed
him over to the soldiers to cheer and keep company with the duke.
This brisk little affair being over, Sir Norman had time to look
about him. It had all passed in so short a space, and the dwarf
had been so desperately frantic, that the rest had paused
involuntarily, and were still looking on. Missing the count, he
glanced around the room, and discovered him standing on Miranda's
throne, looking over the company with the cool air of a
conqueror. Miranda, aroused, as she very well might be by all
this screaming and fighting, had partly raised herself upon her
elbow, and was looking wildly about her. As her eye fell on Sir
Norman, she sat fairly erect, with a cry of exultation and joy.
"You have come, you have come, as I knew you would," she
excitedly cried, "and the hour of retribution is at hand!"
At the words of one who, a few moments before, they had supposed
to be dead, an awestruck silence fell; and the count, taking
advantage of it, waved his hand, and cried
"Yield yourselves prisoners, I command you! The royal guards are
without; and the first of you who offers the slightest resistance
will die like a dog! Ho, guards I enter, and seize your
prisoners!"
Quick as thought the room was full of soldiers! but the rest of
the order was easier said than obeyed. The robbers, knowing
their doom was death, fought with the fury of desperation, and a
snort, wild, and terrible conflict ensued. Foremost in the melee
was Sir Norman and the count; while Hubert, who had taken
possession of the dwarf's sword, fought like a young lion. The
shrieks of the women were heart-rending, as they all fled,
precipitately, into the blue dining-room; and, crouching in
corners, or flying distractedly about - true to their sex - made
the air resound with the most lamentable cries. Some five or
six, braver than the rest, alone remained; and more than one of
these actually mixed in the affray, with a heroism worthy a
better cause. Miranda, still sitting erect, and supported in the
arms of a kneeling and trembling sylph in white, watched the
conflict with terribly-exultant eyes, that blazed brighter and
brighter with the lurid fire of vengeful joy st every robber that
fell.
"Oh, that I were strong enough to wield a sword!" was her fierce
aspiration every instant; "if I could only mix in that battle for
five minutes, I could die with a happy heart!"
Had she been able to wield a sword for five minutes, according to
her wish, she would probably have wielded it from beginning to
end of the battle; for it did not last much longer than that.
The robbers fought with fury and ferocity; but they had been
taken by surprise, and were overpowered by numbers, and obliged
to yield.
The crimson court was indeed crimson now; for the velvet
carpeting was dyed a more terrible red, and was slippery with a
rain of blood! A score of dead and dying lay groaning on the
ground; and the rest, beaten and bloody, gave up their swords and
surrendered.
"You should have done this at first!" said the count, coolly
wiping his blood-stained weapon, end replacing it in its sheath;
"and, by so doing, saved some time and more bloodshed. Where are
all the fair ladies, Kingsley, I saw here when we entered first?"
horn-pipe of exasperation he went through when Sir Norman ceased.
The blood was raining from his side, and from the point of his
adversary's sword, as he withdrew it; and, maddened like a wild
beast at the sight of his own blood, he screeched, and foamed,
and kicked about his stout little legs, and gnashed his teeth,
and made grabs at his wig, and lashed the air with his sword, and
made such desperate pokes with it, at Sir Norman and everybody
else who came in his way, that, for the public good, the young
knight run him through the sword-arm, and, in spite of all his
distracted didos, captured him by the help of Hubert, and passed
him over to the soldiers to cheer and keep company with the duke.
This brisk little affair being over, Sir Norman had time to look
about him. It had all passed in so short a space, and the dwarf
had been so desperately frantic, that the rest had paused
involuntarily, and were still looking on. Missing the count, he
glanced around the room, and discovered him standing on Miranda's
throne, looking over the company with the cool air of a
conqueror. Miranda, aroused, as she very well might be by all
this screaming and fighting, had partly raised herself upon her
elbow, and was looking wildly about her. As her eye fell on Sir
Norman, she sat fairly erect, with a cry of exultation and joy.
"You have come, you have come, as I knew you would," she
excitedly cried, "and the hour of retribution is at hand!"
At the words of one who, a few moments before, they had supposed
to be dead, an awestruck silence fell; and the count, taking
advantage of it, waved his hand, and cried
"Yield yourselves prisoners, I command you! The royal guards are
without; and the first of you who offers the slightest resistance
will die like a dog! Ho, guards I enter, and seize your
prisoners!"
Quick as thought the room was full of soldiers! but the rest of
the order was easier said than obeyed. The robbers, knowing
their doom was death, fought with the fury of desperation, and a
snort, wild, and terrible conflict ensued. Foremost in the melee
was Sir Norman and the count; while Hubert, who had taken
possession of the dwarf's sword, fought like a young lion. The
shrieks of the women were heart-rending, as they all fled,
precipitately, into the blue dining-room; and, crouching in
corners, or flying distractedly about - true to their sex - made
the air resound with the most lamentable cries. Some five or
six, braver than the rest, alone remained; and more than one of
these actually mixed in the affray, with a heroism worthy a
better cause. Miranda, still sitting erect, and supported in the
arms of a kneeling and trembling sylph in white, watched the
conflict with terribly-exultant eyes, that blazed brighter and
brighter with the lurid fire of vengeful joy st every robber that
fell.
"Oh, that I were strong enough to wield a sword!" was her fierce
aspiration every instant; "if I could only mix in that battle for
five minutes, I could die with a happy heart!"
Had she been able to wield a sword for five minutes, according to
her wish, she would probably have wielded it from beginning to
end of the battle; for it did not last much longer than that.
The robbers fought with fury and ferocity; but they had been
taken by surprise, and were overpowered by numbers, and obliged
to yield.
The crimson court was indeed crimson now; for the velvet
carpeting was dyed a more terrible red, and was slippery with a
rain of blood! A score of dead and dying lay groaning on the
ground; and the rest, beaten and bloody, gave up their swords and
surrendered.
"You should have done this at first!" said the count, coolly
wiping his blood-stained weapon, end replacing it in its sheath;
"and, by so doing, saved some time and more bloodshed. Where are
all the fair ladies, Kingsley, I saw here when we entered first?"