CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
FRANK'S DREADFUL DAWN.
Frank Gowan lay awake for hours that night with his brain in a wildstate of excitement. The scene at the dinner, the angry face of hisfather as he stood defying the baron's friends after striking the Germandown, the colonel's stern interference, and his orders for Sir Robert togo to his quarters--all troubled him in turn; then there was the idea ofhis father being under arrest, and the possibility of his receiving somepunishment, all repeating themselves in a way which drove back everyprospect of sleep, weary as the lad was; while worst of all, there wasAndrew Forbes's remark about an encounter to come, and the possibleresults.
It was too horrible. Suppose Sir Robert should be killed by thefierce-looking baron! Frank turned cold, and the perspiration came indrops upon his temples as he thought of his mother. He sat up in bed,feeling that he ought to go to his father and beg of him to escapeanywhere so as to avoid such a terrible fate. But the next minute histhoughts came in a less confusing way, and he knew that he could not atthat late hour get to his father's side, and that even if he could hisideas were childish. His father would smile at him, and tell him thatthey were impossible--that no man of honour could fly so as to avoidfacing his difficulties, for it would be a contemptible, cowardly act,impossible for him to commit.
"I know--I know," groaned the boy, as he flung himself down once more."I couldn't have run away to escape from a fight at school. It wouldhave been impossible. Why didn't I learn German instead of idling aboutas I have! If I had I should have known what the baron said. Whatcould it have been?"
The hours crept sluggishly by, and sleep still avoided him. Not that hewished to sleep, for he wanted to think; and he thought too much, lyinggazing at his window till there was a very faint suggestion of thecoming day; when, leaving his bed, he drew the curtain a little on oneside, to see that the stars were growing paler, and low down in the easta soft, pearly greyness in the sky just over the black-looking trees ofthe Park.
It was cold at that early hour, and he shivered and crept back to bed,thinking that his mother in the apartments of the ladies of honour wasno doubt sleeping peacefully, in utter ignorance of the terrible time oftrouble to come; and then once more he lay down to think, as others havein their time, how weak and helpless he was in his desires to avert theimpending calamity.
"No wonder I can't sleep," he muttered; and the next moment he slept.For nature is inexorable when the human frame needs rest, or men wouldnot sleep peacefully in the full knowledge that it must be their lastrepose on earth.
Five minutes after, his door was softly opened, a figure glided throughthe gloom to his bedside, and bent over him, like a dimly seen shadow,to catch him by the shoulder.
"Frank! Frank! Here, quick! Wake up!"
The lad sprang back into wakefulness as suddenly as if a trigger hadbeen touched, and all the drowsiness with which he was now charged hadbeen let off.
"Yes; what's the matter? Who's there?"
"Hush! Don't make a noise. Jump up, and dress."
"Drew?"
"Yes. Be quick!"
"But what's the matter?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I got up and dressed, and opened my window tostand looking out at the stars, till just now I heard a door across thecourtyard open, and three men in cloaks came out."
"Officers' patrol--going to visit the sentries."
"No; your father, Captain Murray, and some one else. I think it was thedoctor; he is short and stout."
"Then father's going to escape," said Frank, in an excited whisper.
"Escape! Bah!" replied Andrew, in a tone full of disgust. "How couldhe as a gentleman? Can't you see what it means? They're going to ameeting."
"A meeting?" faltered Frank.
"Oh, how dull you are! Yes, a meeting; they're going to fight!"
Frank, who had leisurely obeyed his companion's command to get up anddress, now began to hurry his clothes on rapidly, while Andrew went on:
"I don't know how they've managed it, because your father was underarrest; but I suppose the officers felt that there must be a meeting,and they have quietly arranged it with the Germans. Of course it's allon the sly. Make haste."
"Yes. I shan't be a minute. You have warned the guard of course?"
"Done what?" said Andrew.
"Given the alarm," panted Frank.
"I say, are you mad, or are you still asleep? What do you mean?"
"Mad! asleep! Do you think I don't know what I'm saying?"
"I'm sure you don't."
