The Master of the Ceremonies

by George Manville Fenn

semi-darkness, and placed hishand upon the woman's breast.

  Then he snatched his hand away and felt giddy. But a throb of joy ranthrough him. Her heart was beating, and he felt sure she was onlyfainting from the fright.

  "Why don't you speak, sir?" cried Bell angrily. "Is she much hurt?"

  "I think not, my man, only fainting," said Linnell.

  "Well?"

  This to Mellersh, who came to him from where he had laid Rockley.

  "I don't know," was the answer to the abrupt query. "Only stunned, Ithink. Head cut with the broken glass."

  "Not killed then?" said Linnell bitterly.

  "No. Such as he generally come off easily," replied Mellersh. "What'sto be done?"

  "Better send our man back for a fresh post-chaise," said Linnellquickly. "Will you attend to Miss Denville?" he whispered. "I thinkI'll take one of the horses and ride back myself for the chaise."

  "Why not let me go, Dick?"

  "No," said Linnell in sombre tones. "I've stopped this wretched flight.My part's done. Mellersh, I trust to you to place her once more underher father's charge."

  "Will not you do it?"

  "I? No. I have done. We'll send this man for the chaise, though.That scoundrel Rockley may come to again and be troublesome."

  "Lookye here, gents," said the man who had ridden the wheeler, "we wantto know who's going to pay for this night's job. My leg's bad; my 'ossis dead; and the chay's all to pieces."

  "Wait and see, my man," said Mellersh sternly. "You will berecompensed."

  "But fine words butter no parsnips, you know, sir. I want to know--"

  "Hold your tongue, fellow! I am Colonel Mellersh, of Saltinville. Thatman you were driving is Major Rockley, of the --th Dragoons. Of courseeverything will be paid for, and you will be recompensed. Now then,which of you can ride back for a fresh chaise?"

  "Well, sir, I--"

  "Damn it, man, don't talk. Five guineas if a chaise is here within anhour."

  "Ah, that's business, sir. Come on, mate. We'll be back before then."

  The man seemed to forget his bruised leg, and with the help of hiscomrade the girths were unbuckled, and the saddle dragged off the deadhorse, placed upon the other, and they were about to start when thefirst postboy asked whether it would be safe to leave the injured chaisewhere it was.

  As it happened, in the struggle it had been dragged off the road on tothe grass border, and lay there, so that there was ample room forpassers-by; and, satisfied with this, the postboys were off at a rapidtrot.

  "Rather an awkward position if that fellow is seriously injured," saidLinnell grimly.

  "Pooh! man; it was an accident, and he was engaged in an unlawful act,"said Mellersh coolly, but with a peculiar meaning in his tone.

  Linnell winced, for the mental pang was sharp. His old friend suggestedthat Claire might have been a willing partner in that night's adventure.

  He made no reply. He dared not, for fear that it should be an angryretort; and content that he had certainly for the present frustratedRockley's machinations, he walked to his side, and, seeing that histemple was bleeding, he knelt down by him, took out his handkerchief,and bound up the cut, furtively watching Mellersh the while as he stoodby the other prostrate figure on the turf.

  Linnell longed to go to her and kneel there, holding her little hand inhis, but he was too heartsore; and, telling himself that there was moredignity in keeping aloof and playing the manly part of ceasing to carefor one whom he believed to be unworthy of his love, even if he renderedhelp when there was need, he contented himself with deputing the care hewould gladly have bestowed to another.

  It had grown darker during the past few minutes, a thicker cloud havingveiled the sky, when, as Linnell rose from where he knelt, he heard asigh which went through him.

  "She is coming round," he muttered. "Poor girl! Poor, weak, foolishgirl! I--"

  "Why, Dick!" cried Mellersh in a sharp, angry voice. "Come here!"

  "What is it? There is no danger, is there?" cried Linnell, hasteningacross the road.

  "Danger? No," cried Mellersh angrily. "Whom do you suppose we havestopped here?"

  "Whom? Miss Denville, of course, and--Good Heavens!--Miss Dean!"

