CHAPTER XXXV.
Annie Walton, on her return to Lady Margaret's sitting-room,accompanied by Arrah Neil, who had given the signal agreed upon as anotification that longer stay would be dangerous, found her good auntseated, her head leaning on her hand, listening to some intelligencebrought by her faithful servant William, who stood before her, withhis usual well-satisfied and shrewd look, detailing a valuablediscovery which he had just made.
"It is indeed so, my lady," he said: "they have corrupted her, therecan be no doubt. Give me a Puritan for ploughing with the heifer. Isaw the fellow Jones and the girl, with their two heads near together,in the court; and as I was close to the casement and the casement wasopen, I drew up against the wall, saying to myself, traitors makeeaves-droppers."
"What did they say? what did they say?" demanded Lady Margaret. "Wemust come to a quick decision, William."
"Why, all I heard, my lady, was, that the trullion said to theRoundhead, 'It is quite sure, for I saw her go in myself, and when shehad been there for two or three minutes I walked in too, just as if Iwas going to look for something. There's no other way out of the roomto be seen, and yet she was not there. She didn't come out for an houreither, for I watched.' Then the man answered, 'Well, we must waittill to-morrow, when the reinforcements are coming up from Beverley.We shall be enough then to overpower all resistance.'"
"Said he so? said he so?" cried Lady Margaret, with a thoughtful air."We must contrive means to frustrate them. Quick, William!" shecontinued after a moment's meditation; "go and keep the people here.Tell the farmers I will give them a supper; and if you can, contriveto get more to come up. Then let some one go out and gather news inthe country; see what's the truth of this report that came last night,of troops marching, and who they are."
The man hastened away to obey her orders, and Miss Walton gazedanxiously in her aunt's face, inquiring--
"Do you think they have discovered him?"
"They have discovered something, Annie--that is clear," replied LadyMargaret, "and enough to lead them to more; but they shall not havehim notwithstanding, even if we should fight for it. I know the housebetter than they do, and could lead them into many a pretty trap if Iliked it. We can get fifteen or sixteen men together, and then theyare but twenty. Then there's Basto; he's worth three Roundheads at anytime, though he's but an old dog--and all the women besides. Why, youwould fight for this good earl--wouldn't you, Annie, my love?--elseyou are not fit for a soldier's bride. On my life, I should like tosee you in a pair of jack-boots!" and the old lady laughed gailyenough, to cheer her fair niece, whose heart was more easily alarmedthan her own.
"Could he not escape in the night, dear Lady Margaret?" said ArrahNeil. "I went to walk out by the moonlight last night, and no onenoticed me."
"Because you are a woman, dear child," answered Lady Margaret. "Hemust have a horse, too, for, though his wound is well enough now, hecould not walk far. However, it must be thought of if other thingsshould fail. But we must go and hold counsel with this good lord.Well, William, what more?"
"Why, only, my lady, I have been asking Farmer Heathcote about thetroops moving, and he says he is sure of it; he saw the men himself.They seem to be Cavaliers, too, and a good troop of them; but that wasyesterday evening, and they were then ten miles off."
"That's unfortunate," replied his lady; "for, if we could have giventhem notice, we might have had help, and it would have been somesatisfaction to enclose these rat-catchers in their own trap. However,you go now and watch Madam Maud for the next two hours; never takeyour eye off her, and be sure she does not come into this part of thehouse. You two girls stay here--I will be back presently;" and thussaying she retired to her own chamber, sought the private passage intothe apartments where the earl was concealed, and, passing with a gravelook through that which she called the "chamber of atonement,"threaded a long and narrow corridor constructed in the wall of thebuilding, and mounted a staircase of no greater width, which led tothe sleeping-room of Lord Beverley, where she found him reading one ofthe books with which she had taken care to supply him.
"Well, my dear lord," she said, "they have found us out, I fear."
"Indeed, Lady Margaret!" replied the earl calmly; "then I suppose thesooner I quit my present quarters the better."
"I don't think so, my lord," replied the old lady: "I am not sure thatit will not be wise to have a struggle for it, and that very speedily.We have got fifteen stout men in the house, and you make sixteen. Theywith their captain are twenty-one. I have a good store of arms here,too, and I could bring the people round, or part of them, throughthese passages to fall upon them in the rear, while the othersattacked them in the front."
"No, no, my dear lady," replied the earl, smiling; "that must not bedone on any account. In the first place, we might lose the day, andthen you and yours, and all that is most dear to me on earth, would beexposed to violence of which I dare not think. The fire of musketry,too, in such a house as this, might lead to terrible disasters; and,besides, whatever were the result, unless Hull fall and the king canhold this part of Yorkshire, you would be obliged to fly from your owndwelling, and give it up as a prey to the parliamentary soldiery. Itmust not be thought of. If you can but keep these men from pushingtheir discoveries farther till nightfall, and get me out by the mostprivate way, I will go and take my chance alone. It is the onlycourse, depend upon it."
