Part 12 (1/2)

So to prevent this she threw a cloak over her head, and followed the maid, without speaking, to where a m.u.f.fled figure stood outside the door. She had only stepped off the threshold, when a gust of wind blew the door close, and at the same moment her wrist was seized, and she was dragged away from the house; and before she could even scream, or give any alarm, she was lifted on to a horse, and the man sprang up before her, and galloped away into the village.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ABDUCTION OF MAUD.]

All the horrible tales Maud had ever heard of people being carried off by witches rushed to her mind when she saw that they were turning round by the blacksmith's shed. All was dark and still, but she tried to scream, in hopes of raising some alarm; but fear had paralyzed her tongue, and she could not utter a sound. She was like one in all the horrors of a nightmare, and believed she was on a phantom horse, although she could hear it splas.h.i.+ng though the wet mud, precisely as Cavalier did the day before, when she was out riding with Mistress Stanhope.

At length they stopped just opposite the widow's cottage, as Maud expected, for she had no doubt that this ride was of the witch's planning; and feeling powerless to resist, she suffered herself to be lifted down, and expected to be carried into the house. But instead of this, a familiar, though scarcely remembered, but very human voice, said, ”Go in, Mistress Maud, I will look after Cavalier.” But Maud did not move, although the man stepped to the horse's head. Before she could make up her mind, however, to run away, the cottage door opened, and a weak, quivering voice, said, ”Roger, Roger, is that you?”

Without answering, the man left the horse and came to Maud. ”Prithee, be not so sorrowful,” he said; ”there's hope for him yet, if we can only get a physician to him soon, and Dame Coppins says----”

But Maud staggered back as he would have led her into the house. ”Tell me what it is, and who you are,” she gasped.

The man was perplexed. ”Marry, but you know me, Mistress Maud. I'm Roger, Master Drury's servant, and the letter told all about the rest, I trow.”

What the ”rest” was Maud had not time to ask, for at that moment the cottage door opened again, and Dame Coppins drew her inside.

CHAPTER XII.

HARRY'S RETURN.

Suddenly stepping out of the darkness into the lighted room, Maud could not distinguish any object at first, and only heard as in a dream Dame Coppins's words, ”Be calm, Mistress Maud, for he is very weak, I trow.”

Then, looking across the room, she saw some one lying on a bed with hands eagerly outstretched towards her, and a faint voice uttered, ”Maud, Maud, come to me; let me hold your hand once more.” The sound of that feeble pleading voice brought back Maud's bewildered senses.

”Harry,” she gasped, ”Oh, my Harry!” and she was kneeling by the low bed, kissing the thin white hands.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MEETING OF MAUD AND HARRY.]

For a few minutes no one came near them, and Maud knelt there sobbing, for her overstrained feelings would have vent, in spite of her effort to control them.

Harry was the first to regain composure, and smoothing the soft braids of her hair, he said, ”I began to fear you would never forgive me, Maud; and I could not die without your forgiveness.”

”Forgive you!” repeated Maud. ”I have wanted to ask you to forgive me for speaking as I did the morning you went away.”

”I have nothing to forgive,” said Harry. ”You could not but believe I was a traitor, as you said, in refusing to serve the King.”

”Nay, nay, but I ought to have believed you were acting conscientiously, although I could not see things as you saw them. I was hard, uncharitable, cruel, Harry.”

”Nay, nay, Maud; cruel, when at Oxford you saved my life?”

”I did not know it was to save you,” murmured Maud.

Harry looked disappointed, and dropped the hand he was holding. ”Maud, when I saw you there, riding through the soldiers, I thought it was for me you came, although you had given your heart and hand to another.”

Maud stared. ”Given heart and hand to another!” she repeated.

”Hus.h.!.+ hus.h.!.+” said Harry, ”my secret shall die with me. I would not even ask about you when I came here, but suffer me to call you Maud the little while I stay.”

”What other name should I be called?” asked Maud, in surprise.