"John," she murmured, "you dear, n.o.ble, generous Jack--ah, don't you see? When I made a public mock of you the other day, you hid your pain for my sake--and to-day, O to-day you come ready and willing to aid my brother heedless of risks and dangers. And now--now you--stand so--far off! John dear, if--if you won't sit down--prithee come a little nearer for me--just to--touch you."

Now hearing the thrill in her voice, beholding the melting tenderness of her look, his doubts were all forgotten and his stern resolutions swept clean away; so he came near, very near and, sitting down, clasped her yielding loveliness to the shabby, war-worn Ramillie coat.

"My dear, brave, n.o.ble John," she sighed, "and I such a beast to thee!

To make a mock of thee for fools to laugh at--but none so great a fool as I--yes, Jack I repeat----" But here the Major closed her self-accusing lips awhile. "Yes, dear John," she continued, "I was a positive beast--though 'tis true you did anger me vastly!"

"How?" he questioned, drawing her yet nearer.

"You would not heed my signals--my fan, my handkerchief, both unregarded."

"Fan?" he repeated. "Handkerchief? You mean--Egad!" His fervent arms grew suddenly lax and he sighed. "Dear," said he, shaking rueful head, "I fear you do find me very obtuse, very dull and stupid, not at all the man----"

"The only man!" she whispered.

"But to think I could be so dense, such an unutterable blockhead, such a----" Here my lady in her turn stopped his self-reproaches and thereafter, taking him by two curls of his great periwig, one either side, nodded lovely head at him.

"Though indeed, 'tis true sir, I was a little put out----"

"And no wonder!" he agreed. "Any other man would ha' known and understood. But I, being nought but a simple----" Again she sealed his lips, this time with one white finger.

"Nay, Major John sir--I do protest your grave simplicity hath a potent charm in a wilderness of wits and beaux! 'Twas that same, methinks did first attract me, for dear John, hear me confess, I have loved thee from our first meeting--to-day I honour thee also. Dost mind that first hour--when you caught me stealing your cherries? Dost remember, John?"

"Aye, truly," he answered, "'twas in that hour happiness found me--a happiness I had never thought to know!" Here, meeting his ardent gaze, she flushed and drooped her lashes, yet nestled closer.

"John," she whispered, "thou'rt so placid as a rule, so serene and calm yet, methinks there might come a time when I--should--fear thee--almost. Our love is not politely _a la mode_, John!"

"Nor ever could be!" he answered.

"'Tis thing so wondrous great John, that I do tremble--and you--you too, John! Ah prithee loose me awhile. Love is so vastly different from what I dreamed--'tis methinks a happiness nigh to pain. And yet our love hath not run so smooth dear, there have been doubts, and fears, and misconceptions and--mayhap John, there shall be more."

"Heaven forefend, sweet. For indeed thou art my light, without thee this world were place of emptiness and gloom and I a lonely wanderer lost and all foredone. Ah Betty, since love looked at me through thine eyes life hath become to me a thing so precious----"

"Yet you would peril it, John, and with thy life my happiness."

"Nay, but my Betty----"

"Aye, but my John, this shall not be! Think you I'll permit that you hazard yourself----"

"But, dear heart, I have a plan very excellent----"

"So have I, John, a plan more excellent, nay--most!"

"But sweeting, I am here to----"

"To listen to me, of course, my Jack. See now, Charles is my brother and if danger come I, as his sister, am proud and willing to share it with him or to--endure much for his sake. But dear, whiles I live none other shall jeopardise life or fortune in his behalf, on this I am determined and he also. Besides, I have a plan, a wondrous plan, John, shall save my dear Charles from all the soldiers 'twixt here and London town. If they will search my house--let them, but they shall not find him. And after, when he's strong enough, he shall win to France and none to give him let or stay. Moreover John I shall be very sweetly avenged in certain trifling matter. Nay--no questions sir, only meddle not in this and, beyond all, have faith in thy Betty."

The sun had set long since, evening deepened into night but, when he would have gone, she stayed him with gentle hands, with sighs and plaintive murmurs.

"'Tis not yet late ... life holdeth so few hours the like of this ...

and John dear, I do feel troubles are nigh us ... doubts, John ...

sorrows belike... And yet surely our love is too great... But if you should ... hear aught of evil ... or ... should see----"

"Betty--O Betty, alas, alas!" It was Lady Belinda's voice and in it a note that brought Betty to her feet, suddenly pale and trembling.

"Betty, O Betty!" With the cry on her lips Lady Belinda appeared in the half-light hurrying towards them distractedly and wringing her hands as she came: "Alas, Betty!"

"Yes, aunt--dear heaven, what's amiss?"

"'Tis Charles--our dear Charles!"

"What--what of him?"

"O Betty, he's--gone!"

