XXVIII
LOVER AND LOVER
Evander turned to Brilliana with question in his eyes; Brillianaadvanced towards Evander with question on her lips.
"Are you very sure you love me?" she queried. Evander made to takeher in his arms, but she stayed him with a lifted hand of warning.
"Sure," he answered, fervently, and surety shone in his eyes.
Brilliana leaned against the table at which the King had sat andfaced him gravely.
"More than life, more than all things in the wide world?"
Evander's answer came as flash to flint.
"More than life; more than all things in this wide world--" there wasa momentary fall in his voice; then he added, "save honor."
A little sudden fear pricked at Brilliana's heart, but she tried todeny it with a little, teasing laugh.
"Oh, that wonderful word 'honor,'" she mocked. "I thought we shouldpull that out of the sack sooner or later."
Evander watched her with surprise. "What is coming next?" hewondered. He began to fear as he answered, simply:
"You would not have me neglect honor?"
Brilliana's face was set steadfastly towards him; Brilliana's eyeswere very bright; Brilliana's cheeks were as red as the late Octoberroses.
"Here is what I would have you do," she said, breathlessly, and thenpaused--paused so long that Evander, watching and waiting, promptedher with a questioning "Well?"
Brilliana still seemed to hesitate. That word "honor" had frightenedher for Evander, had frightened her for herself. She now gropeduncertain, who thought to tread so surely.
"Will you do as I wish if I tell you?" she asked, trying to maskanxiety with a jesting manner. And when Evander responded gravely,"If I can," she pressed him impetuously again.
"Nay, now, make me a square promise." She looked very fair as shepleaded.
"All that a doomed man can do--" Evander replied, smiling somewhatwistfully.
Brilliana shook her head vehemently and her Royalist curls dancedround her bright cheeks.
"You are no doomed man unless you choose," she asserted, hotly.Evander moved a step nearer to her.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Brilliana was panting now. He knew shehad somewhat to say, and newly found it hard in the saying. Shespoke.
"His Majesty the King will grant you your life." Her words and lookstold him temptingly that "your life" meant also "my life" to her.
"On what condition?"
He knew there must be a condition, knew that the condition troubledBrilliana. She answered him swiftly.
"Oh, no condition at all." There came a catch in her voice and thenshe ran on:
"Or almost none. All his Majesty asks is that you refrain from takingany further part in this unhappy war."
She paused and eyed him. Evander's face was unchanged.
"No more than that?" he commented, so quietly that, reassured, sherippled on, volubly:
"No more than that. We can be wed, dear love. We can go away togetherto France, Italy, where you please. I have always had a mind to seeItaly. And when England is quiet again we can come home, come hereand be happy."
She felt as if she were flinging herself at his feet, shamelesslyoffering herself, to tempt him, to dazzle him, conquer him that way;to witch his promise out of him before he had time to think. Yet forall her vehemence there was a chill at her heart and a cloud seemedto hover over her sunny words. Unwillingly she looked away from him,but she held out her hands in appeal.
"Hush, Brilliana!"
The grave, sweet voice sounded on her ears as the knell of hope. Butshe faced him again with a useless, questioning glance.
"Why talk of what cannot be?" Evander asked, sadly.
Brilliana denied him feverishly.
"What can be--what must be!" she cried. "The King has promised."
"I am a soldier of the Parliament," Evander asserted. "I cannotabandon my cause."
Brilliana almost screamed at him in her anger and despair.
"You are a prisoner under sentence of death. If you die, what gainhas the Parliament of you, and I must live a widowed woman." She wasclose to him now and very suddenly she flung her arms about him,clasping him to her, her eager face close to his.
"Promise," she panted; "promise, dear love, promise. Your Parliamentloses nothing, you gain your life, my love. Promise, promise!"
Evander's flesh fought with his spirit, but his face was calm and thearms that yearned to enfold his lover lay by his side. He turned hisface away lest he should kiss her on the mouth, and, kissing,surrender his soul.
"I cannot," he said, as if from a great silence. He would not see thepassionate, beautiful face; he sought to fix his mind upon the facesof those whose faithful soldier he was sworn. The girl unloosed herarms and swayed away from him, wild anger in her eyes.
"Do you call this true love," she sneered, "that is so scrupulous?"
"The truest love in the world," Evander answered, looking full ather. He could look at her now; he had no fear to fall. He was losinga joy beyond all thought, but at least he would die with a whitesoul.
"Do you think it is nothing to me to die thus losing you? But youhave served soldier; you have a soldier's spirit; you would not haveme do other than I am doing. You do not understand my cause, to thinkit should be easy to persuade me from it. But if I were of theKing's party and in such peril so tempted, would you wish me toabandon my royal master to win life or love?"
Brilliana's cheeks flamed a furious scarlet; then the fierce bloodebbed and left her face very pale, but her eyes were shining verybright. She steadied herself against the table and tried to speakwith a steady voice.
"You are in the right. You could not do other than you are doing. Butit is very hard to bear."
She reeled a little, and he, thinking her about to faint, made tosupport her, but she stiffened again, and he stood where he was. Shebent forward, speaking scarcely above a whisper.
"There is a way of escape from this chamber, a secret passage. Youcan get from it to the park, and so into the open country and safety.You are my prisoner. I release you from your parole. Fly, while thereis time."
The loyal lovers were so absorbed in their honorable contest thatthey did not heed how the door of the King's apartment opened, firsta little inch, then, slowly, wider and wider, allowing Charles Stuartto see and hear. A curious smile reigned over the delicate face asBrilliana made her proposal, and lingered in whimsical doubt for theresponse.
The response came quickly. Again Evander was saying Brilliana nay.
"I cannot that, neither, dear woman, for to do this would be to makeyou disloyal to your King."
"Oh, you split straws!" she cried, wildly. "A plague upon yourpreciousness which drives you to deny and die rather than admit mywisdom! You are no prisoner to the King. You are my prisoner. I tookyou, I hold you, and as my prisoner I command you to follow me, thatI may convey you to some place of surety more pleasing to my mindthan this mansion."
From behind the door ajar there came a clap of hearty laughter whichmade harassed maid and man jump more than if their discussion hadbeen interrupted by volleying musketry. The door was wide open now,and the King was in the room, his face irradiated with honest mirth.
The Lady of Loyalty House: A Novel Page 29