  "What is it? Where am I? You--Mr Linnell!--Colonel Mellersh!" saidCora confusedly, as she struggled up into a sitting position.

  "At your service, madam," said Mellersh, with a peculiar bitterness inhis voice.

  "What has happened?" cried Cora, holding her hand to her head, andstaring wildly round till her eyes lighted upon the broken chaise."Oh!"

  She said no more, but struggled to her feet, turned giddy, and wouldhave fallen, had not Mellersh caught her arm and supported her.

  It was evident that she had realised her position in that one glance,and she seemed to shudder slightly. At the end of a few minutes,though, she recovered, and, shrinking from Mellersh, she looked round.

  "Give me that cloak," she said calmly. "It is cold."

  Linnell, who was half-stunned by the discovery, hurriedly stooped andpicked up the cloak, spreading it rather clumsily and placing it uponher shoulders.

  "Thank you," she said coldly; and there was an awkward pause, duringwhich Mellersh walked to and fro with the look of a caged wild beast.

  "Well?" said Cora suddenly. "Why are we waiting, Colonel Mellersh?Will you kindly see me home?"

  "See you home?" he replied.

  "Where is that man--Major Rockley?" cried Cora hastily.

  "I am afraid he is incapacitated for further service, Miss Dean," saidMellersh coldly. "The accident has prevented him from carrying out--shall I say your wishes?"

  "What?" she replied. "Do you think I--! Pah!"

  She turned her back upon him angrily.

  "Mr Linnell," she said, "you will not insult me if I ask you to see mesafely home, even if I do not enter into any explanations. Let us go atonce."

  There was a strange resentful hauteur in her tone, and Linnell offeredher his arm.

  "We will walk a little way if you wish it, Miss Dean," he said; "but weought hardly to leave Major Rockley in this state. My friend ColonelMellersh--"

  "Don't mind me, Dick," said the latter. "I'll play hospital nurse, ifMiss Dean will trust me with the care of the Major."

  Cora did not condescend to reply, but stepped forward as if to walkback.

  "We are many miles from Saltinville, Miss Dean," said Linnell, "and apost-chaise will be here soon."

  Further conversation was prevented by James Bell whispering hurriedly:

  "It's all a mistake, Mr Linnell, and the consequences will be terribleif I am found to have taken the Major's horses. Can you do without me?"

  "Yes," said Linnell quickly; "but your master?"

  "I can't think of him, sir," said Bell hastily. "I must think ofmyself. Gentlemen, I thought we were chasing another lady whom I wouldhave given my life to save. I stood by you; will you stand by me?"

  "Yes," said Mellersh quickly. "Take the horses back. I'll stay by yourmaster till help comes."

  "And you will not tell upon me about the horses, gentlemen?"

  "No," said Mellersh shortly. "Go."

  "And you, Mr Linnell?"

  "You may trust me," was the reply.

  Bell went off with the horses on the instant, and a tedious time ofwaiting ensued, the end of which was that it was arranged when the freshpost-chaise came that Mellersh should ride with Cora and the injured manback to the posting house, Linnell walking by the side of the chaise.

  On reaching the inn, Rockley was placed in the landlord's care, withinstructions to fetch a medical man, and the three afterwards had aperfectly silent ride back to Saltinville, where Mrs Dean was foundsitting up in a high state of excitement, and ready to greet herdaughter:

  "Lor! Bet--Cora--you have give me a turn. I thought it was a realelopement, and now you've come back."

  "Well, Dick," said Mellersh grimly, as they stood together in thelatter's room.
"What do you think of it now?"

  "I think I've been a fool," said Linnell shortly; "but I can't quitemake it out."

  "Neither can I," responded Mellersh, after a pause.

  Volume Two, Chapter XXVIII.

  UNDER A THICK CLOAK.

  "You'll be so glad to hear, my dear," prattled on Mrs Barclay, who wasexceedingly warm and happy. "There's quite a reconciliation, my dear."

  "Reconciliation?"

