The Midnight Queen [20]
friend be, for I was not aware that she had any?"
"So I judged," said Sir Norman, rather bitterly, or she would not
have been left to die alone of the plague. She was brought to my
house, sir, and I am the friend who would have stood by her to
the last!"
Sir Norman sat up very straight and haughty on his horse; and had
it been daylight, he would have seen a slight derisive smile pass
over the lips of his companion.
"I have always heard that Sir Norman Kingsley was a chivalrous
knight," he said; "but I scarcely dreamed his gallantry would
have carried him go far as to brave death by the pestilence for
the sake of an unknown lady - however beautiful. I wonder you,
did not carry her to the pest-house."
"No doubt! Those who could desert her at such a time would
probably be capable of that or any other baseness!"
"My good friend," said the stranger, calmly, "your insinuation is
not over-courteous, but I can forgive it, more for the sake of
what you've done for her to-night than for myself."
Sir Norman's lip curled.
"I'm obliged to you! And now, sir, as you have seen fit to
question me in this free and easy manner, will you pardon me if I
take the liberty of returning the compliment, and ask you a few
in return?"
"Certainly; pray proceed, Sir Norman," said the stranger,
blandly; "you are at liberty to ask as many questions as you
please - so am I to answer them."
"I answered all yours unhesitatingly, and you owe it to me to do
the same," said Sir Norman, somewhat haughtily. "In the first
place, you have an advantage of me which I neither understand,
nor relish; so, to place us on equal terms, will you have the
goodness to tell me your name?"
"Most assuredly! My name," said the stranger, with glib
airiness, "is Count L'Estrange."
"A name unknown to me," said Sir Norman, with a piercing look,
"and equally unknown, I believe, at Whitehall. There is a Lord
L'Estrange in London; or you and he are certainly not one and the
same."
"My friend does not believe me," said the count, almost gayly -
"a circumstance I regret, but cannot help. Is there anything
else Sir Norman wishes to know?"
"If you do not answer my questions truthfully, there to little
use in my asking them," said Sir Norman, bluntly. "Do you mean
to say you are a foreigner?"
"Sir Norman Kingsley is at perfect liberty to answer that
question as he pleases," replied the stranger, with most
provoking indifference.
Sir Norman's eye flashed, and his hand fell on his sword; but,
reflecting that the count might find it inconvenient to answer
any more questions if he ran him through, he restrained himself
and went on.
"Sir, you are impertinent, but that is of no consequence, just
now. Who was that lady - what was her name?"
"Leoline."
Was she your wife?"
The stranger paused for a moment, as if reflecting whether she
was or not, and then said, meditatively
"No - I don't know as she was. On the whole, I am pretty sure
she was not."
Sir Norman felt as if a ton weight had been suddenly hoisted from
the region of his heart.
"Was she anybody else's wife?"
"I think not. I'm inclined to think that, except myself, she did
not know another man in London."
"Then why was she dressed as a bride?" inquired Sir Norman,
rather mystified.
"Was she? My poor Leoline!" said the stranger, sadly. "Because
-" he hesitated, "because - in short, Sir Norman," said the
stranger, decidedly, "I decline answering any more questions!"
"I shall find out, for all that," said Sir Norman, "and here I
shall bid you good-night, for this by-path leads to my
destination."
"Good-night," said the stranger, "and be careful, Sir
Norman-remember, the plague is abroad."
"And so are highwaymen!" called Sir Norman after him, a little
maliciously; but a careless laugh from the stranger
"So I judged," said Sir Norman, rather bitterly, or she would not
have been left to die alone of the plague. She was brought to my
house, sir, and I am the friend who would have stood by her to
the last!"
Sir Norman sat up very straight and haughty on his horse; and had
it been daylight, he would have seen a slight derisive smile pass
over the lips of his companion.
"I have always heard that Sir Norman Kingsley was a chivalrous
knight," he said; "but I scarcely dreamed his gallantry would
have carried him go far as to brave death by the pestilence for
the sake of an unknown lady - however beautiful. I wonder you,
did not carry her to the pest-house."
"No doubt! Those who could desert her at such a time would
probably be capable of that or any other baseness!"
"My good friend," said the stranger, calmly, "your insinuation is
not over-courteous, but I can forgive it, more for the sake of
what you've done for her to-night than for myself."
Sir Norman's lip curled.
"I'm obliged to you! And now, sir, as you have seen fit to
question me in this free and easy manner, will you pardon me if I
take the liberty of returning the compliment, and ask you a few
in return?"
"Certainly; pray proceed, Sir Norman," said the stranger,
blandly; "you are at liberty to ask as many questions as you
please - so am I to answer them."
"I answered all yours unhesitatingly, and you owe it to me to do
the same," said Sir Norman, somewhat haughtily. "In the first
place, you have an advantage of me which I neither understand,
nor relish; so, to place us on equal terms, will you have the
goodness to tell me your name?"
"Most assuredly! My name," said the stranger, with glib
airiness, "is Count L'Estrange."
"A name unknown to me," said Sir Norman, with a piercing look,
"and equally unknown, I believe, at Whitehall. There is a Lord
L'Estrange in London; or you and he are certainly not one and the
same."
"My friend does not believe me," said the count, almost gayly -
"a circumstance I regret, but cannot help. Is there anything
else Sir Norman wishes to know?"
"If you do not answer my questions truthfully, there to little
use in my asking them," said Sir Norman, bluntly. "Do you mean
to say you are a foreigner?"
"Sir Norman Kingsley is at perfect liberty to answer that
question as he pleases," replied the stranger, with most
provoking indifference.
Sir Norman's eye flashed, and his hand fell on his sword; but,
reflecting that the count might find it inconvenient to answer
any more questions if he ran him through, he restrained himself
and went on.
"Sir, you are impertinent, but that is of no consequence, just
now. Who was that lady - what was her name?"
"Leoline."
Was she your wife?"
The stranger paused for a moment, as if reflecting whether she
was or not, and then said, meditatively
"No - I don't know as she was. On the whole, I am pretty sure
she was not."
Sir Norman felt as if a ton weight had been suddenly hoisted from
the region of his heart.
"Was she anybody else's wife?"
"I think not. I'm inclined to think that, except myself, she did
not know another man in London."
"Then why was she dressed as a bride?" inquired Sir Norman,
rather mystified.
"Was she? My poor Leoline!" said the stranger, sadly. "Because
-" he hesitated, "because - in short, Sir Norman," said the
stranger, decidedly, "I decline answering any more questions!"
"I shall find out, for all that," said Sir Norman, "and here I
shall bid you good-night, for this by-path leads to my
destination."
"Good-night," said the stranger, "and be careful, Sir
Norman-remember, the plague is abroad."
"And so are highwaymen!" called Sir Norman after him, a little
maliciously; but a careless laugh from the stranger