"Do you think I want my father to be killed?"
"Do you think your father wants to be branded as a coward? Don't besuch a foolish schoolboy. You are among men now. I wish I hadn't comeand woke you. They'll be getting it over too before I'm there."
He made a movement toward the door, but Frank seized him by the arm.
"No, no; don't go without me," he whispered imploringly.
"Why not? You'd better go to bed again. You're just like a greatgirl."
"I must go with you, Drew. I'm afraid I didn't hardly know what I wassaying; but it seems so cold-blooded to know that one's own father isgoing to a fight that may mean death, and not interfere to stop it."
"Interfere to stop it--may mean death! I hope it does to some one,"whispered Andrew fiercely. "There, let go; I can't stop any longer."
"You're not going without me. There, I'm ready now."
"But I can't take you to try and interfere. I thought you'd like me totell you."
"Yes, I do. I must come, and--and I won't say or do anything that isn'tright."
"I can't trust you," said Andrew hastily. "It was a mistake to come andtell you. There, let go."
"You are not going without me!" cried Frank, fiercely now; and hegrasped his companion's arm so firmly that the lad winced.
"Come on, then," he said; and, with his breath coming thick and short,Frank followed his companion downstairs and out of the door of the oldhouse in the Palace precincts, into the long, low colonnade.
They closed the door softly, and ran together across the courtyard inthe dim light, but were challenged directly after by a sentry.
"Hush! Don't stop us," whispered Andrew. "You know who we are--two ofthe royal pages."
"Can't pass," said the man sternly.
"But we must," said Frank, in an agonised whisper. "Here, take this."
"Can't pass," said the man; "'gainst orders. You must come to theguardroom."
But he took the coin Frank handed to him, and slipped it into hispocket.
"We want to go to the meeting--the fight," whispered Andrew now. "Wewon't own that you let us go by."
"Swear it," said the man.
"Yes, of course. Honour of gentlemen."
"Well, I dunno," said the man.
"Yes, you do. Which way did they go when they passed the gate?"
"Couldn't see," said the man; "too dark. I thought it was one of themgames. My mate yonder'll know, only he won't let you go by without thepassword."
"Oh yes, he will," said Andrew excitedly. "Come on."
"Mind, I never see you go by," said the man.
"Of course you didn't," said Andrew; "and I can't see you; it's too darkyet."
They set off running, and the next minute were at the gate opening on tothe Park, where another sentry challenged them.
"I'm Mr Frank Gowan, Captain Sir Robert Gowan's son, and this is MrAndrew Forbes, Prince's page."
"Yes, I know you, young gentlemen; but where's the password?"
"Oh, I don't know," said Andrew impatiently. "Don't stop us, or they'llget it over before we're there. Look here; come to our rooms any timeto-day, and ask for us. We'll give you a guinea to let us go."
"I dursn't," said the man, in a whisper.
"Which way did they go?" said Frank, trembling now with anxiety.
"Strite acrost under the trees there. They've gone to the bit of a wooddown by the water."
"
Yes; that's a retired spot," panted Andrew. "Here, let's go on."
"Can't, sir, and I darn't. It's a jewel, aren't it?"
"Yes, a duel."
"Well, I'm not going to be flogged or shot for the sake of a guinea,young gentlemen, and I won't. But if you two makes a roosh by while Igo into my sentry-box, it aren't no fault o' mine."
He turned from them, marched to his little upright box, and entered it,while before he could turn the two lads were dashing through the gate,and directly after were beneath the trees.
It was rapidly growing lighter now; but the boys saw nothing of thelovely pearly dawn and the soft wreaths of mist which floated over thewater. The birds were beginning to chirp and whistle, and as they ranon blackbird after blackbird started from the low shrubs, uttering thechinking alarm note, and flew onward like a velvet streak on the softmorning glow.
In a minute or so they had reached the water-side, and stopped tolisten; but they could hear nothing but the gabbling and quacking of thewater-fowl.
"Too late--too late!" groaned Frank. "Which way shall we go?"
"Left," said Andrew shortly. "Sure to go farther away."
