The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-08
CHAPTER L..


WAS PAID.
For some breathless moments after we
three were left alone in the stygiar dark
ness of the wine cellar, no word was spok-
en-. The rolling of the thunder drum was
muff1ed now, as il were booming out the
dirge of the man who had digged pit and
had himself fallen therein; and the light
ming flashes coming at longer intervals
served but to intensity the gloom they lit up
for the instant
1t was a minced oath from Richard that
first broke the spell that bound us.
TWAS too much for Madge." said he.
"she has tainted Swing the door and light
another candle"
did both as quickly as might be. and we
bedded her on the floor, stripping our coats
to soften the stone tagging for her and
trying by all the means known to two I'M
skilled soldier leeches to bring her TO.
Water!' said Dick; but when we had
laved her face with that, and with wine as
well. without effect. we were well dsmayed,
1 do assure you. For all efforts she lay
as one dead; and neither of us could be cold
enough to pry her lips apart to play the
drenching doctor with the wine.
Lord" cried Dick, the sweat standing
out upon his face in great drops; "this is
terrible! What shall we do?"
Jeanne will know what to do" 1 as
serted. I'VE must get her out of this and
up to her chamber"
Richard started. to his feet and stopped
to gather the dear body of her in his arms.
But in the act he paused and Strengthened
himself to look fixedly at me.
"Do you take her, jack she is-she is
your wife,"
may" said 1, drawing back You are
her own true lover; and could she choose her
bearer"
"A murrain on your finickings!" he burst
out. She may die whilst we are haggling
the right to help her. Take her UP
quick. man, and begone,''
But bethink you, Dick" urged; 'if you
are taken, you may have one chance in ten
of faring as an officer and a prisoner of
war. For me it's spy's death swift as
they can drag me to it,
Now you will know. my dears. how much
l loved these two when l could twist a cord
of such mean fiber to bind them closer to-
gether. Richards eyes flashed and his lip
curled.
Overlook it in me- if you can." he said.
with fine scorn. 81 had not thought upon
the peril of it." And with that he took her
in his arms as she had been a child to be
carried, and swung the door for him. But
on the threshold he gave me back my sorry
little subterfuge. "Once more your forgive
ness. Jack. knew well you were but lying
to give me precedence. Can you trust me
with her?''
AYE. dear lad; now and ever" said I;
and SO 1 pushed him out and closed the
door.
/ made shift to lead the horses through
the narrow passage and out by a rear door
giving them a friendly slap to point them
toward the stables.
L know not how long 1t was that paced
a weary sentry beat up and down the mar
row limits of the wine cellar, alone with
such thoughts as go to make the sum of
that despair which follows hard upon the
heels of some climaxing catastrophe. But
do know that, as the hours dragged on
leaden-shod a slow fever of impatience
came to dry the blood in my veins; to make
me hunger and thirst for leave to say the
final word to Father Matthew, and so to be
set at liberty to find the bottom of the pit
into which hooking fate had plunged me.
Twas all over now. My dear lad was told,
and he had forgiven me; the prosecuting,
| plotting factor was effaced, and he could
never trouble my sweet lady more Between
the two | loved there stood only the shad-
ow of the marriage. and this the good
| priest would presently help me to dispel
| And after that / dared not look
| beyond. There is a way beset with lions,
and any man who bears the name of man
| in honor may draw his sword and fix his
| eye upon the goal and hew his path, to It,
! joying in the conflict. But there is also an
| other way, a desert trail owning no peril
| more affrighting than it's own dread waste
and limitless monotony; and when his eyes
behold the dismal prospect, and his feet
desert OF despair, man may well pause TO
| grid his loins, to cross himself and patter
| such prayer for strength and fortitude as
| his creed hath taught him.
| To such a faring through all the DAYS
and nights of this grim desert of future
| these lonely hours in the wine vault were
a fitting vigil, as | conceived; and when 1
| mOnstrous self pity had come to make a
4 seeming virtue of the hard necessity / was
best pleased to be alone. In such frame of
mind the sound of footsteps in the out-cel-
| lar, warning me that more company was
| coming. sent a wave of sullen anger to SUBJ
merge me, and L do think twas in me to
| turn my back upon a friend who should
| come to tell me l was free to go at large
Since l had led forth the good horses the
great oaken door had stood ajar. So 1 Won
| dered why my visitor made so much ado
| rafting the key in the lock. Then il came to
| me suddenly that the noise and delay were
meant to give me timely warning; and at
the scent of threatening peril-a peril
might cope with and gr2pple soldierwise-I
became a man again. a sweep of nv hat
sent the sputtering candle flying from its
barrel head to the farther corner of the
vault. and L dropped quickly behind a row
of empty wine-butts to await what should
| befall.
| Had she been a ghost Mistress Mareerv
would scarce have startled me more when
| she swung her door to let me see her she
| was gowned in her best; there was height
| ened color in her check; her eyes were like
| stars. Truly, | do think | never saw her So
| beautiful as she appeared at that moment.
| standing under the massive arch of the
| doorway with her candle held high to light
/ the inner gloom.
This way, Scipio." she said. tripping
| ahead of the mulatto to point out the ma,
deira bin. I'VE shall give my Lord and his
gentlemen the best the Appleby cellar holds
| to speed their parting" Wherewith she
| stood aside to wait whilst he filled his bask-
ct with the straw-cased bottles
| AT this / saw why she had come Lord
| CORVALLIS and his gentlemen We're about Ia
| take the road. and the wine was wanted for
! the stirrup-cup. Trusting my fate TO no
| hand less loyal than her own, she had come
herself with Scip!o to stand betwxt me and
| possible discovery. And her word to the
serving man was also a word to me to LEI
| me know my Imprisonment was near an
| end.
| / thought IL most generous thing in her:
| the last OF all her many wifely lOyalties
| and | would have given much for leave II
| stand forth and tell her So Indeed when
| head and vanished and she was lingering tc
take a last look around before she followed
| him, l was upon the point of speaking
But whilst l hesitated | saw her start
| back with little cry of terror Standing in
the arched doorway through which the mu-