Part 7 (1/2)
It was old Nicholas who brought the news nexttheir fast
Lionel should have kept his bed that day, but dared not, lest the fact should arouse suspicion He had a little fever, the natural result both of his wound and of his loss of blood; he was inclined to welcome rather than deplore it, since it set a flush on cheeks that otherwiseupon his brother's ars and s ell risen
Nicholas burst in upon theasped out his tale of the event in a voice of terror, and both brothers affected to be shocked, dismayed and incredulous But the worst part of that old itation, was yet to be announced
”And they do zay,” he cried with anger quivering through his fear, ”they do zay that it were you that killed he, Sir Oliver”
”I?” quoth Sir Oliver, staring, and suddenly like a flood there burst upon his mind a hundred reasons overlooked until this e the countryside to this conclusion, and to this conclusion only ”Where heard you that foul lie?”
In the tumult of his mind he never heeded what ansas returned by Nicholas What could it ; by noould be the accusation on the lips of every man There was one course to take and he must take it instantly--as he had taken it once before in like case He ht to Rosamund to forestall the tale that others would carry to her God send he did not coet his boots and hat, then to the stables for a horse, and he ay over the shortby bridle and track oal He met none until he fetched up in the courtyard at Godolphin Court Thence a babble of excited voices had reached hieneral silence, o A dozen men or more were assembled there, and their eyes considered hier
He leapt down fro for one of the three Godolphin grooms he had perceived in that asse that none stirred--
”Ho?” he cried ”Does no one wait here? Hither, sirrah, and hold room addressed hesitated aeye, he shuffled sullenly forward to do as he was bid A lance upon it, and every tongue trembled into silence
In that silence he strode up the steps, and entered the rush-strewn hall As he vanished he heard the hubbub behind him break out anew, fiercer than it had been before But he nothing heeded it
He found himself face to face with a servant, who shrank before hi as those in the courtyard had stared His heart sank It was plain that he caot there ahead of him
”Where is your mistress?” said he
”II will tell her you are here, Sir Oliver,” the h a doorway on the right Sir Oliver stood ahis boots with his whip, his face pale, a deep line between his brows Then thethe door after him
”Mistress Rosamund bids you depart, sir She will not see you”
A moment Sir Oliver scanned the servant's face--or appeared to scan it, for it is doubtful if he saw the fellow at all Then for only answer he strode forward towards the door from which the man had issued The servant set his back to it, his face resolute
”Sir Oliver, my mistress will not see you”
”Out of ry, contemptuous fashi+on, and as the round, Sir Oliver took him by the breast of his jacket, heaved hi in mid-apartment, dressed by an odd irony all in bridal white, that yet was not as white as was her face Her eyes looked like two black stains, sole as they fastened up on this intruder ould not be refused Her lips parted, but she had no word for him She just stared in a horror that routed all his audacity and checked the masterfulness of his advance At last he spoke
”I see that you have heard,” said he, ”the lie that runs the countryside That is evil enough But I see that you have lent an ear to it; and that is worse”
She continued to regard hi, this child that but two days ago had lain against his heart gazing up at him in trust and adoration
”Rosamund!” he cried, and approached her by another step ”Rosamund! I ao,” she said, and her voice had in it a quality that made hio? You will not hear me?”
”I consented to hear you more than once; refused to hear others who knew better than I, and was heedless of their warnings There is no more to be said between us I pray God that theyyou”
He hite to the lips, and for the first ti under hiThey could not hurtht I value, since your faith into be blown upon by the first rumour of the countryside”