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G >> G. P. R. James >> The King's Highway




"I trust she is better," said Wilton; "I trust there is no danger."

"They tell me not, they tell me not, Wilton," replied Lord
Sherbrooke; "but now that I have been upon the very eve of losing a
jewel, of which I was but too careless before, I feel all its value,
and would fain hide it trembling in my heart, lest fate should snatch
it from me. Say nothing of these things--remember, say nothing of
them."

"But Arden, but Arden," said Wilton, as Lord Sherbrooke was turning
away--"but the Messenger, Sherbrooke. May he not tell something?"

"The cowardly villain ran away so soon," replied Lord Sherbrooke, "he
could hear nothing, and understand less. He is a cautious scoundrel,
too, and will hold his tongue. Yet you may give him a warning, if you
see him, Wilton."

"Here is the lady, sir," said Plessis, entering, and addressing
Wilton. "I will go down stairs and see that all is safe below."

"He will not let the man out of the cellar?" demanded Wilton, as
Plessis departed.

"I have taken care of that," replied the Captain, holding up a key;
"but let us not lose time."

While these few words were passing, Lady Helen and Laura entered, the
latter, pale, agitated, and trembling, less with actual apprehension
than from all she had lately undergone. At that moment, she knew not
with whom she was going, or what was the manner of escape proposed.
All that the Lady Helen had told her was, that somebody had come to
set her free, and that she must instantly prepare to depart. She had
paused but for an instant, while the lady who brought her these glad
tidings wrapped round her some of the garments which had been
procured for her journey to France, by those who had carried her off;
and all the agitation consequent upon a sudden revival of hopes that
had been well nigh extinguished was still busy in her bosom, when, as
we have said, she entered the room.

The first object, however, which her eye fell upon was the fine
commanding form of Wilton Brown. It were scarcely fair to ask
whether, in the long and weary hours of captivity, she had thought
much of him. But one thing at least may be told, that with him, and
with a hurried and timid examination of the feelings of her own bosom
regarding him, her thoughts had been busied at the very moment when
she had been dragged away from her own home. The sight of him,
however, now, was both joyful and overpowering to her; the very idea
of deliverance had been sufficient to agitate her, so that she shook
in every limb as she entered the room; but when she saw in her
deliverer the man whom, of all others, she would have chosen to
protect her, manifold emotions, of a still more agitating kind, were
added to all the rest. But joy--joy and increased hope--overcame all
other feelings, and stretching out her hands towards him, she ran
forward as he advanced to meet her, and clung with a look of deep
confidence and gladness to his arm.

"Do not be frightened, do not be agitated," he said--"all will go
quite well. Are you prepared to quit this place immediately?"

"Oh yes, yes, instantly!" she cried; but then her eyes turned upon
Lord Sherbrooke, and the sight of him in company with Wilton seemed
to cloud her happiness; for though she still looked up to Wilton's
countenance with the same affectionate and confiding glance, yet
there was evidently a degree of apprehension in her countenance,
when, for a moment, she turned her eyes to Lord Sherbrooke. She bowed
her head gracefully to him, however, and uttered some broken thanks to
him and to Wilton, for coming to her deliverance.

"Pardon me, dear Lady Laura," replied Lord Sherbrooke. "I must accept
no part of your thanks, for my being here is entirely accidental, and
I cannot even offer to escort you on your departure. It is Wilton who
has sought you bravely and perseveringly, and I doubt not you will go
with him with perfect confidence."

"Anywhere, anywhere," said Lady Laura, with a tone and a look which
at another moment might have called up a smile upon Lord Sherbrooke's
countenance; but his own heart was also so full of deep feelings at
that time, that he could not look upon them lightly enough even for a
smile, when he detected them in another.

"I will go down and make sure that there is no trickery below," said
the man called the Captain; "and when I call--Now! come down with the
lady, Mr. Brown."

Lord Sherbrooke at the same moment took leave of them, and left the
room; and Lady Laura, without quitting her position by Wilton's side,
which she seemed to consider a place of sure refuge and support, held
out her hand to the Lady Helen, saying, "Oh, how can I thank you,
lady, for all your kindness? Had it not been for you, I should never
have obtained this deliverance."

"I need no thanks, my sweet friend," replied the lady "the only
things that give sunshine to the memories of a sad life are some few
acts of kindness and sympathy which I have been able to perform
towards others. But if you want to thank me," she added, looking
with a smile upon Wilton, "thank him, Lady Laura, for he is the being
dearest to me upon earth."