  "Yes, dear. Young Cornet Denville has just fetched her to take herround the grounds, which is just as it should be, you know. I'd havegone with them, but I'm afraid of the night air, and catching a badcold, you see, and so I think it's better not to risk taking a chill,and--"

  "Who fetched her--Cornet Denville?"

  "Yes, my dear, her brother; and I've been thinking--"

  "Don't talk, Mrs Barclay," cried Cora quickly--"don't talk, pray, onlytell me which way she went."

  "Through that door, my dear, and on to the lawn. You'll catch 'em ifyou make haste. Bless us and save us, what is the matter with her? Anyone would think poor Claire had run off with her young man. Dear, dear!what a blessing to be sure," sighed Mrs Barclay complacently, as shefanned herself, "to have one's own Jo-si-ah, and no troubles of thatkind now."

  Cora was gone--out through the window and on to the grass. There werecouples here and there in the dim light, but not those she wished tosee, as she stood passing her large lace scarf over her head.

  "What shall I do?" she moaned; and in frantic haste she ran down thefirst path she came to, feeling more and more sure that she was wrong;but directly after she found that this crossed a broad grass path atright angles; and as she reached it she uttered a gasp, for there was acouple coming down towards her, and she felt rather than saw that it wasthose she sought.

  They were close upon her, coming between the bushes, and Morton wastalking loudly, with the thick utterance of one nearly inebriated, whileClaire was answering in a troubled way.

  "Very sorry," he said slowly, "sorry, little sis. Love you too much notto 'pologise, but--man's position--as officer and a gentleman--"

  "Yes, yes, dear, you've said so before."

  "And I must say you--Hallo! Who's thish?"

  "Claire!" cried Cora, in a low whisper. "Back to the house--quick!"

  "Miss Dean!"

  "Yes. Quick! For heaven's sake. Go. Your father."

  Cora did not know it, but she had touched the right chord.

  Claire had seemed startled at first, and had hesitated as they stoodtogether in the darkness with Morton holding the new-comer's arm; but asCora exclaimed, as the place of safety Claire was to seek, "yourfather!" the thought flashed through Claire's brain that he had had someterrible seizure--or, worse, that horror of which he was in dread hadcome upon him, and in an instant, she had turned and run back towardsthe house.

  "Why, what the dickensh--I say, what's matter?" stammered Morton."Here, Miss Dean, I know you--you know--bu'ful Miss Dean. Proud of yourcompany. Officer and a gentleman--and take my--"

  It was so cleverly done that Cora was taken by surprise. She was about,as the simplest way out of the difficulty, to take the lad's arm, andwalk back with him to the house, when there was a slight rustle behindher, the sound of a blow or fall, and the latter muffled and strange,for a great cavalry cloak was thrown over her head, twisted tightlyround her, binding her arms to her side, and stifling the cry sheuttered; and as she struggled fiercely for her liberty she was liftedfrom her feet and borne away.

  It was all done so quickly that she was staggered, and she had notrecovered from her confusion when she felt herself forced into acarriage--the chaise, evidently, of which she had heard. Then came thebanging of a door as she was held back by two strong arms, the swayingand jerking of the chaise as it went over rough ground and ruts. Thenshe realised that it swayed more than ever as they turned on to a hardroad, and she could hear the dull, smothered rattle of the wheels andthe tramp of horses' feet.

  She was a woman of plenty of strength of mind; but, for the time being,the fact of having fallen into this trap laid for Claire stunned her,and she felt a depressing dread. But by degrees this gave place to herreturning courage, and she struggled furiously, but found that she wastightly held, and a deep voice she knew kept on bidding her to bepatient--not to be alarmed--and the like.

  In the midst of her excitement she ceased struggling and lay back in thecorner of the chaise thinking, for the adventure had now assumed aludicrous aspect. It was dramatic--a scene that might have happened ina play, and she laughed as she thought of Major Rockley's rage anddisappointment when he realised his mistake.

