Part 35 (2/2)
”You would wish to see your husband, would you not, Lady Blakeney?”
”Yes”
”Then I pray you corant you the pero”
”You are in the hope, citizen,” she said, ”that I will do my best to break my husband's spirit by my tears or my prayers--is that it?”
”Not necessarily,” he replied pleasantly ”I assure you that we can e to do that ourselves, in time”
”You devil!” The cry of pain and of horror was involuntarily wrung from the depths of her soul ”Are you not afraid that God's hand will strike you where you stand?”
”No,” he said lightly; ”I am not afraid, Lady Blakeney You see, I do not happen to believe in God Come!” he added more seriously, ”have I not proved to you that my offer is disinterested? Yet I repeat it even now If you desire to see Sir Percy in prison, command me, and the doors shall be open to you”
She waited a ht and quite dispassionately in the face; then she said coldly:
”Very well! I will go”
”When?” he asked
”This evening”
”Just as you wish I would have to go and see e with hio I will follow in half an hour”
”C'est entendu Will you be at the erie at half-past nine? You know it, perhaps--no? It is in the Rue de la Barillerie, ireat staircase of the house of Justice”
”Of the house of Justice!” she exclaimed involuntarily, a world of bitter contempt in her cry Then she added in her forood, citizen At half-past nine I will be at the entrance you name”
”And I will be at the door prepared to escort you”
He took up his hat and coat and bowed cereo At the door a cry froh, God knows!--made him pause
”My intervieith the prisoner,” she said, vainly trying, poor soul! to repress that quiver of anxiety in her voice, ”it will be private?”
”Oh, yes! Of course,” he replied with a reassuring smile ”Au revoir, Lady Blakeney! Half-past nine, reer trust herself to look on him as he finally took his departure She was afraid--yes, absolutely afraid that her fortitude would give way--ive way; that she would suddenly fling herself at the feet of that sneering, inhuman wretch, that she would pray, iht she not do in the face of this awful reality, if the last lingering shred of vanishi+ng reason, of pride, and of courage did not hold her in check?
Therefore she forced herself not to look on that departing, sable-clad figure, on that evil face, and those hands that held Percy's fate in their cruel grip; but her ears caught the welco of the door, his light footstep echoing down the stone stairs
When at last she felt that she was really alone she uttered a loud cry like a wounded doe, and falling on her knees she buried her face in her hands in a passionate fit of weeping Violent sobs shook her entire fra at her heart--the physical pain of it was alh this paroxys to one root idea: when she saw Percy she must be brave and cal if there was anything that she could do, or any e that she could take to the others Of hope she had none The last lingering ray of it had been extinguished by that fiend when he said, ”We need not fear that he will escape I doubt if he could walk very steadily across this room now”