The Midnight Queen [18]
he almost resolved to ride on and
return no more to London till the plague should have left it.
But then came the thought of his unknown lady-love, and with it
the reflection that he was on his way to find her; and, rousing
himself from his melancholy reverie, he rode on at a brisker
pace, heroically resolved to brave the plague or any other
emergency, for her sake. Full of this laudable and lover-like
resolution, he had got on about half a mile further, when he was
suddenly checked in his rapid career by an exciting, but in no
way surprising, little incident.
During the last few yards, Sir Norman had come within sight of
another horseman, riding on at rather a leisurely pace,
considering the place and the hour. Suddenly three other
horsemen came galloping down upon him, and the leader presenting
a pistol at his head, requested him in a stentorial voice for his
money or his life. By way of reply, the stranger instantly
produced a pistol of his own, and before the astonished
highwayman could comprehend the possibility of such an act,
discharged it full in his face. With a loud yell the robber
reeled and fell from his saddle, and in a twinkling both his
companions fired their pistols at the traveler, and bore, with a
simultaneous cry of rage, down upon him. Neither of the shots
had taken effect, but the two enraged highwaymen would have made
short work of their victim had not Sir Norman, like a true
knight, ridden to the rescue. Drawing his sword, with one
vigorous blow he placed another of the assassins hors de combat;
and, delighted with the idea of a fight to stir his stagnant
blood, was turning (like a second St. George at the Dragon), upon
the other, when that individual, thinking discretion the better
part of valor, instantaneously turned tail and fled. The whole
brisk little episode had not occupied five minutes, and Sir
Norman was scarcely aware the fight had began before it had
triumphantly ended.
"Short, sharp, and decisive!" was the stranger's cool criticism,
as he deliberately wiped his blood=stained sword, and placed it
in a velvet scabbard. "Our friends, there, got more than they
bargained for, I fancy. Though, but for you, Sir," he said,
politely raising him hat and bowing, "I should probably have been
ere this in heaven, or - the other place."
Sir Norman, deeply edified by the easy sang-froid of the speaker,
turned to take a second look at him. There was very little
light; for the night had grown darker as it wore on, and the few
stars that had glimmered faintly had hid their diminished heads
behind the piles of inky clouds. Still, there was a sort of
faint phosphorescent light whitening the gloom, and by it Sir
Norman's keen bright eyes discovered that he wore a long dark
cloak and slouched hat. He discovered something else, too - that
he had seen that hat and cloak, and the man inside of them on
London Bridge, not an hour before. It struck Sir Norman there
was a sort of fatality in their meeting; and his pulses quickened
a trifle, as he thought that he might be speaking to the husband
of the lady for whom he had so suddenly conceived such a rash and
inordinate attachment. That personage meantime having reloaded
his pistol, with a self-possession refreshing to witness,
replaced it in his doublet, gathered up the reins, and, glancing
slightly at his companion, spoke again
"I should thank you for saving my life, I suppose, but thanking
people is so little in my line, that I scarcely know how to set
about it. Perhaps, my dear sir, you will take the will for the
deed."
"An original, this," thought Sir Norman,"whoever he is." Then
aloud: "Pray don't trouble yourself about thanks, sir, I should
have dome precisely the same for the highwaymen, had you been
three to one over them."
"I don't doubt it in the least; nevertheless I feel grateful, for
you have saved my life all the same, and
return no more to London till the plague should have left it.
But then came the thought of his unknown lady-love, and with it
the reflection that he was on his way to find her; and, rousing
himself from his melancholy reverie, he rode on at a brisker
pace, heroically resolved to brave the plague or any other
emergency, for her sake. Full of this laudable and lover-like
resolution, he had got on about half a mile further, when he was
suddenly checked in his rapid career by an exciting, but in no
way surprising, little incident.
During the last few yards, Sir Norman had come within sight of
another horseman, riding on at rather a leisurely pace,
considering the place and the hour. Suddenly three other
horsemen came galloping down upon him, and the leader presenting
a pistol at his head, requested him in a stentorial voice for his
money or his life. By way of reply, the stranger instantly
produced a pistol of his own, and before the astonished
highwayman could comprehend the possibility of such an act,
discharged it full in his face. With a loud yell the robber
reeled and fell from his saddle, and in a twinkling both his
companions fired their pistols at the traveler, and bore, with a
simultaneous cry of rage, down upon him. Neither of the shots
had taken effect, but the two enraged highwaymen would have made
short work of their victim had not Sir Norman, like a true
knight, ridden to the rescue. Drawing his sword, with one
vigorous blow he placed another of the assassins hors de combat;
and, delighted with the idea of a fight to stir his stagnant
blood, was turning (like a second St. George at the Dragon), upon
the other, when that individual, thinking discretion the better
part of valor, instantaneously turned tail and fled. The whole
brisk little episode had not occupied five minutes, and Sir
Norman was scarcely aware the fight had began before it had
triumphantly ended.
"Short, sharp, and decisive!" was the stranger's cool criticism,
as he deliberately wiped his blood=stained sword, and placed it
in a velvet scabbard. "Our friends, there, got more than they
bargained for, I fancy. Though, but for you, Sir," he said,
politely raising him hat and bowing, "I should probably have been
ere this in heaven, or - the other place."
Sir Norman, deeply edified by the easy sang-froid of the speaker,
turned to take a second look at him. There was very little
light; for the night had grown darker as it wore on, and the few
stars that had glimmered faintly had hid their diminished heads
behind the piles of inky clouds. Still, there was a sort of
faint phosphorescent light whitening the gloom, and by it Sir
Norman's keen bright eyes discovered that he wore a long dark
cloak and slouched hat. He discovered something else, too - that
he had seen that hat and cloak, and the man inside of them on
London Bridge, not an hour before. It struck Sir Norman there
was a sort of fatality in their meeting; and his pulses quickened
a trifle, as he thought that he might be speaking to the husband
of the lady for whom he had so suddenly conceived such a rash and
inordinate attachment. That personage meantime having reloaded
his pistol, with a self-possession refreshing to witness,
replaced it in his doublet, gathered up the reins, and, glancing
slightly at his companion, spoke again
"I should thank you for saving my life, I suppose, but thanking
people is so little in my line, that I scarcely know how to set
about it. Perhaps, my dear sir, you will take the will for the
deed."
"An original, this," thought Sir Norman,"whoever he is." Then
aloud: "Pray don't trouble yourself about thanks, sir, I should
have dome precisely the same for the highwaymen, had you been
three to one over them."
"I don't doubt it in the least; nevertheless I feel grateful, for
you have saved my life all the same, and