Part 51 (2/2)
”Down toward the garden. Heaven help him! If he only sees them in time!
Take my arm, Miss, and come in; we can't stop now to see whether they meet him; they're watching us on the piazza.”
I needed all the support of Kitty's arm as I entered the hall; the glare of the lights made me sick and faint, and she hurried me to a chair.
”Don't wait a minute to attend to me,” I murmured, ”hurry upstairs.”
”It won't do yet; everybody is looking at us; I must sit down and talk to you awhile.”
A gentleman, Mr. Mason, approached me, and began to rally me upon keeping up my incognito so long, the rest of the maskers, he said, had consented to reveal themselves.
”Say you won't unmask till supper,” whispered Kitty.
I mechanically repeated the words. Others came up to talk to me, there was evidently some curiosity felt about me; I knew that I was not recognized. I can hardly tell how I found answers to the questions put to me; the questioners must have been satisfied with very vague and senseless responses, if mine satisfied them. Kitty, at once prompt and self-possessed, relieved me, and kept up her own part, disguising her voice, and answering readily.
Unable to control my agony at the delay any longer, I exclaimed suddenly: ”I feel faint, won't you (turning to the black domino) won't you get the bottle of salts I left in the dressing-room?”
Her height and step nearly betrayed her; and Mr. Mason catching sight of a woman's foot as she ran up the stairs, proclaimed the fact, and excited a general exclamation of wonder.
”Never saw a character better sustained--everybody had thought it a man all the evening.”
I listened for the opening of the window in the west room overhead, then for Kitty's step as she stole out. I I heard it through all the din of music and of voices. Then came a dreadful suspense; how to get rid of the people, how to get on the piazza, I could not tell. Victor might even now be waiting for me, a moment more might be too late; the officers might at any instant return. Just then supper was announced, and, ”now you have promised to unmask, now you must tell us who you are,” exclaimed the gentlemen.
”Not while you are all here,” I exclaimed, ”I will not take off my mask to-night unless you all go to supper and leave me.”
It was long before I rid myself of my admirers; the last one was dismissed to bring me an ice, and the instant I was alone, I stole out on the piazza and round to the appointed spot, and sheltering myself from sight, waited with a throbbing heart the appearance of the rose-colored domino. But the throbs sunk to faint and sickening slowness as minute after minute pa.s.sed and no one came; dull, slow, torturing minutes that seemed to count themselves out by the dropping of my life's blood, each one left me so much fainter and more deathlike than before.
Reason and endurance began to give way under the intense pressure, the laughter and merriment from within rang hideously in my ears, the gaudy lamps and glaring lights swam before me, I clung to the balcony for support; it seemed to reel from my grasp, and staggering forward, I should have fallen, but for the arm of some one that approached, and hurried to my side. He pushed back my mask and in a moment the fresh air in my face revived me, I raised my head and cast an agonized look down the walk that led to the shrubbery, and this time it was hope and not despair that followed the look.
”Pray leave me,” I said imperiously to my attendant, ”I am well now, I had rather be alone.”
It was only when he turned to leave me that I saw it was Mr. Rutledge; the figure that approached down the walk claimed all my thoughts. It faltered a moment irresolutely on the steps.
”Courage!” I whispered putting my hand in his. ”Follow me to this window, and we will cross the parlors, they are nearly clear.”
I knew that the spirit of the man I led was broken hopelessly, he who had been so brave and reckless! At every step he wavered and held back; ”I cannot,” he murmured shrinking as we reached the hall, now filling with the gay throng from the supper room and library and the adjoining balconies. I hurried him forward, nerved with a new courage; I braved the inquisitive eyes of the crowd that thronged us, I had a bold answer for all their questions, a repartee for all their jests, and so I fought my way to the foot of the stairs.
”Go up,” I whispered to Victor, pus.h.i.+ng him forward, and turning, I kept back with laugh and raillery the knot of people cl.u.s.tered round the landing-place.
”You shall be mobbed!” cried Grace. ”We all unmasked half an hour ago.
No one has a right to invisibility now!”
”I am just going up to unmask, but you will not let me.”
”Will you promise to come instantly down?” asked Mr. Mason.
”Instantly.”
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