XXXIII
IN WHICH I HEAR CHANCEFUL TIDINGS
You are not to suppose that the hazards of this hiding place in my LordCornwallis's headquarters would keep me from sleeping well and soundly.One of the things a soldier learns soonest is to take his rest when andas he can; and after peering curiously into the nooks and corners of mygarret to make sure I was alone, I flung myself a-sprawl on the broadsettle and was dropping off into forgetfulness when I heard a tapping atthe wainscot.
It fetched me wide awake with a start, and I was up and weaponedinstantly--having taken the precaution to lay my sword in easy reachbefore blowing out the candle. Groping my way cautiously to the secretdoor, I crouched and listened. All was silent save for the intermittentclamor of the wassailers in the room beneath. After waiting a fullminute I opened the door and looked without. The high dormer window inthe end of the corridor made the darkness something less than visible,and I could see that the passage was empty. But on the floor at my feetwas my supper; a roasted fowl on a server, hot from the spit, withmaize bread and garnishings fit for an epicure.
Since, as an appanage of Appleby Hundred, this was mine own house, and,by consequence, the fowl was mine, I ate as a hungry man should, makingno scruple on the score of pride. Nor did I forget to be grateful to mylady; though when I remembered that this was doubtless but another leafout of her duty-book, the meat was like to choke me. And it was thisthought that made me resolve thrice over to loose her from the onerousburden of me so soon as ever the morning light should come to help mefind the way out of my covert prison.
None the less, for all my fine resolves to be astir and off by daybreak,the sun was shining broadly in at my garret window when I awoke.
Seeing the sun, I tumbled out of my settle-bed, with a malediction onthe sloth that had bound me so fast, and made for the door. But some onehad been before me, entering whilst I slept. On a broken chair were abasin and ewer, with soap and towels; beside the chair was myportmanteau; and on a deal box, neatly covered with a linen cloth, wasmy breakfast.
You, my dears, who have your maid or man to tell you when your bath isready, and to lay out the fresh, clean garments sweet from thelaundering, may wonder that I put away the thought of flight and let thebreakfast cool whilst I shaved and washed and scrubbed, and doffed thevagabond and donned the gentleman. I did it; did it leisurely, rollingthe privilege as a sweet morsel under my tongue. They say the raimentnever makes the man; 'tis a half-truth only. For in his own regard, atleast, the man is vagabond or gentleman as he may dress the one part orthe other. And I am sure of this; that when I drew up another of thecast-off chairs to sit at meat, freshly groomed, and clad in the fielduniform of a captain of her Apostolic Majesty's Hussars, I was thefitter by many transmigrations to cope with fate or any other adversary.
And now, the claims of decency paid in full, and the keen edge of hungersomewhat dulled, I was free to think of my sweet lady's loving-kindnessto one she hated--and to wonder what she would do and be for one sheloved. As you would guess, there were dregs of bitterness in that cup;and I was once again set sharp upon relieving her of the burden of me.
Having my Austrian uniform, I was now ready to move in that ventureoutlined in part to Colonel Davie; but to set my plan in action I mustfirst get free of the house unseen by my Lord or any of his suite. Howto do this unaided I could not determine; and, since any freshblundering would surely breed new trouble for Margery, I was forced towait for her return.
I made sure she would come, if only to be the sooner quit of me; and soshe did, tapping at the wainscot door whilst I was dallying with thebreakfast leavings. 'Twas worth something to see her start of surprisewhen I opened to her; but she was far too true a lady to be one thingto the unwashed vagabond and another to the gentleman-clad.
I gave her good morning, and was beginning in some formal fashion tothank her for her thoughtful care, when she cut me short.
"'Tis my bounden duty, sir," she said, twanging once again upon thatfrayed string. "You are my guest and my--husband; though God knows Iwould you were neither."
"_Merci, Madame_," said I; stung so sharply that the retort would out inspite of everything. "As once before, I am your poor misfortunatepensioner; but this time you are not less willing to give than I am toreceive."
She gave me a look that I could not fathom, and for a flitting instant Icould have sworn there was a mocking smile a-lurk at the back of thebeautiful eyes. Then she went straight to the subject-matter of hererrand, brushing aside the small passage at arms as if it had not been.
