The Midnight Queen

by May Agnes Fleming

  CHAPTER XXIII. FINIS

  As the last glimpse of moonlight and of Hubert's bright face vanished,Leoline took to pacing up and down the room in a most conflicting andexcited state of mind. So many things had happened during the pastnight; so rapid and unprecedented had been the course of events; sochanged had her whole life become within the last twelve hours, thatwhen she came to think it all over, it fairly made her giddy. Dressingfor her bridal; the terrible announcement of Prudence; the death-likeswoon; the awakening at the plague-pit; the maniac flight through thestreets; the cold plunge in the river; her rescue; her interview withSir Norman, and her promise; the visit of La Masque; the appearance ofthe count; her abduction; her journey here; the coming of Hubert, andtheir suddenly-discovered relationship. It was enough to stun any one;and the end was not yet. Would Hubert effect his escape? Would they beable to free her? What place was this, and who was Count L'Estrange? Itwas a great deal easier to propound this catechism to herself thanto find answers to her own questions; and so she walked up and down,worrying her pretty little head with all sorts of anxieties, until itwas a perfect miracle that softening of the brain did not ensue.

  Her feet gave out sooner than her brain, though; and she got so tiredbefore long, that she dropped into a seat, with a long-drawn, anxioussigh; and, worn out with fatigue and watching, she, at last, fellasleep.

  And sleeping, she dreamed. It seemed to her that the count and SirNorman were before her, in her chamber in the old house on LondonBridge, tossing her heart between them like a sort of shuttlecock.By-and-by, with two things like two drumsticks, they began hammeringaway at the poor, little, fluttering heart, as if it were an anvil andthey were a pair of blacksmiths, while the loud knocks upon it resoundedthrough the room. For a time, she was so bewildered that she could notcomprehend what it meant; but, at last, she became conscious that someone was rapping at the door. Pressing one hand over her startled heart,she called "Come in!" and the door opened and George entered.

  "Count L'Estrange commands me to inform you, fair lady, that he willdo himself the pleasure of visiting you immediately, with Sir NormanKingsley, if you are prepared to receive them."

  "With Sir Norman Kingsley!" repeated Leoline, faintly. "I-I am afraid Ido not quite understand."

  "Then you will not be much longer in that deplorable state," saidGeorge, backing out, "for here they are."

  "Pardon this intrusion, fairest Leoline," began the count, "but SirNorman and I are about to start on a journey, and before we go, there isa little difference of opinion between us that you are to settle."

  Leoline looked first at one, and then at the other, utterly bewildered.

  "What is it?" she asked.

  "A simple matter enough. Last evening, if you recollect, you were mypromised bride."

  "It was against my will," said Leoline, boldly, though her voice shook,"You and Prudence made me."

  "Nay, Leoline, you wrong me. I, at least, need no compulsion."

  "You know better. You haunted me continually; you gave me no peace atall; and I would just have married you to get rid of you."

  "And you never loved me?"

  "I never did."

  "A frank confession! Did you, then, love any one else?"

  The dark eyes fell, and the roseate glow again tinged the pearly face.

  "Mute!" said the count, with an almost imperceptible smile. "Look up,Leoline, and speak."

  But Leoline would do neither. With all her momentary daring gone, shestood startled as a wild gazelle.

  "Shall I answer for her, Sir Count?" exclaimed Sir Norman, his own cheekdashed. "Leoline! Leoline! you love me!"

  Leoline was silent.

  "You are to decide between us, Leoline. Though the count forciblybrought you here, he has been generous enough to grant this. Say, then,which of as you love best."

  "I do not love him at all," said Leoline, with a little disdain, "and heknows it."

  "Then it is I!" said Sir Norman, him whole face beaming with delight.

  "It is you!"

  Leoline held out both hands to the loved one, and nestled close to hisside, like a child would to its protector.

  "Fairly rejected!" said the count, with a pacing shade of mortificationon his brow; "and, my word being pledged, I most submit. But, beautifulLeoline, you have yet to learn whom you have discarded."

