Part 35 (1/2)
Moreover, all about us lie precipices, over one of which we might fall.”
”But they will pursue us,” pleaded Rosamund.
”Not until they have light to see by,” answered Masouda, ”or at least we must take the risk, for to go forward would be madness.
Sit down and rest a while, and let the horses drink a little and eat a mouthful of gra.s.s, holding their reins in our hands, for we and they may need all our strength before to-morrow's sun is set.
Sir Wulf, say, are you much hurt?”
”But very little,” he answered in a cheerful voice; ”a few bruises beneath my mail--that is all, for Lozelle's sword was heavy. Tell us, I pray you, what happened after we rode away from the castle bridge.”
”This, knights. The princess here, being overcome, was escorted by the slaves back to her chambers, but Sinan bade me stay with him awhile that he might speak to you through me. Do you know what was in his mind? To have you killed at once, both of you, whom Lozelle had told him were this lady's lovers, and not her brothers. Only he feared that there might be trouble with the people, who were pleased with the fighting, so held his hand.
Then he bade you to the supper, whence you would not have returned; but when Sir Wulf said that he was hurt, I whispered to him that what he wished to do could best be done on the morrow at the wedding-feast when he was in his own halls, surrounded by his guards.
”'Ay,' he answered, 'these brethren shall fight with them until they are driven into the gulf. It will be a goodly sight for me and my queen to see.'”
”Oh! horrible, horrible!” said Rosamund; while G.o.dwin muttered:
”I swear that I would have fought, not with his guards, but with Sinan only.”
”So he suffered you to go, and I left him also. Before I went he spoke to me, bidding me bring the princess to him privately within two hours after we had supped, as he wished to speak to her alone about the ceremony of her marriage on the morrow, and to make her gifts. I answered aloud that his commands should be obeyed, and hurried to the guest-castle. There I found your lady recovered from her faintness, but mad with fear, and forced her to eat and drink.
”The rest is short. Before the two hours were gone a messenger came, saying that the Al-je-bal bade me do what he had commanded.
”'Return,' I answered; 'the princess adorns herself. We follow presently alone, as it is commanded.'
”Then I threw this cloak about her and bade her be brave, and, if we failed, to choose whether she would take Sinan or death for lord. Next, I took the ring you had, the Signet of the dead Al-je-bal, who gave it to your kinsman, and held it before the slaves, who bowed and let me pa.s.s. We came to the guards, and to them again I showed the ring. They bowed also, but when they saw that we turned down the pa.s.sage to the left and not to the right, as we should have done to come to the doors of the inner palace, they would have stopped us.
”'Acknowledge the Signet,' I answered. 'Dogs, what is it to you which road the Signet takes?' Then they also let us pa.s.s.
”Now, following the pa.s.sage, we were out of the guest house and in the gardens, and I led her to what is called the prison tower, whence runs the secret way. Here were more guards whom I bade open in the name of Sinan.
”They said: 'We obey not. This place is shut save to the Signet itself.'
”'Behold it!' I answered. The officer looked and said: 'It is the very Signet, sure enough, and there is no other.'
”Yet he paused, studying the black stone veined with the red dagger and the ancient writing on it.
”'Are you, then, weary of life?' I asked. 'Fool, the Al-je-bal himself would keep a tryst within this house, which he enters secretly from the palace. Woe to you if he does not find his lady there!'
”'It is the Signet that he must have sent, sure enough,' the captain said again, 'to disobey which is death.'
”'Yes, open, open,' whispered his companions.
”So they opened, though doubtfully, and we entered, and I barred the door behind us. Then, to be short, through the darkness of the tower bas.e.m.e.nt, guiding ourselves by the wall, we crept to the entrance of that way of which I know the secret. Ay, and along all its length and through the rock door of escape at the end of which I set so that none can turn it, save skilled masons with their tools, and into the cave where we found you. It was no great matter, having the Signet, although without the Signet it had not been possible to-night, when every gate is guarded.”
”No great matter!” gasped Rosamund. ”Oh, G.o.dwin and Wulf! if you could know how she thought of and made ready everything; if you could have seen how all those cruel men glared at us, searching out our very souls! If you could have heard how high she answered them, waving that ring before their eyes and bidding them to obey its presence, or to die!”
”Which they surely have done by now,” broke in Masouda quietly, ”though I do not pity them, who were wicked. Nay; thank me not; I have done what I promised to do, neither less nor more, and--I love danger and a high stake. Tell us your story, Sir G.o.dwin.”
So, seated there on the gra.s.s in the darkness, he told them of their mad ride and of the slaying of the guards, while Rosamund raised her hands and thanked Heaven for its mercies, and that they were without those accursed walls.