Part 12 (1/2)
Marguerite shuddered with one of those unaccountable pre evil about to come, which ofttimes assail those who have a nervous and passionate tees: there was a quick word of coht of a suerite discerned a group of lint of arestion of tricolour cockades and scarves One of thethe lamp aloft, another took a few steps forward into the roo the presence of the old priest, and addressed her pereovernor,” he said curtly; ”stand up and follow o?” she asked
”To where my overnor does not like to wait”
At a word of command from him, two more soldiers now entered the roouerite, who, knowing that resistance was useless, had already risen and was prepared to go
The Abbe tried to utter a word of protest and cauerite, but he was suhly pushed aside
”Now then, calotin,” said the first soldier with an oath, ”this is none of your business Forward!his men, ”and you, Citizeness, will find it wiser to co and not to atte and uerite had no intention of resisting She was too tired even to wonder as to what they ; she moved as in a drea led to death: summary executions were the order of the day, she knew that, and sighed for this si her these past two days
She was being led along a passage, stuhted by the sa in front, holding it high up above his head: then they went down a narrow flight of stone steps, until she and her escort reached a heavy oak door
A halt was ordered at this point: and the man in command of the little party pushed the door open and walked in Marguerite caught sight of a roo, as was her own prison cell Somewhere on the left there was obviously a ; she could not see it but guessed that it was there because the host-like and spectral, well fitting in with the dreauerite felt herself to be
In the centre of the room she could discern a table with a chair close beside it, also a couple of tallow candles, which flickered in the draught caused no doubt by that open hich she could not see
All these little details iuerite'suntil she should onceThe table, the chair, that unseen , trivial objects though they were, assuht fancy an utterly disproportionate i up the nu the s
After a few uerite, there cahly pushed forward into the room by one of the ently fanned her burning temples She looked round her and now perceived that so at the table, the other side of the tallow-candles-ahis face against the light with his hand
He rose as she approached, and the flickering flaht, sable-clad figure, illuleams across the deep-set eyes and the narrow, cruel uerite took the chair which the soldier dreards her, ordering her curtly to sit down She seeh all her faculties had suddenly becoht of this rievous wrong that one hu can do to another, yet all these faculties were forcefully centred in the one hty effort not to flinch before him, not to let him see for a moment that she was afraid
She compelled her eyes to look at him fully and squarely, her lips not to tre She felt his keen eyes fixed intently upon her, but eance
When she had sat down he came round the table and moved towards her When he drew quite near, she instinctively recoiled It had been an almost imperceptible action on her part and certainly an involuntary one, for she did not wish to betray a single thought or emotion, until she knehat he wished to say
But he had noted herof her whole person as he approached He seemed pleased to see it, for he smiled sarcastically but with evident satisfaction, and-as if his purpose was now accomplished-he immediately withdrew and went back to his former seat on the other side of the table After that he ordered the soldiers to go
”But remain at attention outside, you and your uerite's turn to s fear on Chauvelin's part, and a line of sarcas obeyed and the oak door having closed upon theuerite was now alone with theon earth
She wondered when he would begin to speak and why he had sent for her But he see his face with his hand, he atching her with uth and beyond him, with contemptuous indifference, as if his presence here did not interest her in the least
She would give hiht and which she felt would prove either purposeless or else deeply wounding to her heart and to her pride She sat, therefore, quite still with the flickering and yellow light fully illu her delicate face, with its child-like curves, and delicate features, the noble, straight brow, the great blue eyes and halo of golden hair
”My desire to see you here to-night, e to you, Lady Blakeney,” said Chauvelin at last
Then, as she did not reply, he continued, speaking quite gently, alrave importance, which the events of the next twenty-four hours will reveal to your ladyshi+p: and believe me that I am actuated by motives of pure friendshi+p towards you in this ate the unpleasantness of such news as youof what its natureeyes upon him, and in their expression she tried to put all the contempt which she felt, all the bitterness, all the defiance and the pride
He quietly shrugged his shoulders
”Ah! I fear rievous wrong It is but natural that you should e me, yet believe me”
”A truce on this foolery, M Chauvelin,” she broke in, with sudden impatient vehemence, ”pray leave your protestations of friendshi+p and courtesy alone, there is no one here to hear them I pray you proceed hat you have to say”
”Ah!” It was a sigh of satisfaction on the part of Chauvelin Her anger and ie of the interview proved sufficiently that her icy restraint was only on the surface
And Chauvelin always kne to deal with vehemence He loved to play with the emotions of a passionate fellow-creature: it was only the imperturbable calm of a certain enemy of his that ont to shake his own impenetrable armour of reserve
”As your ladyshi+p desires,” he said, with a slight and ironical bow of the head ”But before proceeding according to your wish, I am compelled to ask your ladyshi+p just one question”
”And that is?”
”Have you reflected what your present position means to that inimitable prince of dandies, Sir Percy Blakeney?”
”Is it necessary for your present purpose, Monsieur, that you should mention my husband's name at all?” she asked
”It is indispensable, fair lady,” he replied suavely, ”for is not the fate of your husband so closely intertwined with yours, that his actions will inevitably be largely influenced by your own”
Marguerite gave a start of surprise, and as Chauvelin had paused she tried to read what hiddenlay behind these last words of his Was it his intention then to propose soain, one of those terrible ”either-or's” of which he seenant secret? Oh! if that was so, if indeed he had sent for her in order to suggest one of those terrible alternatives of his, then-be it what it may, be it the wildest conception which the insane brain of a fiend could invent, she would accept it, so long as the le chance of escape
Therefore she turned to her arch-enemy in a more conciliatory spirit now, and even endeavoured to ainst his
”I do not understand,” she said tentatively ”How can my actions influence those of ne: he probably is not aware of that fact yet and”
”Sir Percy Blakeney ne at any moment now,” he interrupted quietly ”An I reat attractions to that peerless gentleman of fashi+on than doth this humble provincial town of France just at this present Hath it not the honour of harbouring Lady Blakeney within its gates? And your ladyshi+p may indeed believe me when I say that the day that Sir Percy lands in our hospitable port, two hundred pairs of eyes will be fixed upon hiain”
”And if there were two thousand, sir,” she said i as he pleased”
”Nay, fair lady,” he said, with a s Sir Percy Blakeney with the attributes which, as popular fancy has it, belong exclusively to that lish hero, the Scarlet Pimpernel?”
”A truce to your diplooaded by his sarcasm, ”why should we try to fence with one another? What was the object of your journey to England? of the farce which you enacted in my house, with the help of the woe, save that you desired to entice Sir Percy Blakeney to France?”
”And also his char wife,” he added with an ironical bow
She bit her lip, and made no comment
”Shall we say that I succeeded ad with persistent urbanity and cal cause to hope that the elusive Piuest on our friendly shores? There! you see I too have laid down the foils As you say, why should we fence? Your ladyshi+p is now in Boulogne, soon Sir Percy will come to try and take you away from us, but believe enuity and the daring of the Scarlet Piain unless”
”Unless?”
Marguerite held her breath She felt now as if the whole universethe next supreme moment, until she had heard what Chauvelin's next words would be