The Midnight Queen [58]
somewhat solemn speech, rather
inconsistently, bursting out into one of his shrillest peals of
laughter; and the miserable Earl of Gloucester, with a gasping,
unearthly cry, fell back in the arms of the attendants. Dead and
oppressive silence reigned; and Sir Norman, who half believed all
along the whole thing was a farce, began to feel an uncomfortable
sense of chill creeping over him, and to think that, though
practical jokes were excellent things in their way, there was yet
a possibility of carrying them a little too far. The
disagreeable silence was first broken by the dwarf, who, after
gloating for a moment over his victim's convulsive spasms, sprang
nimbly from his chair of dignity and held out his arm for the
queen. The queen arose, which seemed to be a sign for everybody
else to do the same, and all began forming themselves in a sort
of line of march.
"Whist is to be done with this other prisoner, your highness?"
inquired the duke, making a poke with his forefinger at Sir
Norman. "Is he to stay here, or is he to accompany us?"
His highness turned round, and putting his face close up to Sir
Norman's favored him with a malignant grin.
"You'd like to come, wouldn't you, my dear young friend?"
"Really," said Sir Norman, drawing back and returning the dwarf's
stare with compound interest, "that depends altogether on the
nature of the entertainment; but, at the same time, I'm much
obliged to you for consulting my inclinations."
This reply nearly overset his highness's gravity once more, but
he checked his mirth after the first irresistible squeal; and
finding the company were all arranged in the order of going, and
awaiting his sovereign pleasure, he turned.
"Let him come," he said, with his countenance still distorted by
inward merriment; "It will do him good to see how we punish
offenders here, and teach him what he is to expect himself. Is
your majesty ready?"
"My majesty has been ready and waiting for the last five
minutes," replied the lady, over-looking his proffered hand with
grand disdain, and stepping lightly down from her throne.
Her rising was the signal for the unseen band to strike up a
grand triumphant "Io paean," though, had the "Rogue's March" been
a popular melody in those times, it would have suited the
procession much more admirably. The queen and the dwarf went
first, and a vivid contrast they were - she so young, so
beautiful, so proud, so disdainfully cold; he so ugly, so
stunted, so deformed, so fiendish. After them went the band of
sylphs in white, then the chancellor, archbishop, and
embassadors; next the whole court of ladies and gentlemen; and
after them Sir Norman, in the custody of two of the soldiers.
The condemned earl came last, or rather allowed himself to be
dragged by his four guards; for he seemed to have become
perfectly palsied and dumb with fear. Keeping time to the
triumphant march, and preserving dismal silence, the procession
wound its way along the room and through a great archway
heretofore hidden by the tapestry now lifted lightly by the
nymphs. A long stone passage, carpeted with crimson and gold,
and brilliantly illuminated like the grand saloon they had left,
was thus revealed, and three similar archways appeared at the
extremity, one to the right and left, and one directly before
them. The procession passed through the one to the left, and Sir
Norman started in dismay to find himself in the most gloomy
apartment he had ever beheld in his life. It was all covered
with black - walls, ceiling, and floor were draped in black, and
reminded him forcibly of La Masque's chamber of horrors, only
this was more repellant. It was lighted, or rather the gloom was
troubled, by a few spectral tapers of black wax in ebony
candlesticks, that seemed absolutely to turn black, and make the
horrible place more horrible. There was no furniture - neither
couch,
inconsistently, bursting out into one of his shrillest peals of
laughter; and the miserable Earl of Gloucester, with a gasping,
unearthly cry, fell back in the arms of the attendants. Dead and
oppressive silence reigned; and Sir Norman, who half believed all
along the whole thing was a farce, began to feel an uncomfortable
sense of chill creeping over him, and to think that, though
practical jokes were excellent things in their way, there was yet
a possibility of carrying them a little too far. The
disagreeable silence was first broken by the dwarf, who, after
gloating for a moment over his victim's convulsive spasms, sprang
nimbly from his chair of dignity and held out his arm for the
queen. The queen arose, which seemed to be a sign for everybody
else to do the same, and all began forming themselves in a sort
of line of march.
"Whist is to be done with this other prisoner, your highness?"
inquired the duke, making a poke with his forefinger at Sir
Norman. "Is he to stay here, or is he to accompany us?"
His highness turned round, and putting his face close up to Sir
Norman's favored him with a malignant grin.
"You'd like to come, wouldn't you, my dear young friend?"
"Really," said Sir Norman, drawing back and returning the dwarf's
stare with compound interest, "that depends altogether on the
nature of the entertainment; but, at the same time, I'm much
obliged to you for consulting my inclinations."
This reply nearly overset his highness's gravity once more, but
he checked his mirth after the first irresistible squeal; and
finding the company were all arranged in the order of going, and
awaiting his sovereign pleasure, he turned.
"Let him come," he said, with his countenance still distorted by
inward merriment; "It will do him good to see how we punish
offenders here, and teach him what he is to expect himself. Is
your majesty ready?"
"My majesty has been ready and waiting for the last five
minutes," replied the lady, over-looking his proffered hand with
grand disdain, and stepping lightly down from her throne.
Her rising was the signal for the unseen band to strike up a
grand triumphant "Io paean," though, had the "Rogue's March" been
a popular melody in those times, it would have suited the
procession much more admirably. The queen and the dwarf went
first, and a vivid contrast they were - she so young, so
beautiful, so proud, so disdainfully cold; he so ugly, so
stunted, so deformed, so fiendish. After them went the band of
sylphs in white, then the chancellor, archbishop, and
embassadors; next the whole court of ladies and gentlemen; and
after them Sir Norman, in the custody of two of the soldiers.
The condemned earl came last, or rather allowed himself to be
dragged by his four guards; for he seemed to have become
perfectly palsied and dumb with fear. Keeping time to the
triumphant march, and preserving dismal silence, the procession
wound its way along the room and through a great archway
heretofore hidden by the tapestry now lifted lightly by the
nymphs. A long stone passage, carpeted with crimson and gold,
and brilliantly illuminated like the grand saloon they had left,
was thus revealed, and three similar archways appeared at the
extremity, one to the right and left, and one directly before
them. The procession passed through the one to the left, and Sir
Norman started in dismay to find himself in the most gloomy
apartment he had ever beheld in his life. It was all covered
with black - walls, ceiling, and floor were draped in black, and
reminded him forcibly of La Masque's chamber of horrors, only
this was more repellant. It was lighted, or rather the gloom was
troubled, by a few spectral tapers of black wax in ebony
candlesticks, that seemed absolutely to turn black, and make the
horrible place more horrible. There was no furniture - neither
couch,