by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER SIXTY NINE.
LOVE'S VENGEANCE.
Now for an explanation with Aurore! Now to give vent to the direpassion of jealousy--to relieve my heart with recriminations--with thebitter-sweet vengeance of reproach!
I could stifle the foul emotion no longer--no longer conceal it. Itmust have expression in words.
I had purposely remained standing with my face averted from her, tillD'Hauteville was gone out of sight. Longer, too. I was endeavouring tostill the wild throbbings of my breast--to affect the calmness ofindifference. Vain hypocrisy! To her eyes my spite must have beenpatent, for in this the keen instincts of woman are not to be baffled.
It was even so. She comprehended all. Hence the wild act--the_abandon_ to which at that moment she gave way.
I was turning to carry out my design, when I felt the soft pressure ofher body against mine--her arms encircled my neck--her head, with faceupturned, rested upon my bosom, and her large lustrous eyes sought minewith a look of melting inquiry.
That look should have satisfied me. Surely no eyes but the eyes of lovecould have borne such expression?
And yet I was not content. I faltered out--
"Aurore, you do not love me!"
"_Ah, Monsieur! pourquoi cette cruaute? Je t'aime_--_mon Dieu! avectout mon coeur je t'aime_!"
Even this did not still my suspicious thoughts. The circumstances hadbeen too strong--jealousy had taken too firm a hold to be plucked out bymere assurances. Explanation alone could satisfy me. That orconfession.
Having made a commencement, I went on. I detailed what I had seen atthe landing--the after conduct of D'Hauteville--what I had observed thepreceding night--what I had just that moment witnessed. I detailed all.I added no reproaches. There was time enough for them when I shouldreceive her answer.
It came in the midst of tears. She had known D'Hauteville before--thatwas acknowledged. There _was_ a mystery in the relations that existedbetween them. I was solicited not to require an explanation. Mypatience was appealed to. It was not her secret. I should soon knowall. In due time all would be revealed.
How readily my heart yielded to these delicious words! I no longerdoubted. How could I, with those large eyes, full of love-light,shining through the tear-bedewed lashes?
My heart yielded. Once more my arms closed affectionately around theform of my betrothed, and a fervent kiss renewed the vow of ourbetrothal.
We could have remained long upon this love-hallowed spot, but prudenceprompted us to leave it. We were too near to the point of danger. Atthe distance of two hundred yards was the fence that separated Gayarre'splantation from the wild woods; and from that could even be seen thehouse itself, far off over the fields. The thicket concealed this, itwas true; but should pursuit lead that way, the thicket would be thefirst place that would be searched. It would be necessary to seek ahiding-place farther off in the woods.
I bethought me of the flowery glade--the scene of my adventure with the_crotalus_. Around it the underwood was thick and shady, and there werespots where we could remain screened from the observation of the keenesteyes. At that moment I thought only of such concealment. It neverentered my head that there were means of discovering us, even in theheart of the tangled thicket, or the pathless maze of the cane-brake. Iresolved, therefore, to make at once for the glade.
The pawpaw thicket, where we had passed the night, lay near thesouth-eastern angle of Gayarre's plantation. To reach the glade itwould be necessary for us to pass a mile or more to the northward. Bytaking a diagonal line through the woods, the chances were ten to one weshould lose our way, and perhaps not find a proper place of concealment.The chances were, too, that we might not find a path, through thenetwork of swamps and bayous that traversed the forest in everydirection.
I resolved, therefore, to skirt the plantation, until I had reached thepath that I had before followed to the glade, and which I nowremembered. There would be some risk until we had got to the northwardof Gayarre's plantation; but we should keep at a distance from thefence, and as much as possible in the underwood. Fortunately a belt of"palmetto" land, marking the limits of the annual inundation, extendednorthward through the woods, and parallel to the line of fence. Thissingular vegetation, with its broad fan-like fronds, formed an excellentcover; and a person passing through it with caution could not beobserved from any great distance. The partial lattice-work of itsleaves was rendered more complete by the tall flower-stalks of the_altheas_, and other malvaceous plants that shared the ground with thepalmettos.
Directing ourselves within the selvage of this rank vegetation, weadvanced with caution; and soon came opposite the place where we hadcrossed the fence on the preceding night. At this point the woodsapproached nearest to the house of Gayarre. As already stated, but onefield lay between, but it was nearly a mile in length. It was deadlevel, however, and did not appear half so long. By going forward tothe fence, we could have seen the house at the opposite end, and verydistinctly.
I had no intention of gratifying my curiosity at that moment by such anact, and was moving on, when a sound fell upon my ear that caused mesuddenly to halt, while a thrill of terror ran through my veins.
My companion caught me by the arm, and looked inquiringly in my face.
A caution to her to be silent was all the reply I could make; and,leaning a little lower, so as to bring my ear nearer to the ground, Ilistened.
The suspense was short. I heard the sound again. My first conjecturewas right. It was the "growl" of a hound!
There was no mistaking that prolonged and deep-toned note. I was toofond a disciple of Saint Hubert not to recognise the bay of a long-earedMolossian. Though distant and low, like the hum of a forest bee, I wasnot deceived in the sound. It fell upon my ears with a terrible import!
And why terrible was the baying of a hound? To me above all others,whose ears, attuned to the "tally ho!" and the "view hilloa!" regardedthese sounds as the sweetest of music? Why terrible? Ah! you mustthink of the circumstances in which I was placed--you must think, too,of the hours I spent with the snake-charmer--of the tales he told me inthat dark tree-cave--the stories of runaways, of sleuth-dogs, ofman-hunters, and "nigger-hunts,"--practices long thought to be confinedto Cuba, but which I found as rife upon the soil of Louisiana,--you mustthink of all these, and then you will understand why I trembled at thedistant baying of a hound.
The howl I heard was still very distant. It came from the direction ofGayarre's house. It broke forth at intervals. It was not like theutterance of a hound upon the trail, but that of dogs just cleared fromthe kennel, and giving tongue to their joy at the prospect of sport.
Fearful apprehensions were stirred within me at the moment. A terribleconjecture rushed across my brain. _They were after us with hounds_!