Part 25 (1/2)
Idonia had half risen from her place; she watched the retreating men as they filed along towards the Inn.
”I must warn him,” she cried impetuously, and had clambered on to the turf path ere I could let her.
”What madness is this?” I urged, aghast. ”You would yourself be arrested or ever you could get sight of that devil.”
”Devil or no,” she panted, while she struggled to unclasp my restraining arms, ”devil or no, he is my guardian. Denis, I cannot stand by idle and see him taken.”
”Sweetheart,” I entreated her, ”you can do nought, indeed. They be all armed men...”
”Hinder me no more!”
”Idonia!”
”Oh, it is cowardly, cowardly!”
”Listen,” I said, appealing.
”Ah, Denis, let me not thus, or you will kill me.... See! they are close to the house already. A little while and...” Her voice rose to a scream of absolute terror that I vainly sought to stifle against my heart. She flung her head back; her hair, shaken from the filet and caught by the wind, streamed betwixt us like a cloud. We stood long thus.
”Loose my wrists,” she whispered, ”or I shall grow to hate you, Denis!”
and methought there went a sort of awe with the words. I let her go, when suddenly, with a sob, she dropped down unresisting into my arms.
I knew she had spoken under the stress of her disorder, but none the less her words hurt me like a lash. It had revolted me to use my strength upon her, although in love, and to hold her so straitly against her will, who but a moment before had been leaning in free confidence beside me. The wind and rain were now increased to such a pitch as I have scarce known: the dim bulk of the Inn hung in a mist of swinging vapour, through which the glimmer of the one light aloft, s.h.i.+ning, touched the edges of the slanted pikes.
Idonia was plucking weakly at my sleeve. Her eyes were pitifully big.
”You look distressed, Denis,” she said, in a crazed dull voice. ”Why do you look so stern and sad? We are together.... I forget how I got away, but that does not matter now, does it? Some one was holding me by the wrist and hurting me. I cried out, and you came. You always come when they would be hurting me.... It is very cold,” she s.h.i.+vered, and drew down more closely within my arms; all wet as her cheek was, its fever heat burnt through to my bosom.
”You cannot walk,” I said: ”I will carry you.” But all the while I was thinking: ”Is her reason gone?”
”Whither, Denis? To the Inn? It would be warm there, out of the wind.”
”G.o.d forbid!” I answered her.
”Ah! no ... I remember now. He is there.... His yellow face, and his eyes when he gave me the jar to keep! ... Denis, Denis, Denis...”
And so, without any further effort to beat off the oppression in her brain and blood, she fell away into a long swoon: so long, indeed, that I had almost despaired of reviving her, when I bethought me of the Inn, to which she had hoped I was about to bear her. There would be strong cordial wine in the vault, I knew; and a cordial she needed instantly.
I might quickly go and return again with the wine--if the vent were but open.
The Inn was scarce ten score paces distant. There was some risk, perhaps, but not great: less, surely, than I took, kneeling helpless beside her in the bitter storm. I bent over her and kissed her pa.s.sionately on her eyes and lips and brow; and then I hastened away.
Had I known the upshot then, I would rather have lost my right hand than leave her; but that was in G.o.d's mercy hid....
To speak my bottom thought, I had hardly dared to hope that the shutter were still unhasped: but yet it was, and yielded easily to my touch. I felt a strange tightening of the throat as I pushed it back and leapt astride the sill. The vault below me was wholly dark. Without more ado I swung myself in. I missed my footing, fell, and lay stunned.
How long a while elapsed ere I recovered consciousness I know not, nor yet how long I remained in that intermediate state where things outward be still denied for real. A confusion of sounds a.s.sailed my aching brain, from which I recked not to gather any purpose or tendency. But at length, my head having somewhat cleared, I recalled my situation, where I was in the narrow pa.s.sage-vault; and soon perceived that the sounds I had heard were those of men in earnest conference within one of the vaults adjacent, that had formerly been barred. The lamp which had lighted the pa.s.sage had been removed, and from the pale ray that issued from the c.h.i.n.k of the door, I saw it was now used for their purposes who spoke together beyond.
Without, the storm raged very furiously, so that there were times when I could hear nought else; but otherwhiles, whatever s.n.a.t.c.hes of debate I overheard they went always to the continuous deep second of the wind.