CHAPTER XXIII.
"At night he said--and look, 'tis near * * * Perhaps even now he climbs the wood-- Fly, fly--though still the west is bright,--
* * * * *
I know him--he'll not wait for night!" _Lalla Rookh._
However interested our readers may be in the immediate fate of Ellen, itis needful for the continuity of our story to return again to theTowers; and as the shepherd often returns back to seek, and drive onsome erring sheep to the flock, so must we often retrograde on our path,to pick up some lost hero, and bring him on till all are again united.
To the study, then, of the Earl let us again bend our eyes, where weleft Juana standing at the door. The surprise of the Earl was great, andmingled with it some impatience and anger, at thus seeing one he hadonce met on far different terms, yet one he had vowed not again toaddress in his life, standing on the threshold of his door.
"You here!" he exclaimed, frowning, and for the moment forgetting shewas there as a messenger, bringing important tidings; "did I notexpressly forbid you ever to enter my doors again? Did you not promiseyou would not? Was it not on this one condition I gave you house andmoney? You are forgetful, fair donna, let me refresh your memory bytelling you you have forfeited them!"
"My Lord, you gave them, and may retake them! I care not for yourgold--a tent with love is better than a throne without; it was not thusyou spoke to Juana when you tempted, and won her. Remember you thenpromised nothing should change your love while she lived--she is livingstill, but where is love?"
"I own my error--I repent my sin; I can do no more. Away, madam, away; Ihave sworn not to speak to you again on love--I will not perjure myself,away!"
"It is true you love another now; may she never prove how false, howfleeting your passion is."
"Away, Juana; for God's sake taunt me not. He knows I am bitterlypunished when she I love is faithless, perhaps, to me. Away--do you hearme--begone! What, lingering still? I command you to depart: would youhave me summon my servants to show you out?"
"I will go--I will take my secret with me. Lord Wentworth, hear me, youwill repent this to your dying day."
"Away, away, I dare not look at you!"
"Shall I, then, for ever keep my secret? Listen, my Lord; eternity wouldbe too short to mourn your error. I came to tell you about one youlove--about her for whom you forsook Juana--you shall not hear it."
"Oh, my God; what said you--about Ellen--where, where is my adored one?Forgive me, I was hasty--I am mad, driven mad--stay, I forgive you--oh,tell me!"
"Nay, I must begone; you bade me away--I obey you."
"Stay, for God's sake, stay; do not drive me distracted."
"Hear me, my Lord, were it not for her sake I would go."
"Yes," cried the Earl, rising and walking towards her, "taunt me with mycrime, I deserve it--upbraid me with my faithlessness, I can bearit--but oh! by His blessed name who formed us, withhold not thissecret."
"And why should I tell it, after all; is she not my rival? is she not--"
"Powers above, you escape me not thus--you know about Ellen--you shalltell me all--I will arrest you--imprison--torture--"
"Those days are past, you have not the power--and if you had, you mighttear my tongue from its roots--but never wring from it the secret itheld. Juana would die silent like the wolf; it would be of no use toimprison, nor punish me; to-night, to-night, she suffers, she whom youlove better than life--time is passing--every moment is precious asuntold wealth, even now, perhaps, she is in his power, even--"
"Oh, sumless agony! I have deserved this at your hand, but, hear me, Iwill do whatever you wish, Juana. I will marry you--yes, Iwill--bitterly as it would punish me--I will roll away yourreproach--you shall be a countess--only lead me to Ellen--let me saveher from this wrong. I love her to wildness--let me save her, though shecan never be mine!"
Like one half-distracted, the Earl wrung his hands as he spoke; close tohim stood Juana, calm, collected, self-possessed.
"Listen, my Lord, I could now accept your offer, and become your lawfulwife--the dearest name that I can have. I will not; Juana must be freelyloved, and she is not so base as to betray her friend. Ellen Ravensworthis my friend. I will, for her sake--for her noble sake--lead you towhere she is imprisoned,--a captive dove, and cruel hawks near. Youshall be happy, and live to remember her who gave all in this world andthe next for you--you, who deceived her. Name, fame, future bliss, all Ifreely give for Ellen's sake."
"Noble Juana," cried the Earl, and not even Ellen could have grudged thelook he gave her; "and now tell me who has dared imprison, and where hehas imprisoned her. Oh! be quick, time presses."
"Listen, then; I was the Italian minstrel, to me the care of Ellen wasgiven--her brother was my old lover, and for this I saved her. EdwardL'Estrange is he who dared make her his captive. To-night he will compelher to become his bride! but no, he will not. Ellen has a blade todeprive herself of life, should that be her last resource; and a heartto do it, should that alone save her from contempt and dishonour. I ambrief and curt in my story, for there is little time to waste: even nowperhaps we shall be too late, her own hand may have cut the thread oflife ere we reach her prison."
