The Midnight Queen [86]
I to know you are not deceiving me, and will not betray
her into the power of the Earl of Rochester - if, indeed, she be
not in his power already."
"She is not in it, and never will be through me! I feel an odd
interest in this matter, and I will be true to you, Sir Norman -
though why I should be, I really don't know. I give you my word
of honor that I will do what I can to find Leoline and restore
her to you; and I have never yet broken my word of honor to any
man," said Hubert, drawing himself up.
"Well, I will trust you, because I cannot do anything better,"
said Sir Norman, rather dolefully; "but why not let me go with
you?"
"No, no! that would never do! I must go alone, and you must
trust me implicitly. Give me your hand upon it."
They shook hands silently, went down stairs, and stood for a
moment at the door.
"You'll find me here at any hour between this and morning," said
Sir Norman. "Farewell now, and Heaven speed you!"
The boy waved his hand in adieu, and started off at a sharp pace.
Sir Norman turned in the opposite direction for a short walk, to
cool the fever in his blood, and think over all that had
happened. As be went slowly along, in the shadow of the houses,
he suddenly tripped up over something lying in his path, and was
nearly precipitated over it.
Stooping down to examine the stumbling-block, it proved to be the
rigid body of a man, and that man was Ormiston, stark and dead,
with his face upturned to the calm night-sky.
CHAPTER XVII
THE HIDDEN FACE
When Mr. Malcolm Ormiston, with his usual good sense and
penetration, took himself off, and left Leoline and Sir Norman
tete-a-tete, his steps turned as mechanically as the needle to
the North Pole toward La Masque's house. Before it he wandered,
around it he wandered, like an uneasy ghost, lost in speculation
about the hidden face, and fearfully impatient about the flight
of time. If La Masque saw him hovering aloof and unable to tear
himself away, perhaps it might touch her obdurate heart, and
cause her to shorten the dreary interval, and summon him to her
presence at once. Just then some one opened the door, and his
heart began to beat with anticipation; some one pronounced his
name, and, going over, he saw the animated bag of bones -
otherwise his lady-love's vassal and porter.
"La Masque says," began the attenuated lackey, and Ormiston's
heart nearly jumped out of his mouth, "that she can't have
anybody hanging about her house like its shadow; and she wants
you to go away, and keep away, till the time comes she has
mentioned."
So saying the skeleton shut the door, and Ormiston's heart went
down to zero. There being nothing for it but obedience, however,
he slowly and reluctantly turned away, feeling in his bones, that
if ever he came to the bliss and ecstasy of calling La Masque
Mrs. Ormiston, the gray mare in his stable would be by long odds
the better horse. Unintentionally his steps turned to the
water-side, and he descended the flight of stairs, determined to
get into a boat and watch the illumination from the river.
Late as was the hour, the Thames seemed alive with wherries and
barges, and their numerous lights danced along the surface like
fire-flies over a marsh. A gay barge, gilded and cushioned, was
going slowly past; and as he stood directly under the lamp, he
was recognized by a gentleman within it, who leaned over and
hailed him
"Ormiston! I say, Ormiston!"
"Well, my lord," said Ormiston, recognizing the handsome face and
animated voice of the Earl of Rochester.
"Have you any engagement for the next half-hour? If not, do me
the favor to take a seat here, and watch London in flames from
the river."
"With all my heart," said Ormiston, running down to the water's
edge, and leaping into the boat. "With all this bustle of life
around here, one
her into the power of the Earl of Rochester - if, indeed, she be
not in his power already."
"She is not in it, and never will be through me! I feel an odd
interest in this matter, and I will be true to you, Sir Norman -
though why I should be, I really don't know. I give you my word
of honor that I will do what I can to find Leoline and restore
her to you; and I have never yet broken my word of honor to any
man," said Hubert, drawing himself up.
"Well, I will trust you, because I cannot do anything better,"
said Sir Norman, rather dolefully; "but why not let me go with
you?"
"No, no! that would never do! I must go alone, and you must
trust me implicitly. Give me your hand upon it."
They shook hands silently, went down stairs, and stood for a
moment at the door.
"You'll find me here at any hour between this and morning," said
Sir Norman. "Farewell now, and Heaven speed you!"
The boy waved his hand in adieu, and started off at a sharp pace.
Sir Norman turned in the opposite direction for a short walk, to
cool the fever in his blood, and think over all that had
happened. As be went slowly along, in the shadow of the houses,
he suddenly tripped up over something lying in his path, and was
nearly precipitated over it.
Stooping down to examine the stumbling-block, it proved to be the
rigid body of a man, and that man was Ormiston, stark and dead,
with his face upturned to the calm night-sky.
CHAPTER XVII
THE HIDDEN FACE
When Mr. Malcolm Ormiston, with his usual good sense and
penetration, took himself off, and left Leoline and Sir Norman
tete-a-tete, his steps turned as mechanically as the needle to
the North Pole toward La Masque's house. Before it he wandered,
around it he wandered, like an uneasy ghost, lost in speculation
about the hidden face, and fearfully impatient about the flight
of time. If La Masque saw him hovering aloof and unable to tear
himself away, perhaps it might touch her obdurate heart, and
cause her to shorten the dreary interval, and summon him to her
presence at once. Just then some one opened the door, and his
heart began to beat with anticipation; some one pronounced his
name, and, going over, he saw the animated bag of bones -
otherwise his lady-love's vassal and porter.
"La Masque says," began the attenuated lackey, and Ormiston's
heart nearly jumped out of his mouth, "that she can't have
anybody hanging about her house like its shadow; and she wants
you to go away, and keep away, till the time comes she has
mentioned."
So saying the skeleton shut the door, and Ormiston's heart went
down to zero. There being nothing for it but obedience, however,
he slowly and reluctantly turned away, feeling in his bones, that
if ever he came to the bliss and ecstasy of calling La Masque
Mrs. Ormiston, the gray mare in his stable would be by long odds
the better horse. Unintentionally his steps turned to the
water-side, and he descended the flight of stairs, determined to
get into a boat and watch the illumination from the river.
Late as was the hour, the Thames seemed alive with wherries and
barges, and their numerous lights danced along the surface like
fire-flies over a marsh. A gay barge, gilded and cushioned, was
going slowly past; and as he stood directly under the lamp, he
was recognized by a gentleman within it, who leaned over and
hailed him
"Ormiston! I say, Ormiston!"
"Well, my lord," said Ormiston, recognizing the handsome face and
animated voice of the Earl of Rochester.
"Have you any engagement for the next half-hour? If not, do me
the favor to take a seat here, and watch London in flames from
the river."
"With all my heart," said Ormiston, running down to the water's
edge, and leaping into the boat. "With all this bustle of life
around here, one