Lady Laura looked somewhat surprised; but Wilton held up his finger,
thinking he heard their companion's call. It was not so, however, but
only a quick step upon the stairs; and the next moment the Captain
entered, with some marks of agitation on his countenance.

"By ---!" he said, "there seems to me to be a whole troop of horse
before the house--such a clatter of iron-shod feet. I fear we have
the enemy upon us, and Plessis has run to hide himself; frightened
out of his wits. What can we do?"

"Come all into the lady's chamber, or into mine," said Lady
Helen--"perhaps they may not think of searching for her. At all
events, it gives us a chance, if we can but get across the vestibule
before they come up. Quick, Wilton! come, quick!" and she was
leading the way.

Before she got to the door, however, which the Captain had closed
behind him, the tramp of heavy boots was heard upon the stairs, and a
voice calling, "Plessis! Plessis! Where the devil are you? The
whole house seems to be deserted! Why, what in Satan's name is
here? Here's blood all the way down the stairs! By Heaven, it
wouldn't surprise me if the Orangemen had got into the house. We
must take care that there isn't a trap. Give me that lamp,
Cranburne. You had better have your pistols ready, gentlemen. How
can we manage now?--Two of you stay and guard each corridor, while we
go in here."

There seemed now to take place a low-toned conversation amongst them,
and the Lady Helen, with a pale countenance, drew back towards Wilton
and Laura. The Captain, on his part, unbuttoned his coat, and drew
out a pistol from the belt that he wore underneath: but Wilton said,
"Put it up, my good friend, put it up. Do not let us set any example
of violence. Where there are nine or ten against two, it is somewhat
dangerous to begin the affray. We can always have recourse to
resistance at last."

"Oh, not for my sake! not for my sake!" said Lady Laura, in a low
voice. "For Heaven's sake, risk not your life for me!"

"Let us keep this deep window behind us," said Wilton, speaking to
his companion, "for that will give us some advantage, at all events.
Draw a little behind us, dear Lady Laura. We will manage all things
as gently as we can."

"Let me speak to them, Wilton," said the Lady Helen--"from one
circumstance or another, I must know them almost all."

As she spoke, the large heavy latch was lifted, and the door slowly
and cautiously opened.


CHAPTER XXVI

A PAUSE of expectation, even if it be but for a minute, is sometimes
the most painful thing in the world; and the heart of poor Laura at
that moment, while the door was being slowly opened, and all their
eyes were fixed eagerly upon it, felt as if the blood were stayed in
it till it was nearly bursting. Wilton, who saw all that took place
more calmly, judged by the careful opening of the door, that there
was a good deal of timidity in the persons whom it hid from their
view. But when it was at length opened, the sight that it presented
was not well calculated to soothe any one's alarm.

In the doorway itself were three well-armed men, with each his sword
drawn in his hand, while behind these again were seen the faces of
several more. The countenance of the first, Sir George Barkley, which
we have already described, was certainly not very prepossessing, and
to the eyes of Laura, there was not one who had not the countenance
of an assassin. It was evident that Sir George Barkley expected to
see a much more formidable array than that presented to him and his
companions, in the persons of two ladies and two armed gentlemen, for
his eyes turned quickly from the right to the left round the room, to
assure himself that it contained no one else. There was a momentary
pause at the door; but when it was clear that very little was to be
apprehended, the troop poured in with much more hasty and confident
steps than those with which they had first approached.

Two or three of Sir George Barkley's party were advancing quickly to
the spot where Wilton and the lady stood; but the young gentleman
held up his right hand suddenly, putting his left upon one of the
pistols which he carried, and saying, "Stand back, gentlemen! I do
not permit men with swords drawn to come too close to me, till I know
their purpose--Stand back, I say!" and he drew the pistol from his
belt.

"We mean you no harm, sir," said Sir George Barkley, pausing with the
rest. "But we must know who you are, and what you are doing here, and
that immediately."

"Who I am, can be of no more consequence to you, sir," replied
Wilton, "than who you are is to me--which, by your good leave, I
would a great deal rather not know, if you will suffer me to be
ignorant thereof;--and as to what I am doing here, I do not see that
I am bound to explain that to anybody but the master of the house, or
to some person authorized by law to inquire into such particulars."