"Where is it, oh! heavens, where is it? I will fly thither. Oh! Ellen,my own darling, you in danger and I not there to support you! Juana, Ican never thank you enough, but tell me where."
"At Cessford's Peel--not seven miles hence."
"Ah!" cried the Earl, "I have it now--and you, fair traitress, are theauthor of my misery; had it not been this confession, nought would havesaved you, a heavy reckoning I would have had."
"You will believe me when I tell you I had not any hand in this; true Iwas led to believe by bad men it might restore me to honour and virtue,but God willed it otherwise. Ellen, by an accident, the sight of yondagger, was known to me, and--"
"Tarry not, life hangs on every word. Cessford's Peel, said you? andwhat room is her prison?"
"The refectory, with the tapestried walls--you are right--fly, fly tothe tower--I may lose life, I _shall_ lose liberty, by this confession;you see it is ingenuous."
"You shall not, Juana; stay with me, I care not what the world says,this is your home. I cannot give you my heart, all else, to the half ofmy wealth, I can, and I will."
"It is needless, I cannot accept; think you I could live so near him Iloved so well, and see him love another? No; you know not a woman'sheart. Man may love more than one--woman never: but we are losingprecious irrevocable time. Haste, the lady is even now in peril. I willaway to some distant strand, and bury there my love and my shame. Takeback your ring, you gave it to the Italian boy, not to Juana, thoughthey were the same being."
"Nay, keep it, and now for action. L'Estrange will find me a rough hostto reckon with."
The Earl sprung up, and rushing from the room frantically summoned allwho were near. "Arranmore, John, Musgrave, Scroop, all of you; thesecret is out, she is found, but there is danger yet."
Turning a deaf ear to a hundred questions that poured in on every side,the Earl rushed back to his room, to seek for Juana, but she was notthere. As he returned he met Lady Arranmore, who asked him in fear whatit all was.
"Ellen is found! I go to rescue her."
"Where, where is she?" asked the lady, but her brother was gone, and sheran up stairs to spread the happy news. Meantime the Earl and most ofthe gentlemen had reached the stables, and were helping the men tosaddle the horses as quick as possible. With the utmost despatch theEarl, the Marquis, Musgrave and Scroop, were mounted, and attended byWilton rode off, leaving the rest to follow as they might.
"Send two carriages to the Peel like lightning," was the Earl's lastorder.
The news, only half known, spread like wildfire through the castle, andit was much exaggerated, and added to in its travels from mouth to ear.Dreadful rumours of the young lady, being murdered, or dying, werefreely circulated, whilst the
re was mounting in hot haste, and retainerafter retainer rode off for the scene of action; last of all startedCaptain Wilson, not from any laggard feelings, but because the gallantseaman had mounted a fiery young steed he was ill able to manage, thoughhe stuck to it like a lion on the giraffe; thrice he was carried roundthe park ere he could rein him in and take the pathway, for it was youngNimrod he bestrode.
"Where is the Captain?" asked the Earl, as he and Musgrave rode side byside at a terrific pace. "Why does he not assist in the rescue?"
"The Captain rode to Edinburgh after dinner," answered Sir Richard, "orhe would have been the first, and foremost to rescue lady fair, as hehas ever been on the battle field."
"I trust so," said the Earl; and then to himself he muttered, "it iscurious, it surely cannot be he has any part in this, and yet I have ahorrid suspicion; his intimacy with wretched L'Estrange, that basefriend who turns to sting his protector's hand, who abuses thehospitality of his host, a terrible reckoning I will have. Oh God, shallI be in time?" And again he struck his spurs in his panting courser'sside, and rode as if for life, and life depended on every stroke of hishorse's hoofs.
"This grows exciting," said Scroop, "we are now nearing the den. Oh, tothink of L'Estrange so foully abusing the Earl's friendship; we shallhave a fight I hope. The fair girl shall see Scroop will not bringdisgrace on his name."
"Nor Musgrave either," said Sir Richard. "'Forsters Fenwicks andMusgraves they rode and they ran,' is not that the ballad?"
"I hope we shall have better luck than those Musgraves had," saidScroop.
The party were now in sight of the Peel; down the steep they rode asonly true followers of the chase could, and a noble quarry was in view.On they rode, the Earl foremost; his face red with conflicting hopes andfears, ire and burning ardour to show how he did battle for his ladylove. On his right and left rode the Marquis on a tall steed of the Arabbreed, and the false Musgrave; a few paces behind Scroop spurred on hishorse, as the jockey with the winning post in view presses on; behindhim galloped old Wilton; he was not last because he was unable to keephis foremost rank, but because like a faithful servant he wished hismaster to gain the praise of being first in, maybe with awful meaning,at the death! Just as they reached the greensward a loud "Tally ho,hillo there, tally ho! where ride you?" assailed their ears.
