The Midnight Queen [83]
and safe in this house;
when I came back, she was gone. You were in search of her - had
told me yourself you were determined on finding her, and having
her carried off; and now, my youthful friend, put this and that
together," with a momentary returning glare, "and see what it
amounts to!"
"It amounts to this:" retorted his youthful friend, stoutly,
"that I know nothing whatever about it. You may make out a case
of strong circumstantial evidence against me; but if the lady has
been carried off, I have had no hand in it."
Again Sir Norman was staggered by the frank, bold gaze and
truthful voice, but still the string was in a tangle somewhere.
"And where have you been ever since?" he began severely, and with
the air of a lawyer about to go into a rigid cross-examination.
"Searching for her," was the prompt reply.
"Where?"
"Through the streets; in the pest-houses, and at the plague-pit."
"How did you find out she lived here?"
"I did not find it out. When I became convinced she was in none
of the places I have mentioned, I gave up the search in despair,
for to-night, and was returning to his lordship to report my ill
success."
"Why, then, were you standing in front of her house, gaping at it
with all the eyes in your head, as if it were the eighth wonder
of the world?"
"Monsieur has not the most courteous way of asking questions,
that I ever heard of; but I have no particular objection to
answer him. It struck me that, as Mr. Ormiston brought the lady
up this way, and as I saw you and he haunting this place so much
to-night, I thought her residence was somewhere here, and I
paused to look at the house as I went along. In fact, I intended
to ask old sleepy-head, over there, for further particulars,
before I left the neighborhood, had not you, Sir Norman, run bolt
into me, and knocked every idea clean out of my head."
"And you are sure you are not Leoline?" said Sir Norman,
suspiciously.
"To the best of my belief, Sir Norman, I am not," replied Hubert,
reflectively.
"Well, it is all very strange, and very aggravating," said Sir
Norman sighing ,and sheathing his sword. "She is gone, at all
events; no doubt about that - and if you have not carried her
off, somebody else has."
Perhaps she has gone herself," insinuated Hubert.
"Bah! Gone herself!" said Sir Norman, scornfully. "The idea is
beneath contempt: I tell you, Master Fine-feathers, the lady and
I were to be married bright and early to-morrow morning, and
leave this disgusting city for Devonshire. Do you suppose, then,
she would run out in the small hours of the morning, and go
prancing about the streets, or eloping with herself?"
"Why, of course, Sir Norman, I can't take it upon myself to
answer positively; but, to use the mildest phrase, I must say the
lady seems decidedly eccentric, and capable of doing very queer
things. I hope, however, you believe me; for I earnestly assure
you, I never laid eyes on her but that once."
"I believe you," said Sir Norman, with another profound and
broken-hearted sigh, "and I'm only too sure she has been abducted
by that consummate scoundrel and treacherous villain, Count
L'Estrange."
"Count who?" said Hubert, with a quick start, and a look of
intense curiosity. "What was the name?"
"L'Estrange - a scoundrel of the deepest dye! Perhaps you know
him?"
"No," replied Hubert, with a queer, half musing smile, "no; but I
have a notion I have heard the name. Was he a rival of yours?"
"I should think so! He was to have been married to the lady this
very night!"
"He was, eh! And what prevented the ceremony?"
"She took the plague!" said Sir Norman, strange to say, not at
all offended at the boy's familiarity. "And would have been
thrown into the plague-pit but for me. And when she recovered
she accepted me and cast him off!"
"A
when I came back, she was gone. You were in search of her - had
told me yourself you were determined on finding her, and having
her carried off; and now, my youthful friend, put this and that
together," with a momentary returning glare, "and see what it
amounts to!"
"It amounts to this:" retorted his youthful friend, stoutly,
"that I know nothing whatever about it. You may make out a case
of strong circumstantial evidence against me; but if the lady has
been carried off, I have had no hand in it."
Again Sir Norman was staggered by the frank, bold gaze and
truthful voice, but still the string was in a tangle somewhere.
"And where have you been ever since?" he began severely, and with
the air of a lawyer about to go into a rigid cross-examination.
"Searching for her," was the prompt reply.
"Where?"
"Through the streets; in the pest-houses, and at the plague-pit."
"How did you find out she lived here?"
"I did not find it out. When I became convinced she was in none
of the places I have mentioned, I gave up the search in despair,
for to-night, and was returning to his lordship to report my ill
success."
"Why, then, were you standing in front of her house, gaping at it
with all the eyes in your head, as if it were the eighth wonder
of the world?"
"Monsieur has not the most courteous way of asking questions,
that I ever heard of; but I have no particular objection to
answer him. It struck me that, as Mr. Ormiston brought the lady
up this way, and as I saw you and he haunting this place so much
to-night, I thought her residence was somewhere here, and I
paused to look at the house as I went along. In fact, I intended
to ask old sleepy-head, over there, for further particulars,
before I left the neighborhood, had not you, Sir Norman, run bolt
into me, and knocked every idea clean out of my head."
"And you are sure you are not Leoline?" said Sir Norman,
suspiciously.
"To the best of my belief, Sir Norman, I am not," replied Hubert,
reflectively.
"Well, it is all very strange, and very aggravating," said Sir
Norman sighing ,and sheathing his sword. "She is gone, at all
events; no doubt about that - and if you have not carried her
off, somebody else has."
Perhaps she has gone herself," insinuated Hubert.
"Bah! Gone herself!" said Sir Norman, scornfully. "The idea is
beneath contempt: I tell you, Master Fine-feathers, the lady and
I were to be married bright and early to-morrow morning, and
leave this disgusting city for Devonshire. Do you suppose, then,
she would run out in the small hours of the morning, and go
prancing about the streets, or eloping with herself?"
"Why, of course, Sir Norman, I can't take it upon myself to
answer positively; but, to use the mildest phrase, I must say the
lady seems decidedly eccentric, and capable of doing very queer
things. I hope, however, you believe me; for I earnestly assure
you, I never laid eyes on her but that once."
"I believe you," said Sir Norman, with another profound and
broken-hearted sigh, "and I'm only too sure she has been abducted
by that consummate scoundrel and treacherous villain, Count
L'Estrange."
"Count who?" said Hubert, with a quick start, and a look of
intense curiosity. "What was the name?"
"L'Estrange - a scoundrel of the deepest dye! Perhaps you know
him?"
"No," replied Hubert, with a queer, half musing smile, "no; but I
have a notion I have heard the name. Was he a rival of yours?"
"I should think so! He was to have been married to the lady this
very night!"
"He was, eh! And what prevented the ceremony?"
"She took the plague!" said Sir Norman, strange to say, not at
all offended at the boy's familiarity. "And would have been
thrown into the plague-pit but for me. And when she recovered
she accepted me and cast him off!"
"A