They started again, running now on the grass, and as they went on stepfor step:
"Mayn't have begun yet," panted Andrew. "Sure to take time preparingfirst.--There, hark!"
For from beneath a clump of trees, a couple of hundred yards in front,there was an indistinct sound which might have meant anything. This theboys attributed to the grinding together of swords, and hurried on.
Before they had gone twenty yards, though, it stopped; and as allremained silent after they had gone on a short distance farther, thepair stopped, too, and listened.
"Going wrong," said Frank despairingly.
"No. Right," whispered Andrew, grasping his companion's arm; for a lowvoice in amongst the trees gave what sounded like an order, and directlyafter there was a sharp click as of steel striking against steel,followed by a grating, grinding sound, as of blade passing over blade.
Frank made a rush forward over the wet grass, disengaging his arm as hedid so; but Andrew bounded after him, and flung his arms about hisshoulders.
"Stop!" he whispered. "You're not going on if you are going tointerfere."
"Let go!" said Frank, in a choking voice. "I'm not going to interfere.I am going to try and act like a man."
"Honour?"
"Honour!" and once more they ran on, to reach the trees and thread theirway through to where a couple of groups of gentlemen stood in a grassyopening, looking on while two others, stripped to shirt and breeches,were at thrust and parry, as if the world must be rid of one of thembefore they had done.
As Frank saw that one was his father--slight, well-knit, and agile--andthe other--heavy, massively built, and powerful--the Baron Steinberg,the desire was strong to rush between them; but the power was wanting,and he stood as if fixed to the spot, staring with starting eyes at therapid exchanges made, for each was a good swordsman, well skilled inattack and defence, while the blades, as they grated edge to edge andplayed here and there, flashed in the morning light; and as if in uttermockery of the scene, a bird uttered its sweet song to the coming day.
There were moments when, as the German's blade flashed dangerously nearSir Robert's breast, Frank longed to close his eyes, but they werefixed, and with shuddering emotion he followed every movement, feeling apang as a deadly thrust was delivered, drawing breath again as he saw itparried.
For quite a minute the baron kept up a fierce attack in this, the secondencounter since they had begun, but every thrust was turned aside, andat last, as if by one consent, the combatants drew back a step or twowith their breasts heaving, and, without taking their eyes off eachother, stood carefully re-rolling up their shirt sleeves over theirwhite muscular arms.
And now a low whispering went on among the officers, German and English,who were present, and Andrew said softly in Frank's ear:
"Don't move--don't make a sign. It might unsettle Sir Robert if he knewyou were here."
Frank felt that this was true, and with his heart beating as if it wouldbreak from his chest he stood watching his father, noting that hisbreathing was growing more easy, and that he was, though his face waswet with perspiration, less exhausted than his adversary, whose faceappeared drawn with hate and rage as he glared at the English captain.
Suddenly Captain Murray broke the silence by saying aloud to the Germanofficers:
"We are of opinion, gentlemen, that only one more encounter, the third,should take place. This should decide."
"Tell them not to interfere," said Steinberg fiercely, but withouttaking his eyes off his adversary. Then in French, with a very peculiaraccent, he cried, "_En garde_!" and stepped forward to cross swords withSir Robert once more.
The latter advanced at the same moment, and the blades clicked andgrated slightly, as their holders stood motionless, ready to attack ordefend as the case might be.
For nearly half a minute they stood motionless, eye fixed on eye, eachready to bring to bear his utmost skill, for, from the first the Germanhad fought with a vindictive rage which plainly showed that he wasdetermined to disable, if he did not slay, his adversary; while, enragedas he had been, there was, after some hours of sleep, no such desire onthe part of Sir Robert. He desired to wound his enemy, but that wasall; and as he at the first engagement realised the German's intentions,he fought cautiously, confining himself principally to defence, savewhen he was driven, for his own safety, to retaliate.