"Mighty fine, sir," said the voice of Sir John Fenwick, as he
advanced from behind--"Mighty fine! But this is a mere waste of time.
In the first place, what are you doing with that lady, who, as her
father's friend, I intend immediately to take under my protection."

"Her father, sir," replied Wilton, with a contemptuous smile, "judges
that the lady has been somewhat too long under your careful but
somewhat forcible protection already. I beg leave to give you notice,
Sir John Fenwick, that I am fully authorized by the Duke of Gaveston,
Lady Laura's father, by a writing under his own hand, to seek for and
deliver her from those who have taken her away. I know you have been
too wise and prudent to suffer yourself to be seen in this business
hitherto, and if you will take my advice, you will not meddle with it
now.--Stand back, sir; for as I live, I will shoot you through the
head if you take one single step forward; and you know I will keep my
word!"

"But there is more to be inquired into, sir," exclaimed Sir George
Barkley--"there is blood--blood upon the stairs, blood--"

"Hear me, Sir George," said Lady Helen, advancing. "You know me well,
and must believe what I say."

"I have the pleasure of recollecting your ladyship very well,"
replied Sir George; "but I thought that you and Miss Villars had
sailed back for France by this time."

"Alas! Sir George," replied the lady--"poor Caroline, I fear, will
not be able to be moved. She has met with a severe accident to-night,
and it is her blood, poor child, that you saw upon the stairs. This
gentleman has had nothing farther to do with the matter, except
inasmuch as he was accidentally present, and kindly carried her
upstairs to the room where she now lies."

"That alters the case," said Sir George Barkley: "but who is he? We
have heard reports by the way which give us alarm. Will he pledge his
honour, as a gentleman, never to mention anything he has seen this
night--or, at least, not for six months?"

"On that condition," demanded Wilton, "will you give me perfect
freedom of egress with this lady and the gentleman who is with me?"

"Not with the lady!" exclaimed Sir George Barkley, sharply; and at
the same moment Sir John Fenwick, Rookwood, and Parkyns all
surrounded the Jacobite leader, speaking eagerly, but in a low tone,
and evidently remonstrating against his permitting the departure of
any of the party. He seemed puzzled how to act.

"Come out here again," he said--"come out here, where we can speak
more at ease. They cannot get out of this room, if we keep the
door."

"Not without breaking their neck from the window," replied Rookwood.

"What is that small door there at the side?" said Sir George
Barkley. "Let some one see!"

"'Tis nothing but a cupboard," said Sir John Fenwick--"I examined it
the other night, for fear of eavesdroppers. There is no way out."

"I shall consider your proposal, sir," said Sir George Barkley,
turning to Wilton: "stay here quietly. We wish to offer no violence
to any man; we are very harmless people in our way."

A grim smile hung upon his thin lip as he spoke; and looking from
time to time behind him, as if he feared the use which Wilton might
make of the pistol in his hand, he left the room with his
companions. The moment after, the lock of the door was heard to
turn, and a heavy bar that hung beside it clattered as it was drawn
across.

"A few minutes gained is a great thing," cried Wilton. "I have heard
of people defending themselves long, by forming a sort of temporary
barricade. A single cavalier in the time of Cromwell kept at bay a
large force for several hours. In this deep window we are defended
on all sides but one. Let us do what we can to guard ourselves on
that also."

The furniture was scanty; but still the large table in the middle of
the room, and a sideboard which stood in one corner, together with
chairs and various smaller articles, were speedily formed into a
little fortress, as it were, which enclosed the opening of the window
in such a manner as to leave a space open towards the enemy of not
more than two feet in width. Wilton exerted himself to move all
these without noise, and the Captain aided him zealously; while Laura
clung to Lady Helen, and hid her eyes upon her new friend's bosom,
anticipating every moment the return of the other party, and the
commencement of a scene of strife and bloodshed.

It is to the proceedings of those without the room, however, that we
must more particularly direct our attention.

"In the name of Heaven, Sir George," exclaimed both Rookwood and
Fenwick, as soon as they were on the outside of the door--"do not let
them go, on any account. Our whole plan is blasted, and ourselves
ruined for ever, if such a thing is to take place!"