Without reining their horses they all looked back, and saw the Captain,who in hot haste rode up.
"God be thanked, my fears are groundless," said the Earl to himself, andthen aloud, "Ha! I thought the Captain would not be missing, in theforefront of the battle."
"Battle is it? By G--" said the soldier, "hurrah then! I was just ridingin from Edinburgh when I met my man Archy, and he told me to ride off toCessford's Peel, and something about Ellen being found. Egad I rode asif old Scratch was at my heels, and I am right glad I was in time: whereis the rampart to storm? Egad, Ellen shall see how John de Vere can dobattle for ladye bright!"
One or two others just then arrived, and amongst them young Nimrod, whosped in like a wild Indian, and pitched his rider fairly on thegreensward.
"Such a brute I never cruised on," said the Commander, rising all wetwith the dewy grass; "there was no steering him, he would not obey hishelm and has wrecked me at last on a leeshore."
This incident produced some laughter, and the appearance of the gallantsea captain as he got up, and the horse galloping round and round theenclosure, leaping and bounding with delight at thus ridding himself of,what doubtless he had thought, a wild beast, gripping him by neck andmane, was indeed ludicrous, and would have made the Earl laugh too onany other occasion. At the same moment Juana once more appeared. Whenthe Earl had run off for assistance, unseen, or unnoticed in theconfusion, she had left the castle, and remounting her fleet horse at agentle, but unbroken hand gallop, set off for the Peel, determined ifthe help should not come soon enough, she would at least risk anencounter with the three furious men to save Ellen; the mad haste withwhich the pursuers had however ridden across the country, whilst shetook the more circuitous route by the main road, had counteracted herplans, and she arrived a few moments after the rescuers.
"Ha, my guide, you here?" said the Earl; "why where have you been?" Ashriek from the high window of the castle rose slightly, but terribly onthe night air as he spoke. "Ye gods it is she; her cry for aid, and Inot there!"
"Haste, my Lord, or it may be too late," cried Juana.
There was no need of such a charge; like lightning the whole party weredismounted, and the Earl, followed by the Marquis and the others, fledup the entrance, mounting the stairs more like maniacs than men intheir eagerness. The Captain alone lingered behind, he was the onlyperson but Juana in sight.
"Then it was you, perjured woman, that betrayed our cause?"
"It was, bold, bad man."
"You did not compromise me?"
"I named no one but L'Estrange, though you deserved it."
"It is well for you,--you are a cunning asp, but one that bites too; hadyou spoken a word against my honour, you had died the death!"
"Your honour?" said Juana, in bitter irony.
"And if you dare breathe a syllable of my being an accomplice I willwring that head of yours off its fair neck. I will bring you to areckoning for this yet, by G--d, I will!"
"Take not his name on thy perjured lips."
"Avast there--keep thy viperous tongue still, it has done mischiefenough already for one night; but I must not delay. Ha, they batter thedoor do they, it will stand the best of them," so saying he sped up thestairs crying: "Egad, I had lost you in this old labyrinth. Blaze away,Arranmore, I will help."
Whilst the Captain had been talking with Juana, the five others hadreached the door, and were wild at finding it locked within, and wellable to withstand the attack.
"God grant," said the Earl, "she be not murdered within, and hermurderer fled; I dread the silence: try again, Arranmore, try, oh! oncemore."
The Captain smiled in scorn. "It stood me," he muttered to himself.
But at that moment the Marquis again threw his giant size and strengthagainst the oaken door; it shook like an aspen, but still it held firm.
"Once more," he cried, "all help, it must be supernatural if it stillstands."
Suiting the action to the word the Earl, Musgrave, and the Captain,leant their full weight against the framework, and the Marquis throwingback his form once more struck the door with his shoulder. Before theshock of the young Titan it yielded like a thin panel before the boxer'sglove, and with a terrible crash the whole fell in, tearing with it, inits descent, the iron hinges soldered into the masonry, that fell likepowder; and the bolts, that drew out the framework with them as theyyielded. A loud shout of joy followed this wonderful display ofstrength, and a louder cry still, partly of joy, partly of that wildfury with which foe meets foe, partly of that bounding thrill when wesave the life of a fellow being--especially if she be fair and young,partly of that yell of vengeance when we behold the miscreant, on whom ajust punishment is to fall. A wilder shout still when they saw, over thewreck of the portal, her whom they had ridden and striven so hard tosave, and him they had ridden and striven so hard to be avenged on. Inthe silver beams of the moon stood Ellen, trembling. More in the shadestill, and for a moment hardly discernible, stood Edward L'Estrange,calm, unmoved, placid, yet they who read his eye saw in him the fury ofthe lion, brought to bay. In his hand he held a pistol. There might be ahard struggle yet ere they held him captive.
The Weird of the Wentworths: A Tale of George IV's Time, Vol. 1 Page 23