The seconds and those who had come as friends, at the expense of abreach of discipline and the consequences which might follow, hadgrasped this from the first; and though he had great faith in hisfriend's skill, Captain Murray had been longing for an opportunity tointerfere and end the encounter. None had presented itself, and theGerman officers had so coldly refused to listen to any attempt atmediation that there was nothing for it but to let matters take theircourse.
And now, as the adversaries stood motionless with their blades crossed,Sir Robert's friends felt to a man, as skilled fencers, that the timehad arrived for him to take the initiative, press his adversary home,and end the duel by wounding him.
But Sir Robert still stood on his guard, the feeling in his breastbeing--in spite of the terrible provocation he had received--that he haddone wrong in striking his colonel's guest, and he kept cool andclear-headed, resolved not to attack.
Then, all at once, by an almost imperceptible movement of the wrist, thebaron made his sword blade play about his enemy's, laying himself opento attack, to tempt his adversary to begin.
Twice over he placed himself at so great a disadvantage that it wouldhave been easy for Sir Robert to have delivered dangerous thrusts; butthe opportunities were declined, for the English captain's mind was madeup, and Frank heard an impatient word from Murray's lips, while Andrewuttered a loud sigh.
Then, quick as lightning, the baron resumed his old tactics, sending inthrust after thrust with all the skill he could command. His bladequivered and bent, and seemed to lick that of Sir Robert like a lambenttongue of fire; and Frank felt ready to choke, as he, with Andrew,unable to control their excitement, crept nearer and nearer to theactors in the terrible life drama, till they were close behind CaptainMurray and the other English officers, hearing their hard breathing andthe short, sharp gasps they uttered as some fierce thrust was made whichseemed to have gone home.
But no: giving way very slightly, in spite of the fashion in which hewas pressed by the German, Sir Robert turned every thrust aside; and hadhe taken advantage of his opportunities, he could have again and againlaid the baron at his feet, but not in the way he wished, for his desirenow was to inflict such a wound as would merely place his enemy _hors decombat_.
A murmur now arose amongst the Englishmen, for the affair was becomingmurderous on one side. But the German officers looked on stolidly, eachwith his left hand resting upon the hilt of his sword, as if ready toresent any interference with the principals in a
deadly way.
There was no hope of combination there to end the encounter, and oncemore Captain Murray and his friends waited for Sir Robert to terminatethe fight, as they now felt that he could at any time.
For, enraged by the way in which he was being baffled by the superiorskill of his adversary, the baron's attack was growing wild as well asfierce; and, savagely determined to end all by a furious onslaught, hemade a series of quick feints, letting his point play about Sir Robert'sbreast, and then, quick as lightning, lunged with such terrible forcethat Frank uttered a faint cry. His father heard it, and though heparried that thrust, it was so nervously that he was partly off hisguard with that which followed, the result being that a red linesuddenly sprang into sight from just above his wrist, nearly to hiselbow, and from which the blood began to flow.
A cry of "Halt!" came from Captain Murray and his friends, and this wasanswered by a guttural roar from the baron, while, as the former, assecond, stepped forward to beat down the adversaries' swords, the Germanofficers at once drew their weapons, not to support the baron's second,but as a menace.
It was all almost momentary, and while it went on the baron, inspired bythe sight of the blood, pressed forward, thrusting rapidly, feeling thatthe day was his own.
But that strong British arm, though wounded, grasped the hilt of SirRobert's blade as rigidly as if it were of the same metal; and as thebaron lunged for what he intended for his final thrust, he thoroughlyachieved his object, but not exactly as he meant. His sword point waswithin an inch of Sir Robert's side, when a quick beat in octave sent itspinning from his hand, while at the same instant, and before the flyingsword had reached the ground, Sir Robert's blade had passed completelythrough his adversary's body.
The German officers rushed forward, not to assist their fallen leader,but, sword in hand, evidently to avenge his fall, so taking theEnglishmen by surprise that, save Sir Robert's second, neither had timeto draw.
It would have gone hard with them, but, to the surprise of all, therewas a short, sharp order, and an officer and a dozen of the Guardsdashed out of the clump of trees which sheltered the duellists, toarrest the whole party for brawling within the Palace precincts.