The Midnight Queen [59]
chair, nor table nothing but a sort of stage at the upper
end of the room, with something that looked like a seat upon it,
and both were shrouded with the same dismal drapery. But it was
no seat; for everybody stood, arranging themselves silently and
noiselessly around the walls, with the queen and the dwarf at
their head, and near this elevation stood a tall, black statue,
wearing a mask, and leaning on a bright, dreadful, glittering
axe. The music changed to an unearthly dirge, so weird and
blood-curdling, that Sir Norman could have put his hands over his
ear-drums to shut out the ghastly sound. The dismal room, the
voiceless spectators, tho black spectre with the glittering axe,
the fearful music, struck a chill to his inmost heart.
Could it be possible they were really going to murder the unhappy
wretch? and could all those beautiful ladies--could that
surpassingly beautiful queen, stand there serenely unmoved, to
witness such a crime? While he yet looked round in horror, the
doomed man, already apparently almost dead with fear, was dragged
forward by his guards. Paralyzed as he was, at sight of the
stage which he knew to be the scaffold, he uttered shriek after
shriek of frenzied despair, and struggled like a madman to get
free. But as well might Laocoon have struggled in the folds of
the serpent; they pulled him on, bound him hand and foot, and
held his head forcibly down on the block.
The black spectre moved - the dwarf made a signal - the
glittering axe was raised - fell - a scream was cut in two - a
bright jet of blood spouted up in the soldiers faces, blinding
them; the axe fell again, and the Earl of Gloucester was minus
that useful and ornamental appendage, a head.
It was all over so quickly, that Sir Norman could scarcely
believe his horrified senses, until the deed was done. The
executioner threw a black cloth over the bleeding trunk, and held
up the grizzly head by the hair; and Sir Norman could have sworn
the features moved, and the dead eyes rolled round the room.
"Behold!" cried the executioner, striking the convulsed face with
the palm of his open hand, "the fate of all traitors!"
"And of all spies!" exclaimed the dwarf, glaring with his
fiendish eyes upon the appalled Sir Norman. "Keep your axe sharp
and bright, Mr. Executioner, for before morning dawns there is
another gentleman here to be made shorter by a head."
CHAPTER XII.
DOOM.
"Let us go," said the queen, glancing at the revolting sight, and
turning away with a shudder of repulsion. "Faugh! The sight of
blood has made me sick."
"And taken away my appetite for supper," added a youthful and
elegant beauty beside her. "My Lord Gloucester was hideous
enough when living, but, mon Dieu,! he is ten times more so when
dead!"
"Your ladyship will not have the same story to tell of yonder
stranger, when he shares the same fate in are hour or two!" said
the dwarf, with a malicious grin; "for I heard you remarking upon
his extreme beauty when he first appeared."
The lady laughed and bowed, and turned her bright eyes upon Sir
Norman.
"True! It is almost a pity to cut such a handsome head off - is
it not? I wish I had a voice in your highness's council, and I
know what I should do."
"What, Lady Mountjoy?"
"Entreat him to swear fealty, and become one of as; and - "
"And a bridegroom for your ladyship?" suggested the queen, with a
curling lip. "I think if Sir Norman Kingsley knew Lady Mountjoy
as well as I do, he would even prefer the block to such a fate!"
Lady Mountjoy's brilliant eyes shone like two angry meteors; but
she merely bowed and laughed; and the laugh was echoed by the
dwarf in his shrillest falsetto.
"Does your highness intend remaining here all night?" demanded
the queen, rather fiercely. "If not, the sooner we leave this
ghastly place the better. The play is
end of the room, with something that looked like a seat upon it,
and both were shrouded with the same dismal drapery. But it was
no seat; for everybody stood, arranging themselves silently and
noiselessly around the walls, with the queen and the dwarf at
their head, and near this elevation stood a tall, black statue,
wearing a mask, and leaning on a bright, dreadful, glittering
axe. The music changed to an unearthly dirge, so weird and
blood-curdling, that Sir Norman could have put his hands over his
ear-drums to shut out the ghastly sound. The dismal room, the
voiceless spectators, tho black spectre with the glittering axe,
the fearful music, struck a chill to his inmost heart.
Could it be possible they were really going to murder the unhappy
wretch? and could all those beautiful ladies--could that
surpassingly beautiful queen, stand there serenely unmoved, to
witness such a crime? While he yet looked round in horror, the
doomed man, already apparently almost dead with fear, was dragged
forward by his guards. Paralyzed as he was, at sight of the
stage which he knew to be the scaffold, he uttered shriek after
shriek of frenzied despair, and struggled like a madman to get
free. But as well might Laocoon have struggled in the folds of
the serpent; they pulled him on, bound him hand and foot, and
held his head forcibly down on the block.
The black spectre moved - the dwarf made a signal - the
glittering axe was raised - fell - a scream was cut in two - a
bright jet of blood spouted up in the soldiers faces, blinding
them; the axe fell again, and the Earl of Gloucester was minus
that useful and ornamental appendage, a head.
It was all over so quickly, that Sir Norman could scarcely
believe his horrified senses, until the deed was done. The
executioner threw a black cloth over the bleeding trunk, and held
up the grizzly head by the hair; and Sir Norman could have sworn
the features moved, and the dead eyes rolled round the room.
"Behold!" cried the executioner, striking the convulsed face with
the palm of his open hand, "the fate of all traitors!"
"And of all spies!" exclaimed the dwarf, glaring with his
fiendish eyes upon the appalled Sir Norman. "Keep your axe sharp
and bright, Mr. Executioner, for before morning dawns there is
another gentleman here to be made shorter by a head."
CHAPTER XII.
DOOM.
"Let us go," said the queen, glancing at the revolting sight, and
turning away with a shudder of repulsion. "Faugh! The sight of
blood has made me sick."
"And taken away my appetite for supper," added a youthful and
elegant beauty beside her. "My Lord Gloucester was hideous
enough when living, but, mon Dieu,! he is ten times more so when
dead!"
"Your ladyship will not have the same story to tell of yonder
stranger, when he shares the same fate in are hour or two!" said
the dwarf, with a malicious grin; "for I heard you remarking upon
his extreme beauty when he first appeared."
The lady laughed and bowed, and turned her bright eyes upon Sir
Norman.
"True! It is almost a pity to cut such a handsome head off - is
it not? I wish I had a voice in your highness's council, and I
know what I should do."
"What, Lady Mountjoy?"
"Entreat him to swear fealty, and become one of as; and - "
"And a bridegroom for your ladyship?" suggested the queen, with a
curling lip. "I think if Sir Norman Kingsley knew Lady Mountjoy
as well as I do, he would even prefer the block to such a fate!"
Lady Mountjoy's brilliant eyes shone like two angry meteors; but
she merely bowed and laughed; and the laugh was echoed by the
dwarf in his shrillest falsetto.
"Does your highness intend remaining here all night?" demanded
the queen, rather fiercely. "If not, the sooner we leave this
ghastly place the better. The play is