The Midnight Queen [43]
all his mental chaos, and that was, that the Leoline he had
fallen in love with dead, was awaiting him, alive and well, in
London.
"Well," said Ormiston, "you don't speak! What do you think of
all this?"
"Think! I can't think - I've got past that long ago!" replied
his friend, hopelessly. "Did you really say Leoline was alive
and well?"
"And waiting for you - yes, I did, and I repeat it; and the
sooner you get back to town, the sooner you will see her; so
don't loiter - "
"Ormiston, what do you mean! Is it possible I can see her
to-night?"
"Yes, it is; the dear creature is waiting for you even now. You
see, after we got to the house, and she had consented to become a
little rational, mutual explanations ensued, by which it appeared
she had ran away from Sir Norman Kingsley's in a state of frenzy,
had jumped into the river in a similarly excited state of mind,
and was most anxious to go down on her pretty knees and thank the
aforesaid Sir Norman for saving her life. What could any one as
gallant as myself do under these circumstances, but offer to set
forth in quest of that gentleman? And she promptly consented to
sit up and wait his coming, and dismissed me with her blessing.
And, Kingsley, I've a private notion she is as deeply affected by
you as you are by her; for, when I mentioned your name, she
blushed, yea, verily to the roots of her hair; and when she spoke
of you, couldn't so much as look me in the face - which is, yea
must own, a very bad symptom."
"Nonsense!" said Sir Norman, energetically. And had it been
daylight, his friend would have seen that he blushed almost as
extensively as the lady. "She doesn't know me."
"Ah, doesn't she, though? That shows all you know about it! She
has seen you go past the window many and many a time; and to see
you," said Ormiston, making a grimace undercover of the darkness,
"is to love! She told me so herself."
"What! That she loved me!" exclaimed Sir Norman, his notions of
propriety to the last degree shocked by such a revelation.
"Not altogether, she only looked that; but she said she knew you
well by sight, and by heart, too, as I inferred from her
countenance when she said it. There now, don't make me talk any
more, for I have told you everything I know, and am about hoarse
with my exertions."
"One thing only - did she tell you who she was?"
"No, except that her name was Leoline, and nothing else - which
struck me as being slightly improbable. Doubtless, she will tell
you everything, and one piece of advice I may venture to give
you, which is, you may propose as soon as you like without fear
of rejection. Here we are at the Golden Crown, so go in and get
your horse, and let us be off."
All this time Ormiston had been leading his own horse by the
bridle, and as Sir Norman silently complied with this suggestion,
in five minutes more they were in their saddles, and galloping at
breakneck speed toward the city. To tell the truth, one was not
more inclined for silence than the other, and the profoundest and
thoughtfulest silence was maintained till they reached it. One
was thinking of Leoline, the other of La Masque, and both were
badly in love, and just at that particular moment very happy. Of
course the happiness of people in that state never lasts longer
than half an hour at a stretch, and then they are plunged back
again into misery and distraction; but while it does last, it in,
very intense and delightful indeed.
Our two friends having drained the bitten, had got to the bottom
of the cup, and neither knew that no sooner were the sweets
swallowed, than it was to be replenished with a doubly-bitter
dose. Neither of them dismounted till they reached the house of
Leoline, and there Sir Norman secured his horse, and looked up at
it with a beating heart. Not that it was very unusual for his
heart to beat, seeing
fallen in love with dead, was awaiting him, alive and well, in
London.
"Well," said Ormiston, "you don't speak! What do you think of
all this?"
"Think! I can't think - I've got past that long ago!" replied
his friend, hopelessly. "Did you really say Leoline was alive
and well?"
"And waiting for you - yes, I did, and I repeat it; and the
sooner you get back to town, the sooner you will see her; so
don't loiter - "
"Ormiston, what do you mean! Is it possible I can see her
to-night?"
"Yes, it is; the dear creature is waiting for you even now. You
see, after we got to the house, and she had consented to become a
little rational, mutual explanations ensued, by which it appeared
she had ran away from Sir Norman Kingsley's in a state of frenzy,
had jumped into the river in a similarly excited state of mind,
and was most anxious to go down on her pretty knees and thank the
aforesaid Sir Norman for saving her life. What could any one as
gallant as myself do under these circumstances, but offer to set
forth in quest of that gentleman? And she promptly consented to
sit up and wait his coming, and dismissed me with her blessing.
And, Kingsley, I've a private notion she is as deeply affected by
you as you are by her; for, when I mentioned your name, she
blushed, yea, verily to the roots of her hair; and when she spoke
of you, couldn't so much as look me in the face - which is, yea
must own, a very bad symptom."
"Nonsense!" said Sir Norman, energetically. And had it been
daylight, his friend would have seen that he blushed almost as
extensively as the lady. "She doesn't know me."
"Ah, doesn't she, though? That shows all you know about it! She
has seen you go past the window many and many a time; and to see
you," said Ormiston, making a grimace undercover of the darkness,
"is to love! She told me so herself."
"What! That she loved me!" exclaimed Sir Norman, his notions of
propriety to the last degree shocked by such a revelation.
"Not altogether, she only looked that; but she said she knew you
well by sight, and by heart, too, as I inferred from her
countenance when she said it. There now, don't make me talk any
more, for I have told you everything I know, and am about hoarse
with my exertions."
"One thing only - did she tell you who she was?"
"No, except that her name was Leoline, and nothing else - which
struck me as being slightly improbable. Doubtless, she will tell
you everything, and one piece of advice I may venture to give
you, which is, you may propose as soon as you like without fear
of rejection. Here we are at the Golden Crown, so go in and get
your horse, and let us be off."
All this time Ormiston had been leading his own horse by the
bridle, and as Sir Norman silently complied with this suggestion,
in five minutes more they were in their saddles, and galloping at
breakneck speed toward the city. To tell the truth, one was not
more inclined for silence than the other, and the profoundest and
thoughtfulest silence was maintained till they reached it. One
was thinking of Leoline, the other of La Masque, and both were
badly in love, and just at that particular moment very happy. Of
course the happiness of people in that state never lasts longer
than half an hour at a stretch, and then they are plunged back
again into misery and distraction; but while it does last, it in,
very intense and delightful indeed.
Our two friends having drained the bitten, had got to the bottom
of the cup, and neither knew that no sooner were the sweets
swallowed, than it was to be replenished with a doubly-bitter
dose. Neither of them dismounted till they reached the house of
Leoline, and there Sir Norman secured his horse, and looked up at
it with a beating heart. Not that it was very unusual for his
heart to beat, seeing