The Midnight Queen [34]
saw at the plague-pit? Oh! that dreadful,
dreadful plague-pit!" she cried, covering her face with her
hands.
"Yes. I am one of those."
"And who was the other?"
"My friend, Sir Norman Kingsley.
"Sir Norman Kingsley?" she softly repeated, with a sort of
recognition in her voice and eyes, while a faint roseate glow
rose softly over her face and neck. Ah! I thought - was it to
his house or yours I was brought?"
"To his," replied Ormiston, looking at her curiously; for he had
seen that rosy glow, and was extremely puzzled thereby; "from
whence, allow me to add, you took your departure rather
unceremoniously."
"Did I?" she said, in a bewildered sort of way. "It is all like
a dream to me. I remember Prudence screaming, and telling me I
had the plague, and the unutterable horror that filled me when I
heard it; and then the next thing I recollect is, being at the
plague-pit, and seeing your face and his bending over me. All
the horror came back with that awakening, and between it and
anguish of the plague-sore I think I fainted again." (Ormiston
nodded sagaciously), "and when I next recovered I was alone in a
strange room, and in bed. I noticed that, though I think I must
have been delirious. And then, half-mad with agony, I got out to
the street, somehow and ran, and ran, and ran, until the people
saw and followed me here. I suppose I had some idea of reaching
home when I came here; but the crowd pressed so close behind, and
I felt though all my delirium, that they would bring me to the
pest-house if they caught me, and drowning seemed to me
preferable to that. So I was in the river before I knew it - and
you know the rest as well as I do. But I owe you my life, Mr.
Ormiston - owe it to you and another; and I thank you both with
all my heart."
"Madame, you are too grateful; and I don't know as we have done
anything much to deserve it."
"You have saved my life; and though you may think that a
valueless trifle, not worth speaking of, I assure you I view it
in a very different light," she said, with a half smile.
"Lady, your life is invaluable; but as to our saving it, why, you
would not have us throw you alive into the plague-pit, would
you?"
"It would have been rather barbarous, I confess, but there are
few who would risk infection for the sake of a mere stranger.
Instead of doing as you did, you might have sent me to the pest-
house, you know."
"Oh, as to that, all your gratitude is due to Sir Norman. He
managed the whole affair, and what is more, fell - but I will
leave that for himself to disclose. Meantime, may I ask the name
of the lady I have been so fortunate as to serve!"
"Undoubtedly, sir - my name is Leoline."
"Leoline is only half a name."
"Then I am so unfortunate an only to possess half a name, for I
never had any other."
Ormiston opened his eyes very wide indeed.
"No other! you must have had a father some time in your life;
most people have," said the young gentleman, reflectively.
She shook her head a little sadly.
"I never had, that I know of, either father or mother, or any one
but Prudence. And by the way," she said, half starting up, "the
first thing to be done is, to see about this same Prudence. She
must be somewhere in the house."
"Prudence is nowhere in the house," said Ormiston, quietly; "and
will not be, she says, far a month to come. She is afraid of the
plague."
"Is she?" said Leoline, fixing her eyes on him with a powerful
glance. "How do you know that?"
"I heard her say so not half an hour ago, to a lady a few doors
distant. Perhaps you know her - La Masque."
"That singular being! I don't know her; but I have seen her
often. Why was Prudence talking of me to her, I wonder?"
"That I do not know; but talking of you the was, and she said she
was coming back here no more. Perhaps you
dreadful plague-pit!" she cried, covering her face with her
hands.
"Yes. I am one of those."
"And who was the other?"
"My friend, Sir Norman Kingsley.
"Sir Norman Kingsley?" she softly repeated, with a sort of
recognition in her voice and eyes, while a faint roseate glow
rose softly over her face and neck. Ah! I thought - was it to
his house or yours I was brought?"
"To his," replied Ormiston, looking at her curiously; for he had
seen that rosy glow, and was extremely puzzled thereby; "from
whence, allow me to add, you took your departure rather
unceremoniously."
"Did I?" she said, in a bewildered sort of way. "It is all like
a dream to me. I remember Prudence screaming, and telling me I
had the plague, and the unutterable horror that filled me when I
heard it; and then the next thing I recollect is, being at the
plague-pit, and seeing your face and his bending over me. All
the horror came back with that awakening, and between it and
anguish of the plague-sore I think I fainted again." (Ormiston
nodded sagaciously), "and when I next recovered I was alone in a
strange room, and in bed. I noticed that, though I think I must
have been delirious. And then, half-mad with agony, I got out to
the street, somehow and ran, and ran, and ran, until the people
saw and followed me here. I suppose I had some idea of reaching
home when I came here; but the crowd pressed so close behind, and
I felt though all my delirium, that they would bring me to the
pest-house if they caught me, and drowning seemed to me
preferable to that. So I was in the river before I knew it - and
you know the rest as well as I do. But I owe you my life, Mr.
Ormiston - owe it to you and another; and I thank you both with
all my heart."
"Madame, you are too grateful; and I don't know as we have done
anything much to deserve it."
"You have saved my life; and though you may think that a
valueless trifle, not worth speaking of, I assure you I view it
in a very different light," she said, with a half smile.
"Lady, your life is invaluable; but as to our saving it, why, you
would not have us throw you alive into the plague-pit, would
you?"
"It would have been rather barbarous, I confess, but there are
few who would risk infection for the sake of a mere stranger.
Instead of doing as you did, you might have sent me to the pest-
house, you know."
"Oh, as to that, all your gratitude is due to Sir Norman. He
managed the whole affair, and what is more, fell - but I will
leave that for himself to disclose. Meantime, may I ask the name
of the lady I have been so fortunate as to serve!"
"Undoubtedly, sir - my name is Leoline."
"Leoline is only half a name."
"Then I am so unfortunate an only to possess half a name, for I
never had any other."
Ormiston opened his eyes very wide indeed.
"No other! you must have had a father some time in your life;
most people have," said the young gentleman, reflectively.
She shook her head a little sadly.
"I never had, that I know of, either father or mother, or any one
but Prudence. And by the way," she said, half starting up, "the
first thing to be done is, to see about this same Prudence. She
must be somewhere in the house."
"Prudence is nowhere in the house," said Ormiston, quietly; "and
will not be, she says, far a month to come. She is afraid of the
plague."
"Is she?" said Leoline, fixing her eyes on him with a powerful
glance. "How do you know that?"
"I heard her say so not half an hour ago, to a lady a few doors
distant. Perhaps you know her - La Masque."
"That singular being! I don't know her; but I have seen her
often. Why was Prudence talking of me to her, I wonder?"
"That I do not know; but talking of you the was, and she said she
was coming back here no more. Perhaps you