Part 22 (1/2)
”Too true, my son,” replied Mrs. Mowbray, sorrowfully.
”And where lies the unfortunate Alan?” asked Major Mowbray.
”'Twixt two cross roads. Where else should the suicide lie?”
Evading any further question, Peter hastily traversed the vault, elevating the light so as to reveal the contents of each cell. One circ.u.mstance filled him with surprise and dismay--he could nowhere perceive the coffin of his daughter. In vain he peered into every catacomb--they were apparently undisturbed; and, with much internal marvelling and misgiving, Peter gave up the search. ”That vision is now explained,” muttered he; ”the body is removed, but by whom? Death! can I doubt? It must be Lady Rookwood--who else can have any interest in its removal. She has acted boldly. But she shall yet have reason to repent her temerity.” As he continued his search, his companions silently followed. Suddenly he stopped, and, signifying that all was finished, they not unwillingly quitted this abode of horror, leaving him behind them.
”It is a dreadful place,” whispered Eleanor to her mother; ”nor would I have visited it, had I conceived anything of its horrors. And that strange man! who or what is he?”
”Ay, who is he?” repeated Major Mowbray.
”I recollect him now,” replied Mrs. Mowbray; ”he is one who has ever been connected with the family. He had a daughter, whose beauty was her ruin: it is a sad tale; I cannot tell it now: you have heard enough of misery and guilt: but that may account for his bitterness of speech. He was a dependent upon my poor brother.”
”Poor man!” replied Eleanor; ”if he has been unfortunate, I pity him. I am sorry we have been into that dreadful place. I am very faint: and I tremble more than ever at the thought of meeting Ranulph Rookwood again.
I can scarcely support myself--I am sure I shall not venture to look upon him.”
”Had I dreamed of the likelihood of his attending the ceremony, rest a.s.sured, dear Eleanor, we should not have been here: but I was informed there was no possibility of his return. Compose yourself, my child. It will be a trying time to both of us; but it is now inevitable.”
At this moment the bell began to toll. ”The procession has started,”
said Peter, as he pa.s.sed the Mowbrays. ”That bell announces the setting out.”
”See yonder persons hurrying to the door,” exclaimed Eleanor, with eagerness, and trembling violently. ”They are coming. Oh! I shall never be able to go through with it, dear mother.”
Peter hastened to the church door, where he stationed himself, in company with a host of others, equally curious. Flickering lights in the distance, s.h.i.+ning like stars through the trees, showed them that the procession was collecting in front of the hall. The rain had now entirely ceased; the thunder muttered from afar, and the lightning seemed only to lick the moisture from the trees. The bell continued to toll, and its loud booming awoke the drowsy echoes of the valley. On the sudden, a solitary, startling concussion of thunder was heard; and presently a man rushed down from the belfry, with the tidings that he had seen a ball of fire fall from a cloud right over the hall. Every ear was on the alert for the next sound; none was heard. It was the crisis of the storm. Still the funeral procession advanced not. The strong sheen of the torchlight was still visible from the bottom of the avenue, now disappearing, now brightly glimmering, as if the bearers were hurrying to and fro amongst the trees. It was evident that much confusion prevailed, and that some misadventure had occurred. Each man muttered to his neighbor, and few were there who had not in a measure surmised the cause of the delay. At this juncture, a person without his hat, breathless with haste and almost palsied with fright, rushed through the midst of them and, stumbling over the threshold, fell headlong into the church.
”What's the matter, Master Plant? What has happened? Tell us! Tell us!”
exclaimed several voices simultaneously.
”Lord have mercy upon us!” cried Plant, gasping for utterance, and not attempting to raise himself. ”It's horrible! dreadful! oh!--oh!”
”What has happened?” inquired Peter, approaching the fallen man.
”And dost _thou_ need to ask, Peter Bradley? thou, who foretold it all?
but I will not say what I think, though my tongue itches to tell thee the truth. Be satisfied, thy wizard's lore has served thee right--he is dead.”
”Who? Ranulph Rookwood? Has anything befallen him, or the prisoner, Luke Bradley?” asked the s.e.xton, with eagerness.
A scream here burst forth from one who was standing behind the group; and, in spite of the efforts of her mother to withhold her, Eleanor Mowbray rushed forward.
”Has aught happened to Sir Ranulph?” asked she.
”Noa--noa--not to Sir Ranulph--he be with the body.”
”Heaven be thanked for that!” exclaimed Eleanor. And then, as if ashamed of her own vehemence, and, it might seem, apparent indifference to another's fate, she inquired who was hurt.
”It be poor neighbor Toft, that be killed by a thunderbolt, ma'am,”
replied Plant.