The Midnight Queen [84]
quick exchange! The lady's heart must be most flexible, or
unusually large, to be able to hold so many at once."
"It never held him!" said Sir Norman, frowning; "she was forced
into the marriage by her mercenary friends. Oh! if I had him
here, wouldn't I make him wish the highwaymen had shot him
through the head, and done for him, before I would let him go!"
"What is he like - this Count L'Estrange?" said Hubert,
carelessly.
"Like the black-hearted traitor and villain he is!" replied Sir
Norman, with more energy than truth; for he had caught but
passing glimpses of the count's features, and those showed him
they were decidedly prepossessing; "and he slinks along like a
coward and an abductor as he is, in a slouched hat and shadowy
cloak. Oh! if I had him here!" repeated Sir Norman, with
vivacity; "wouldn't I - "
"Yes, of course you would," interposed Hubert, "and serve him
right, too! Have you made any inquiries about the matter - for
instance, of our friend sleeping the sleep of the just, across
there?"
"No - why?"
"Why, it seems to me, if she's been carried off before he fell
asleep, he has probably heard or seen something of it; and I
think it would not be a bad plan to step over and inquire."
"Well, we can try," said Sir Norman, with a despairing face; "but
I know it will end in disappointment and vexation of spirit, like
all the rest!"
With which dismal view of things, he crossed the street side by
side with his jaunty young friend. The watchman was still
enjoying the balmy, and snoring in short, sharp snorts, when
Master Hubert remorselessly caught him by the shoulder, and began
a series of shakes and pokes, and digs, and hallos!" while Sir
Norman stood near and contemplated the scene with a pensive eye.
At last while undergoing a severe course of this treatment the
watchman was induced to open his eyes on this mortal life, and
transfix the two beholders with, an intensely vacant and blank
share.
"Hey?" he inquired, helplessly. "What was you a saying of,
gentlemen? What is it?"
"We weren't a saying of anything as yet " returned Hubert; "but
we mean to, shortly. Are you quite sure you are wide awake?"
"What do you want?" was the cross question, given by way of
answer. "What do you come bothering me for at such a rate, all
night, I want to know?"
"Keep civil, friend, we wear swords," said Hubert, touching, with
dignity, the hilt of the little dagger he carried; "we only want
to ask you a few questions. First, do you see that house over
yonder?"
"Oh! I see it!" said the man gruffly; "I am not blind!"
"Well who was the last person you saw come out of that house?"
"I don't know who they was!" still more gruffly. "I ain't got
the pleasure of their acquaintance!"
"Did you see a young lady come out of it lately?"
"Did I see a young lady?" burst out the watchman, in a high key
of aggrieved expostulation. "How many more times this blessed
night am I to be asked about that young lady. First and
foremost, there comes two young men, which this here is one of
them, and they bring out the young lady and have her hauled away
in the dead-cart; then comes along another and wants to know all
the particulars, and by the time he gets properly away, somebody
else comes and brings her back like a drowned rat. Then all
sorts of people goes in and out, and I get tired looking at them,
and then fall asleep, and before I've been in that condition
about a minute, you two come punching me and waken me up to ask
questions about her! I wish that young lady was in Jerico - I
do!" said the watchman, with a smothered growl.
"Come, come, my man!" said Hubert, slapping him soothingly on the
shoulder. "Don't be savage, if you can help it! This gentleman
has a gold coin in some of his pockets, I believe, and it will
fall to you if you keep quiet and answer decently.
unusually large, to be able to hold so many at once."
"It never held him!" said Sir Norman, frowning; "she was forced
into the marriage by her mercenary friends. Oh! if I had him
here, wouldn't I make him wish the highwaymen had shot him
through the head, and done for him, before I would let him go!"
"What is he like - this Count L'Estrange?" said Hubert,
carelessly.
"Like the black-hearted traitor and villain he is!" replied Sir
Norman, with more energy than truth; for he had caught but
passing glimpses of the count's features, and those showed him
they were decidedly prepossessing; "and he slinks along like a
coward and an abductor as he is, in a slouched hat and shadowy
cloak. Oh! if I had him here!" repeated Sir Norman, with
vivacity; "wouldn't I - "
"Yes, of course you would," interposed Hubert, "and serve him
right, too! Have you made any inquiries about the matter - for
instance, of our friend sleeping the sleep of the just, across
there?"
"No - why?"
"Why, it seems to me, if she's been carried off before he fell
asleep, he has probably heard or seen something of it; and I
think it would not be a bad plan to step over and inquire."
"Well, we can try," said Sir Norman, with a despairing face; "but
I know it will end in disappointment and vexation of spirit, like
all the rest!"
With which dismal view of things, he crossed the street side by
side with his jaunty young friend. The watchman was still
enjoying the balmy, and snoring in short, sharp snorts, when
Master Hubert remorselessly caught him by the shoulder, and began
a series of shakes and pokes, and digs, and hallos!" while Sir
Norman stood near and contemplated the scene with a pensive eye.
At last while undergoing a severe course of this treatment the
watchman was induced to open his eyes on this mortal life, and
transfix the two beholders with, an intensely vacant and blank
share.
"Hey?" he inquired, helplessly. "What was you a saying of,
gentlemen? What is it?"
"We weren't a saying of anything as yet " returned Hubert; "but
we mean to, shortly. Are you quite sure you are wide awake?"
"What do you want?" was the cross question, given by way of
answer. "What do you come bothering me for at such a rate, all
night, I want to know?"
"Keep civil, friend, we wear swords," said Hubert, touching, with
dignity, the hilt of the little dagger he carried; "we only want
to ask you a few questions. First, do you see that house over
yonder?"
"Oh! I see it!" said the man gruffly; "I am not blind!"
"Well who was the last person you saw come out of that house?"
"I don't know who they was!" still more gruffly. "I ain't got
the pleasure of their acquaintance!"
"Did you see a young lady come out of it lately?"
"Did I see a young lady?" burst out the watchman, in a high key
of aggrieved expostulation. "How many more times this blessed
night am I to be asked about that young lady. First and
foremost, there comes two young men, which this here is one of
them, and they bring out the young lady and have her hauled away
in the dead-cart; then comes along another and wants to know all
the particulars, and by the time he gets properly away, somebody
else comes and brings her back like a drowned rat. Then all
sorts of people goes in and out, and I get tired looking at them,
and then fall asleep, and before I've been in that condition
about a minute, you two come punching me and waken me up to ask
questions about her! I wish that young lady was in Jerico - I
do!" said the watchman, with a smothered growl.
"Come, come, my man!" said Hubert, slapping him soothingly on the
shoulder. "Don't be savage, if you can help it! This gentleman
has a gold coin in some of his pockets, I believe, and it will
fall to you if you keep quiet and answer decently.