"Why," continued Fenwick, "this youth, this Wilton Brown, is
secretary to the Earl of Byerdale, a natural son of Lord Sunbury, it
is supposed, brought up from his infancy in the most violent Orange
principles; and he will think himself justified in breaking his word
with us the moment he is out of the house, and bringing upon us the
troops from Hoo. He knows me well by sight, too; and if he be let
loose, I shall not consider my life worth a moment's purchase."

"Even if you could trust him," said Rookwood, "there is the other,
Captain Byerly as they call him, Green's great friend, who threw the
money, which Lowick offered him to quit Green, in his face. If the
tidings we just now heard, that the matter has taken some wind, be
true, this fellow Byerly will bring down the soldiers upon us, and
swear to us anywhere."

"But what am I to do?" demanded Sir George Barkley, hesitating. "We
shall have bloodshed and much noise, depend upon it."

"Leave them all, locked in, where they are," said Sir William
Parkyns--"they can do no harm there. Let us ourselves, like brave
and determined men, carry into execution at once the resolution we
have formed. Let us turn our horses' heads towards London; meet at
Turnham Green, as was proposed; and while people are seeking for us
here in vain, the usurper's life will be brought to an end, and his
unsteady government overthrown for ever. Everything in the country
will be in confusion; our friends will be rising in all
quarters;--the Duke of Berwick, I know, was at Calais yesterday;--the
army can land in two days; and the advantages of our situation will
all be secured by one prompt and decided blow. I say, leave them
where they are. Before they can make their escape, the whole thing
will be over, and we shall be safe."

"Nonsense, Sir William," cried Fenwick, "nonsense, I say. Here is
Plessis, has evidently played into their hands; the man we put to
guard the girl has been bribed off his post; the window itself is not
so high but that an active man might easily drop from it, if he could
see clearly where to light below; ere noon, to-morrow, the tidings of
our assemblies would reach Kensington. William of Orange would not
stir out, and the whole plan would be frustrated. We should be
hunted down through the country like wild beasts, and you would be
one of the first to repent the advice you have given."

"But my good friend, Fenwick," said Sir George Barkley, "all this is
very well. But still you do not say what is to be done. Every one
objects to the plan which is proposed by another, and yet no one
proposes anything that is not full of dangers."

"For my part," said Charnock, who had hitherto scarcely spoken at
all--"for my part, if you were to ask my opinion, I should say, Let
us walk in--we are here eleven or twelve in all; twelve, I think--and
just quietly make a circle round, and give them a pistol-shot or
two. If people WILL come prying into other persons' affairs, and
meddling with things they have no business to concern themselves
about, they must take the consequences."

"Not in cold blood! not in cold blood!" exclaimed Rookwood.

"And the women!" said Sir John Fenwick, "Remember the women!"

"I hope William of Orange won't have a woman with him to-morrow,"
said Charnock, coolly, "or if he has, that she'll not be upon my side
of the carriage; I would never let a woman stand in the way when a
great deed was to be done."

"Well, for my part," said Fenwick, "I agree with Sir William Parkyns,
that no time is to be lost in the execution of this business; but I
agree also with Captain Rookwood, that it would be horrible to cut
these men's throats in cold blood. What I propose is this, that we at
once demand that they lay down their arms, and that, pledging our
word of honour no evil shall happen to them, we march them down one
by one to the boat, and ship them off for France. It will be an
affair of three hours to get them embarked; but that will be time
well bestowed. We can then proceed to the execution of our scheme at
once, and in far greater safety. If they make any resistance, the
consequence be upon their own head."

"But," said Sir George Barkley, "depend upon it they will not go.
There is a determination in that young fellow's look which is not to
be mistaken. He will submit to no power but that of the law."

"Well, then," said Sir John Fenwick, "frighten him with the law!
Declare that you will take them all before a magistrate, to give an
account of the blood that has been shed here. There is blood on his
collar, and his face too, for I saw it; and the whole stairs is
spotted with blood. Tell them that both the men must surrender and
go before a magistrate. The ladies, you can say, may go where they
like, and do what they like, but the men must surrender. Let half of
us go down with the men, and lead or force them to the ship, while
the rest bring down the two women a few minutes after."

"That is not a bad plan at all, Fenwick," said Sir George Barkley.
"Let us see what can be done by it. We can but come to blows at
last."