  "I'm not afraid of him," she thought, "and I hate him with all my heart.It is only waiting till we stop, and then the tables will be turned."

  "Ah, that's more sensible," came through the thick cloak. "Promise tobe patient and not call out, and I will take off the cloak."

  It was very hot. She could hardly breathe, but she dreaded having itremoved till she recalled how dark it was; that it must be even darker,shut up in the chaise, and that she had on her large lace mantilla, withwhich she could well cover her face.

  "Shall I take off the cloak?" was said, after they had stopped andchanged horses; and, feeling that she must have air, she made a gesturewith her hands, passing them up towards her face as she felt the greatcloth-covering partly removed, and, as it was drawn away, carefullycovering her face and neck with the scarf.

  "At last!" exclaimed her companion, trying to pass his arm round her,but she struck at him so fiercely that he desisted, and just then thechaise slackened speed.

  "What is it?" he cried, gripping his prisoner's arm with one hand, as heleaned forward and let down a front window.

  "Like us to go on as fast as this, Captain? Road's getting a bithilly."

  "Yes, and faster, you fools. On, quick! What's that?"

  "Sounds like horses, sir, coming on behind."

  "Oh, not after us, but go on as fast as you can."

  The chaise rumbled on as the window was drawn up, and the sound of thehorses deadened; but Rockley let down the window on his side of thevehicle and thrust out his head.

  As he did so Cora listened intently, and made out the beating of horses'hoofs behind, now dying out, now louder, now dying out again, but alwaysheard; and her heart gave a joyful bound as the thought came that analarm might have been given by Morton Denville, and these be friends inpursuit--Richard Linnell perhaps.

  Her heart sank like lead. No; she was not afraid of Major Rockley, andshe did not care a fig for the opinion of Saltinville society. She hadbeen carried off against her will, and the sneers would be those againstRockley, not against her.

  The chaise might go on for hours--all night, if the Major liked. Thelonger it was before he discovered his mistake the greater his ragewould be. What was there to fear? If she shrieked the postboys mustcome to her help, or she could command help at the next stopping-place.

  And the horsemen coming on?

  Yes, they were evidently gaining ground, but it was not to overtake her.He was trying to save the woman he loved--he, Richard Linnell--and herheart sank lower and lower still.

  Then it gave a bound, for there was the click-click of a pistol, just asbefore now she had heard it on the stage, and Rockley said:

  "That's right. I'm glad you are quiet. I've got you, and, by Jove,I'll shoot the man who tries to get you away as I would a dog."

  Volume Two, Chapter XXIX.

  A LITTLE GOSSIP.

  That hat which the Master of the Ceremonies raised so frequently to thevarious visitors looked in its solidity as if it might very well becomean heirloom, and descend to his son, should he in more mature life taketo his father's duties.

  Stuart Denville had just replaced it for about the twentieth time thatmorning, when he encountered Lady Drelincourt in her chair.

  Her ladyship had been very cold since her visit to the Denvilles, butthis particular morning she was all smiles and good hum
our.

  "Now, here you are, Denville, and you'll tell me all about it. You werethere?"

  "Yes, dear Lady Drelincourt," said Denville, with his best smile, as hethought of Morton and his possible future. "I was there. At--er--"

  "Pontardent's, yes. Now, tell me, there's a good man, all about it. Isthe Major much hurt? Now, how tiresome! What do you want, Bray? Youare always hunting me about with that wicked boy."

  "No, no," said Sir Matthew, in his ponderous fashion. "Drawn, LadyDrelincourt, drawn. Attracted, eh, Payne?"

  Sir Harry Payne--"that wicked boy," as he was termed by her ladyship--declared upon his reputation that Sir Matthew Bray was quite right. Itwas attraction.

  "I felt it myself, demme, that I did, horribly, madam; but I said Iwould be true to my friend Bray, here, and I fled from temptation like aman."

  "I'm afraid I can't believe you--either of you," said her ladyship,simpering. "But, now, do tell me--no, no, don't go, Denville; I want totalk to you. Sir Harry, now was Major Rockley, that