"Oh! we will keep them at bay," replied Lady Margaret. "They have beenquaking for their lives the last three days, and, while my stoutyeomen remain in the house, dare not stir one from another for fear ofbeing taken unawares. I have ordered my men to remain all day, andhave promised them supper at nightfall; so we are secure till then,and in the mean while you may rest safe; for, sooner than they shouldbreak in here, I will burn the house about their ears. If you areresolved to go----"
"Quite," replied the earl.
"Then I will despatch one of the young men," replied Lady Margaret,"as if he were going home, to have a horse ready for you on the roadto York. He can come back again to help us when it is done. In themean while I will send you food and wine, that you may be strong foryour ride; but I must tell you that there is a party of horse outabout Market Weighton, said to be Cavaliers, and it were well that youshould be upon your guard if you fly that way, lest they should provedaws in peacocks' feathers."
"Nay, that cannot well be," replied the earl. "If I be not muchmistaken, the news I sent by Walton will soon bring the king beforethe gates of Hull. It would not surprise me if these were some of hismajesty's own parties, and I will direct my steps towards them withall speed."
Some further conversation took place regarding the arrangements to bemade; and it was agreed that, as soon as Lady Margaret thought theearl's escape might be attempted with a probability of success, eithershe herself or one of her fair companions should visit him and givehim notice; and after all had been thus settled, Lady Margaret, takingher leave of him, returned to the room where she had left her nieceand Arrah Neil.
She found them speaking eagerly, poor Arrah's colour somewhatheightened, and Annie Walton's eyes bent down, with dewy drops restingon the lids.
"Nay, but tell my aunt," said Miss Walton. "Indeed, dear Arrah, youshould tell her."
"No," replied Arrah Neil, with her own wild eagerness, "I will tell noone;" and then turning to Lady Margaret, she laid her hand upon herarm, gazing with an appealing look in her face, and saying, "I have ascheme, dear lady--a scheme which Annie opposes; but it is a goodscheme too, and she only fears it on account of danger to myself. Now,I fear no danger in a good cause; and I am sure you will trustme--will you not, dear Lady Margaret?"
"That I will, my child," replied Lady Margaret Langley, "and ask noquestions either."
"Nay, but hear," cried Annie Walton: "she is always ready to sacrificeherself for others, and if she does not tell you, I will, my dearaunt."
"Nay, nay," replied Lady Margaret; "you will not betray counsel,Annie, I am sure. Let her
have her own way. It is right, I will answerfor it; and if it be too generous for men, God will repay it. I willtrust her."
Annie Walton shook her head; but the conversation dropped there, andthe good old lady proceeded to make all her preparations for theexecution of her scheme.
The hours went by; the yeomen still remained at the Hall. CaptainHargood continued to act upon the plan which he had previouslyfollowed, but showed no slight symptoms by uneasiness at the prolongedoccupation of the house of Lady Margaret's tenantry, appearing fromtime to time with an indifferent and sauntering air, whichill-concealed no small degree of apprehension at all that he remarked,and retiring speedily to his men again, without venturing to sufferthem to separate for a moment.
The hour of supper came on, and the table in the hall was crowded.Lady Margaret appeared for a moment, and bade her guests make merry;but two of her servants were stationed in the vestibule beyond, whichcommunicated with the stairs and passages that led to the part of thehouse in possession of the militia, and whenever a step was heardabove, one of them approached the foot of the staircase, and listened,to provide against surprise.
Night fell, and as soon as it was completely dark, Annie Waltonaccompanied her aunt to the good, dame's own chamber, and, while LadyMargaret herself remained there, proceeded with a lamp through thedark passages in the wall, to give her lover the warning agreed upon.
They might be pardoned if they lingered a moment or two together; butat length, descending with a rapid step, they approached the chamberwhere Lady Margaret was waiting. As soon as the door opened the oldlady held up her finger, saying, "Hush! I heard a noise just now; butI think it is merely those clowns in the hall roaring over theirliquor. Let us listen, however."
They paused for a minute or two, but all was quite still.
"It is quiet now," said the earl. "We should hear it any one were inyour sitting room, and I am to go out into the fields by that way, yousay."
"Yes, it is all quiet now," said Lady Margaret; and, advancing to thedoor which led to the withdrawing-room, she opened it quietly butquickly, followed closely by the earl and Annie Walton. No sooner wasit open, however, than Lady Margaret stopped with a start; and AnnieWalton with a low cry clung to her lover's arm, for the room beforethem was full of soldiery.