The Midnight Queen [28]
to
be all alive."
"Well," whispered Prudence, breathlessly.
"Well, O most courageous of guardians! she was carried to a
certain house, and left to her own devices, while her gallant
rescuer went for a doctor; and when they returned she was
missing. Our pretty Leoline seems to have a strong fancy for
getting lost!"
There was a pause, during which Prudence looked at her with a
face fall of mingled fear and curiosity. At last:
"Madame, how do you know all this? Were you there?"
"No. Not I, indeed! What would take me there?"
"Then how do you happen to know everything about it?"
La Masque laughed.
"A little bird told me, Prudence! Have you returned to resume
your old duties?"
"Madame, I dare not go into that house again. I am afraid of
taking the plague."
"Prudence, you are a perfect idiot! Are you not liable to take
the plague in the remotest quarter of this plague-infested city?
And even if you do take it, what odds? You have only a few years
to live, at the most, and what matter whether you die now or at
the end of a year or two?"
"What matter?" repeated Prudence, in a high key of indignant
amazement. "It may make no matter to you, Madame Masque, but it
makes a great deal to me; I can tell you; and into that infected
house I'll not put one foot."
"Just as you please, only in that case there is no need for
further talk, so allow me to bid you good-night!"
"But, madame, what of Leoline? Do stop one moment and tell me of
her."
"What have I to tell? I have told you all I know. If you want
to find her, you must search in the city or in the pest-house!"
Prudence shuddered, and covered her face with her hands.
"O, my poor darling! so good and so beautiful. Heaven might
surely have spared her! Are you going to do nothing farther
about it?"
"What can I do? I have searched for her and have not found her,
and what else remains?"
"Madame, you know everything - surely, surely you know where my
poor little nursling is, among the rest."
Again La Masque laughed - another of her low, sweet, derisive
laughs.
"No such thing, Prudence. If I did, I should have her here in a
twinkling, depend upon - it. However, it all comes to the same
thing in the end. She is probably dead by this time, and would
have to be buried in the plague-pit, anyhow. If you have nothing
further to say, Prudence, you had better bid me good-night, and
let me go."
"Good-night, madame!" said Prudence, with a sort of groan, as she
wrapped her cloak closely around her, and turned to go.
La Masque stood for a moment looking after her, and then placed a
key in the lock of the door. But there is many a slip - she was
not fated to enter as soon as she thought; for just at that
moment a new step sounded beside her, a new voice pronounced her
name, and looking around, she beheld Ormiston. With what
feelings that young person had listened to the neat and
appropriate dialogue I have just had the pleasure of
immortalizing, may be - to use a phrase you may have heard
before, once or twice - better imagined than described. He knew
very well who Leoline was, and how she had been saved from the
plague-pit; but where in the world had La Masque found it out.
Lost in a maze of wonder, and inclined to doubt the evidence of
his own ears, he had stood perfectly still, until his ladylove
had so coolly dismissed her company, and then rousing himself
just in time, he had come forward and accosted her. La Masque
turned round, regarded him in silence for a moment, and when she
spoke, her voice had an accent of mingled surprise and
displeasure.
"You, Mr. Ormiston! How many more times am I to have the
pleasure of seeing you again to-night?"
"Pardon, madame; it is the last time. But you must hear me now."
"Must I? Very well, then; if I must, you had better begin
be all alive."
"Well," whispered Prudence, breathlessly.
"Well, O most courageous of guardians! she was carried to a
certain house, and left to her own devices, while her gallant
rescuer went for a doctor; and when they returned she was
missing. Our pretty Leoline seems to have a strong fancy for
getting lost!"
There was a pause, during which Prudence looked at her with a
face fall of mingled fear and curiosity. At last:
"Madame, how do you know all this? Were you there?"
"No. Not I, indeed! What would take me there?"
"Then how do you happen to know everything about it?"
La Masque laughed.
"A little bird told me, Prudence! Have you returned to resume
your old duties?"
"Madame, I dare not go into that house again. I am afraid of
taking the plague."
"Prudence, you are a perfect idiot! Are you not liable to take
the plague in the remotest quarter of this plague-infested city?
And even if you do take it, what odds? You have only a few years
to live, at the most, and what matter whether you die now or at
the end of a year or two?"
"What matter?" repeated Prudence, in a high key of indignant
amazement. "It may make no matter to you, Madame Masque, but it
makes a great deal to me; I can tell you; and into that infected
house I'll not put one foot."
"Just as you please, only in that case there is no need for
further talk, so allow me to bid you good-night!"
"But, madame, what of Leoline? Do stop one moment and tell me of
her."
"What have I to tell? I have told you all I know. If you want
to find her, you must search in the city or in the pest-house!"
Prudence shuddered, and covered her face with her hands.
"O, my poor darling! so good and so beautiful. Heaven might
surely have spared her! Are you going to do nothing farther
about it?"
"What can I do? I have searched for her and have not found her,
and what else remains?"
"Madame, you know everything - surely, surely you know where my
poor little nursling is, among the rest."
Again La Masque laughed - another of her low, sweet, derisive
laughs.
"No such thing, Prudence. If I did, I should have her here in a
twinkling, depend upon - it. However, it all comes to the same
thing in the end. She is probably dead by this time, and would
have to be buried in the plague-pit, anyhow. If you have nothing
further to say, Prudence, you had better bid me good-night, and
let me go."
"Good-night, madame!" said Prudence, with a sort of groan, as she
wrapped her cloak closely around her, and turned to go.
La Masque stood for a moment looking after her, and then placed a
key in the lock of the door. But there is many a slip - she was
not fated to enter as soon as she thought; for just at that
moment a new step sounded beside her, a new voice pronounced her
name, and looking around, she beheld Ormiston. With what
feelings that young person had listened to the neat and
appropriate dialogue I have just had the pleasure of
immortalizing, may be - to use a phrase you may have heard
before, once or twice - better imagined than described. He knew
very well who Leoline was, and how she had been saved from the
plague-pit; but where in the world had La Masque found it out.
Lost in a maze of wonder, and inclined to doubt the evidence of
his own ears, he had stood perfectly still, until his ladylove
had so coolly dismissed her company, and then rousing himself
just in time, he had come forward and accosted her. La Masque
turned round, regarded him in silence for a moment, and when she
spoke, her voice had an accent of mingled surprise and
displeasure.
"You, Mr. Ormiston! How many more times am I to have the
pleasure of seeing you again to-night?"
"Pardon, madame; it is the last time. But you must hear me now."
"Must I? Very well, then; if I must, you had better begin