"Gone? But aunt 'tis impossible, his door was locked----"

"Aye, but the window--the window! He's gone, Betty--ropes and things--bed-clothes and what not. O my heart! There they are--dangling from the window--to and fro. But poor, naughty, wilful Charles is gone!"

CHAPTER x.x.x

CONCERNING CHARLES, EARL OF MEDHURST

If my lady Betty was of a determined temper, my lord of Medhurst was no less so; being set on ridding his sister of his dangerous presence he contrived, so soon as her back was turned, to effect his exit through the window by means of his bed-clothes and sundry odds and ends of rope and cord he had found in the attics.

Darkness having fallen, the frantic search for him being over and the coast at last clear, the earl proceeded to squirm and clamber out of the disused water-b.u.t.t that had been his hiding-place, knocked the dust and cobwebs from his person (dressed somewhat roomily in a suit of Viscount Merivale's clothes) and glided away into the shadows of the garden swift and silent as any ghost. Reaching the wall he scaled it lightly, paused to sweep off his hat and to blow a kiss towards his sister's window, then dropped into the lane; followed it a little way and, turning aside into the fields set off at a smart pace. Very soon he reached a small wood and had advanced but a little way in among the trees when his quick ears warned him that others were here before him; a bush rustled at no great distance and he caught the sound of a voice hoa.r.s.e and subdued:

"... heard someone behind us I say!"

"'Twere a bird Joe, wood be full of 'em. 'Taren't our man, he'll come by th' field-path--hist! What's yon?" My lord's eyes sparkled as, settling his hat more firmly, he loosened sword in scabbard and stepped daintily into the open. Then came a sudden rustling of leaves, the m.u.f.fled thud of hasty feet, and, by light of the rising moon, his lordship saw a tangle of vague forms, that twisted and writhed, and arms that rose and fell viciously; out came his steel and with the long, narrow blade a-glitter he leapt forward shouting blithely as he ran. He was close upon the combatants when one staggered and fell, another was beaten to his knees and then the earl was upon them. Now a light small-sword is an awkward weapon to meet the swashing blows of heavy bludgeons; therefore his lordship kept away, avoiding their rushes and fierce strokes by quickness of foot and dexterity of body; twice his twinkling point had darted vainly but his third thrust was answered by a snarling cry of pain and incontinent his two a.s.sailants took to their heels, whereupon his lordship uttered a joyous shout and leapt in pursuit but was staggered by a blow from behind and, reeling aside, saw his third a.s.sailant make off after the others. My lord feeling suddenly faint and sick, cursed feebly and dropped his sword then, hearing a groan near by, staggered across to the fallen man.

Thus Sergeant Zebedee presently opening his eyes looked up into the face above him, a face pallid in the moonlight and with a dark smear of blood on the cheek. Hereupon the Sergeant blinked, sat up and stared.

"Zounds!" he exclaimed. "If you ain't the poacher as vanished into air all I say is--Zooks!" His lordship nodded and smiled faintly.

"How goes it, Sergeant?" he questioned, swaying strangely from side to side as he knelt.

"A woundy rap o' the n.o.b d'ye see lad, and more o' the same front and rear, but no worse thanks t'you and now--Gog and Magog, hold up lad!

What, ha' they got you too?" His lordship tried to laugh but failing, smiled instead:

"Got me--aye!" he mumbled, "I--almost think--I'm going----" The words ended in a sigh and my lord Medhurst slipped limply to the ground and lay there. Muttering oaths in English, French and Dutch the Sergeant set hands to throbbing head and staring blankly about spied the sword near by; took it up, examined the point instinctively and nodding grimly contrived to set it back in scabbard. Then taking the inert figure in practised hold lifted him to broad shoulder and trudged st.u.r.dily off; but as he went the throbbing in his head seemed like hammer-strokes that deafened, that blinded him; yet on he strode nor paused nor stayed until the welcome lights of the Manor gleamed before him. As he plodded heavily on, he became aware of a voice hailing him above the thunderous hammer-strokes and he paused, reeling:

"Zeb, Sergeant Zebedee!"

"Here, sir!" he gasped hoa.r.s.ely. Next moment the Major was beside him:

"Suffer me, Zebedee," said he, and taking the insensible form in his powerful arms, led the way into the house and so to the library, the Sergeant plodding doggedly in his rear. Laying his inert lordship upon a settee, the Major summoned Mrs. Agatha, who, seeing the Sergeant bruised and b.l.o.o.d.y screamed once, below her breath, and immediately became all womanly dexterity. Softly, swiftly she bustled to and fro; first came cordials and gla.s.ses, thereafter a bowl of water, sponges and soft linen and very soon beneath her able and gentle ministrations the earl sighed, opened languid eyes and sitting up, stared about him while Mrs. Agatha promptly turned her attention to the battered Sergeant.