  Clinging to her lover's arm, the girl grew white with undefinedapprehension. Leisurely, the count removed false wig, false eyebrows,false beard; and a face well known to Leoline, from pictures anddescription, turned full upon her.

  "Sire!" she cried, in terror, calling on her knees with clasped hands.

  "Nay; rise, fair Leoline," said the king, holding out his hand to assisther. "It is my place to kneel to one so lovely instead of having herkneel to me. Think again. Will you reject the king as you did thecount?"

  "Pardon, your majesty!", said Leoline, scarcely daring to look up; "butI must!"

  "So be it! You are a perfect miracle of troth and constancy, and I thinkI can afford to be generous for once. In fifteen minutes, we start forOxford, and you must accompany us as Lady Kingsley. A tiring woman willwait upon you to robe you for your bridal. We will leave you now, andlet me enjoin expedition."

  And while she still stood too much astonished by the sudden proposal toanswer, both were gone, and in their place stood a smiling lady's maid,with a cloud of gossamer white in her arms.

  "Are those for me?" inquired Leoline, looking at them, and trying tocomprehend that it was all real.

  "They are for you--sent by Mistress Stuart, herself. Please sit down,and all will be ready in a trice."

  And in a trice all was ready. The shining, jetty curls were smoothed,and fell in a glossy shower, trained with jewels--the pearls Leolineherself still wore. The rose satin was discarded for another of bridalwhite, perfect of fit, and splendid of feature. A great gossamer veillike a cloud of silver mist over all, from head to foot; and Leoline wasshown herself in a mirror, and in the sudden transformation, couldhave exclaimed, with the unfortunate lady in Mother Goose, shorn of hertresses when in balmy slumber: "As sure as I'm a little woman, this isnone of it!" But she it was, nevertheless, who stood listening like onein a trance, to the enthusiastic praises of her waiting-maid.

  Again there was a tap at the door. This time the attendant openedit, and George reappeared. Even he stood for a moment looking at thesilver-shining vision, and so lost in admiration, that he almost forgothis message. But when Leoline turned the light of her beautiful eyesinquiringly upon him, he managed to remember it, and announced that hehad been sent by the king to usher her to the royal presence.

  With a feet-throbbing heart, flushed cheeks, and brilliant eyes, thedazzling bride followed him, unconscious that she had never looked soincomparably before in her life. It was but a few hours since she haddressed for another bridal; and what wonderful things had occurred sincethen--her whole destiny had changed in a night. Not quite sure yet butthat she was still dreaming, she followed on--saw George throw open thegreat doors of the audience-chamber, and found herself suddenly inwhat seemed to her a vast concourse of people. At the upper end of theapartment was a brilliant group of ladies, with the king's beautifulfavorite in their midst, gossiping with knots of gentlemen. The kinghimself stood in the recess of a window, with his brother, the Duke ofYork, the Earl of Rochester, and Sir Norman Kingsley, and was laughingand relating animatedly to the two peers the whole story. Leolinenoticed this, and noticed, too, that all wore traveling dresses--most ofthe ladies, indeed, being attired in riding-habits.

  The king himself advanced to her rescue, and drawing her arm withinhis, he led her up and presented her to the fair Mistress Stuart, whoreceived her with smiling graciousness though Leoline, all unusedto court ways, and aware of the lovely lady's questionable position,returned it almost with cold hauteur. Charles being in an unusuallygracious mood, only smiled as he noticed it, and introduced her next tohis brother of York, and her former short acquaintance, Rochester.

/>   "There's no need, I presume, to make you acquainted with this othergentleman," said Charles, with a laughing glance at Sir Norman."Kingsley, stand forward and receive your bride. My Lord of Canterbury,we await your good offices."

  The bland bishop, in surplice and stole, and book in hand, stepped froma distant group, and advanced. Sir Norman, with a flush on his cheek,and an exultant light in his eyes, took the hand of his beautiful bridewho stood lovely, and blushing, and downcast, the envy and admiration ofall. And

  "Before the bishop now they stand, The bridegroom and the bride; And who shall paint what lovers feel In this, their hour of pride?"