While the latter part of this conversation had been going on between
Fenwick and Barkley, the Jacobite called Charnock and a dull-looking
man not unlike himself, but only shorter and more broadly made, had
been speaking together in a low voice behind. At first their
conversation was carried on in a whisper; but at length the man said
somewhat louder, "Oh, I'll do it! That's the only way to settle
it. You take the one, and I'll take the other. We don't readily
miss our mark either of us."

"Let Sir George begin his story," replied Charnock. "There must be
some talk at first, you know. Then get quietly up behind our timid
friends here, and when I give a nod, we will both fire at once."

"I understand," answered the other. "You had better see that your
pistols are primed, Charnock, and that the balls are not out, for you
rode at a rate down that hill which would shake almost any ball into
the holster."

"I looked just now," said Charnock--"it's all right. Let us keep
pretty near Sir George;" and turning round, he came nearer to Sir
George Barkley, who was just finishing his conversation with Fenwick,
as we have described.

While holding this long consultation, the insurgents had not been
many paces from the door, and they now turned and re-entered the
room. The state of defence in which Wilton and his companion had
placed themselves showed a degree of determination that seemed to
surprise and puzzle them a good deal; for Sir George Barkley again
paused, and spoke to Sir John Fenwick, who was close behind him.

"The more reason for doing as we propose," replied Sir John to his
friend's observation. "They will not resist going before a
magistrate--at least, Wilton Brown will not, and we can easily manage
the other."

Sir George Barkley then advanced another step, saying to Wilton, who,
notwithstanding the barrier he had raised, was still quite visible as
far as the waist, "We have consulted, sir, on what it is necessary to
do with you, and if your own account of yourselves be true, you will
readily acquiesce in our determination. If you resist it, you show
that you know yourselves to be guilty of some crime, and we must deal
with you accordingly."

"Pray, sir, what is your determination?" asked Wilton. "For my part,
I require free permission to quit this place with this gentleman and
Lady Laura Gaveston; and nothing shall prevent me from so doing at
the risk of my life."

"You shall do so, sir," replied Sir George Barkley, "but you shall go
before a magistrate in the first instance. Here are evident marks of
violence having been committed upon the person of some one; the
staircase, the vestibule, the corridors, are covered with blood; your
coat, your collar, your face, are also bloody; and we feel ourselves
bound, before we let you depart, to have this matter strictly
inquired into."

"Oh, go before a magistrate at once," said Laura, in a low voice: "we
have nothing to fear from that, and they have everything."

"Showing clearly that it is a pretence, dear lady," replied Wilton,
in the same low tone. "Keep behind the barricade. I see one of those
men creeping up from the door with a pistol in his hand.--Sir," he
continued, addressing Sir George Barkley, "in those circumstances,
the best plan for you to pursue will be to bring a magistrate here. I
neither know who you are, nor what are your views; but I find this
young lady, who has been carried off from her father's house,
illegally brought hither, and detained. I know the house to be a
suspected one; and although, as I have before said, I neither know
who you are, nor what are your views, and do not by any means wish to
know, yet the circumstances in which I find you are sufficiently
doubtful to justify me in refusing to quit this spot, and place
myself in your hands, unless every man present gives me his word of
honour as a gentleman that I shall go free whithersoever I will. If,
therefore, you think a magistrate requisite to inquire into this
business, send for one. I think, however, that you would do much
better to plight me your word at once, and let me go. I know no one
but Sir John Fenwick here: therefore I can betray no one but him;
and to Sir John Fenwick I pledge my word that I will not mention
him."

It was evident that Sir John Fenwick put no trust in such assurances,
and he was seen speaking vehemently with Sir George Barkley. At the
same moment, however, a low conversation was carried on in a slow and
careless sort of manner by Charnock and the other, who were just
behind.

"I can't get a shot at the Captain," said Charnock, calmly. "His
head is covered by that table they've set on end.--Stop a bit, stop
a bit!"

"Better let me settle this young fellow first," said the other, "and
then the stupid fools will be obliged to make a rush upon the
Captain. When once blood is drawn, they must go on, you know."

"Very well," replied Charnock, "I don't care"--and there was the
sudden click of a pistol-lock heard behind. "His eye is upon you,"
said Charnock. "Make haste! He is cocking his pistol!"

The man instantly raised the weapon that was in his hand, and was in
the very act of firing over the shoulder of Sir George Barkley, when
his arm was suddenly knocked up by a blow from behind, and the ball
passed through the window, a yard and a half above Wilton's head.