"You are in a most perilous situation, Captain Ireton; do you know it?News of your presence in Charlotte has got abroad, and at this verymoment Tarleton's dragoons are making a house-to-house search for you."
"So; some one has betrayed me?"
She nodded.
"Do you know who it was?"
She nodded again.
I considered of it for a little time, and then said: "I must not betaken here. Will your--ah--_duty_ stretch the length of showing me anunwatched door?"
"There are no doors unwatched. You must stay here till nightfall."
"Nay, that I will not. Will you tell me who it was set them on?"
"'Twas a man you hate--and who hates you heartily in return. He saw youcome here last night; he knows you are here now--or guesses it."
I had no right to pry into her confidence as a thief would break into ahouse. But I was loath to fight my battle in the dark if she, or anyone, could give me light.
"His name, if you may give it, Mistress Margery. It may point the wayout of this coil."
"'Tis Owen Pengarvin. He was here last night when you came."
Now I remembered the little man in black whom I had seen coming down thestair whilst I knocked at the door. But this left me in a greater mazethan ever.
"If he knows I am here, why does he let them search elsewhere?"
At this she looked away from me, and I made sure I saw the sweet chinquiver when she spoke.
"He has reasons of his own; reasons of--of--" but instead of telling mewhat they were she broke off to say: "But now you know why all the doorsof this house are under guard."
"Truly," said I; and therewith I fell to pacing up and down the narrowclear-way in the garret, striving to see how I might come off withnothing worse than the loss of my burdensome life.
'Twas easy to guess how this shaveling lawyer had discomfited me.Forewarned is forearmed in any soldier camp; and through his blabbing,the plan by which I had hoped to lull resentment and forestall suspicionwas nipped in the bud. I saw the far-reaching consequences, and was madeto know how a trapped rat will turn and fight in sheer desperationwhilst the terrier is shaking him to death.
When that leaven began to work in me I was fit for the daringest thingthat offered; so I paused to ask if my Lord Cornwallis were yet in thehouse.
"He is writing letters in his bed-room," was her answer.
"If you will show me the way thither I shall be your poor debtor by thatmuch more."
"I will not--unless you first tell me what you mean to do." She said itfirmly, but now I was fronting death and could be as firm as she.
"If you will not show me the way, I shall find it for myself." So much Isaid; but as for telling her that I meant to save his Lordship and allthe others the trouble of running me down, I could not do that.
"You are going to give yourself up," she said; and when I would not denyit, she darted before me and set her back against the wainscot door."'Tis folly, folly!" she cried. "He would but pull the bell-cord and--"
"And give the order that Colonel Tarleton's sentence be executed uponme, you would say. Be it so. But in that event I can at least clear youand your father of any complicity in my hiding."
"I say you shall not go!"
What touch of savagery is it in a man that will not suffer him to let awoman, loved or unloved, stand in the last resort against his will? Atany other time I would have pleaded with her; would have ended, mayhap,by weakly
deferring to her wish. But now--well, you must remember, mydears, that I was the trapped rat. I took her gently in my arms, set heraside, and stepped out into the corridor.
I looked for nothing less than a volcano-burst of righteous indignationto pay me out for this piece of tyranny. But now, as twice or thricebefore, my lady showed me how little a man may know of a woman's moods.
"You need not be so masterful rough with me," she said, with a poutingof the sweet lips that set me back upon that thought of a wayward childwanting to be kissed. "If you say I must, I am in duty bound to show youthe way." And so she led on and I followed, in a deeper maze than anyshe had ever set me in.
Arrived at a pair of doors in the main passage, she showed me the onethat opened to my Lord's bed-chamber and ran away; ran with her hands toher face as if to shut out a sight which would not bear looking upon.
I turned my back stiffly upon this newer wonder, pulled myself togetherand rapped on the door. A voice within bade me enter; the door openedunder my hand and I stood in the presence of the man who, as I made nodoubt, would shortly summon his guards and have me out to my rope andtree.
The Master of Appleby Page 35