  Who indeed? Like many other pleasant things is this world, it requiresto be felt to be appreciated; and, for that reason, it is a subject onwhich the unworthy chronicler is altogether incompetent to speak. Thefirst words of the ceremony dropped from the prelate's urbane lips, andSir Norman's heart danced a tarantella within him. "Wilt thou?" inquiredthe bishop, blandly, and slipped a plain gold ring on one pretty fingerof Leoline's hand and all heard the old, old formula: "What God hathjoined together, let no man put asunder!" And the whole mystic rite wasover.

  Leoline gave one earnest glance at the ring on her finger. Long ago,slaves wore rings as the sign of their bondage--is it for the samereason married women wear them now? While she yet looked half-doubtfullyat it, she was surrounded, congratulated, and stunned with asadden clamor of voices; and then, through it all, she heard thewell-remembered voice of Count L'Estrange, saying:

  "My lords and ladies, time is on the wing, and the sun is already halfan hour high! Off with you all to the courtyard, and mount, while LadyKingsley changes her wedding-gear for robes more befitting travel, andjoins us there."

  With a low obeisance to the king, the lovely bride hastened away afterone of the favorite's attendants, to do as he directed, and don ariding-suit. In ten minutes after, when the royal cavalcade started, sheturned from the pest-stricken city, too and fairest, where all was fair,by Sir Norman's side rode Leoline.

  Sitting one winter night by a glorious winter fire, while the snow andhail lashed the windows, and the wind without roared like Bottom, theweaver, a pleasant voice whispered the foregoing tale. Here, as itpaused abruptly, and seemed to have done with the whole thing, Inaturally began to ask questions. What happened the dwarf and hiscompanions? What became of Hubert? Did Sir Norman and Lady Kingsley goto Devonshire, and did either of them die of the plague? I felt, myself,when I said it, that the last suggestion was beneath contempt, and so awithering look from the face opposite proved; but the voice was obligingenough to answer the rest of my queries. The dwarf and his cronies beingput into his majesty's jail of Newgate, where the plague was ragingfearfully, they all died in a week, and so managed to cheat theexecutioner. Hubert went to France, and laid his claims before the royalLouis, who, not being able to do otherwise, was graciously pleased toacknowledge them; and Hubert became the Marquis de Montmorenci, and inthe fullness of time took unto himself a wife, even of the daughters ofthe land, and lived happy for ever after.

  And Sir Norman and Lady Kingsley did go to the old manor in Devonshire,where--with tradition and my informant--there is to be seen to this day,an old family-picture, painted some twelve years after, representingthe knight and his lady sitting serenely in their "ain ingle nook"with their family around them. Sir Norman,--a little portlier, a littlegraver, in the serious dignity of pater familias; and Leoline, with thedark, beautiful eyes, the falling, shining hair, the sweet smiling lips,and lovely, placid face of old. Between them, on three hassocks, sitthree little boys; while the fourth, and youngest, a miniature littleSir Norman, leans against his mother's shoulder, and looks thoughtfullyin her sweet, calm face. Of the fate of those four, the same ancientlore affirms: "That the eldest afterward bore the title of Earl ofKingsley; that the second became a lord high admiral, or chancellor, orsomething equally highfalutin; and that the third became an archbishop.But the highest honor of all was reserved for the fourth, and youngest,"continued the narrating voice, "who, after many days, sailed forAmerica, and, in the course of time, became President of the UnitedStates."

  Determined to be fully satisfied on this point, at least, the authorinvested all her spare change in a catalogue of all the said Presidents,from George Washington to Chester A. Arthur, and, after a diligent andabsorbing perusal of that piece of literature, could find no such nameas Kingsley whatever; and has been forced to come to the conclusion thathe most have applied to Congress to change his name on arriving in theNew World, or else that her informant was laboring reader a falsehoodwhen she told her so. As for the rest,

  "I know not how the truth may be; I say it as 'twas said to me."