CHAPTER XVII
THE LAMP IS BLOWN OUT
The door of Margaret Douglas's chamber still stood open, and Sholtofound Earl William seated upon the foot of the bed, endeavouring byevery means in his power to distract his sister's attention from herfears. Maud Lindesay, now more completely dressed than when he hadfirst seen her, sat on the other side of the little lady's couch. Shewas laughing as he entered at some merry jest of the Earl's. And atthe sound of her tinkling mirth Sholto's heart sank within him. Sosoon as she caught sight of the new captain of the guard the gladnessleft her face, and she became grave and sober, like a gossip longunconfessed when the holy father comes knocking at the door.
At sight of her emotion Sholto resolved that if his fears should proveto be well founded, he would resign his honourable office. For toabide continually in the castle, and hourly observe Maud Lindesay'slove for another, was more than his philosophy could stand.
In the meantime there was only his duty to be done. So he saluted theEarl, and in a few words told him that which he had seen. But the soulof William Douglas was utterly devoid of suspicion, both because heheld himself so great that none could touch him, and also because,being high of spirit and open as the sky, he read into the acts ofothers his own straightforwardness and unsuspicion.
The Earl rose smilingly, declaring to Margaret that to-morrow he wouldhang every dog and puppy in Galloway on the dule tree of Thrieve,whereupon the child began to plead for the life of this cur and thatother of her personal acquaintances with a tearful earnestness whichtold of a sorely jangled mind.
"Well, at least," cried Earl Douglas, "I will not have such brutesprowling about my castle of Thrieve even in my sister's dreams.Captain Sholto, do you station a man of your guard in the angle of thestaircase where it looks along each corridor. Pick out your prettiestcross-bowmen, for it were not seemly that my guests should bedisturbed by the rude shots and villanous reek of the fusil."
Sholto bowed stiffly and waited the further pleasure of his master.Then the two young men went out without Maud Lindesay having uttered aword, or manifested the least surprise at the advancement which hadbefallen the heir of the master armourer of Carlinwark.
As soon as the door had closed upon the two maidens, the Earl turned aface suddenly grave and earnest on his young captain of the guard.
"What think you," he said, "was this appearance real?"
"Real enough to leave these upon the floor," answered Sholto, pointingto sundry gouts and drops of blood upon the turret stairs.
The Earl took the lamp from his hand and earnestly scrutinised eachstep in a downward direction. The spots ran irregularly as if thewounded beast had shaken his head from side to side as he ran. Theyturned along towards the corridor where at the first alarm Sholto hadfound the Earl, and in the very midst of it abruptly stopped. WhileSholto and William Douglas were examining the floor, they both lookedover their shoulders, uneasily conscious of a regard upon them, as ifsome one, unseen himself, had been looking down from behind.
"Do you place your men as I told you," said the Earl, abruptly, "andbring me a truckle bed out of the guardroom. I shall remain in thiscloset till morning. But do you keep a special lookout on the floorabove, that the repose of my sister and her friend be not againdisturbed."
Sholto bowed without speech, and hastening down to the guardroom hecommanded two of his best bowmen to follow him with their apparatus,while he himself snatched up the low truckle couch which customassigned to the captain of the guard should he desire to rest himselfduring the night, and on which Landless Jock had always passed themajority of his hours of duty. This he carried to the Earl, andplacing it in the angle he saw his youthful master stretch himselfupon it, wrapped in his cloak and with a naked sword ready to hishand.
"A good and undisturbed slumber to you, my lord," said Sholto, curtly,as he went out.
He saw that his two men were duly posted upon the lower landing of thestair, and then betook himself to the upper floor where slept thelittle Maid of Galloway.
He walked slowly to the end of the passage scrutinising every recessand closet door, every garde-robe and wall press from which it waspossible that the beast he had seen might have emerged. He was whollyunsuccessful in discovering anything suspicious, and had almostresolved to station himself at the turn of the staircase which leddown from the roof, when, looking back, at the sharp click of a latch,he saw Maud Lindesay coming out of the chamber of the little Maid ofGalloway.
Softly closing the door behind her, she paused a moment as ifundecided, and then more with her chin than with her finger shebeckoned him to approach.
"She sleeps," said the girl, softly, "but so uncertainly and with somany startings of terror, that I will not leave her alone. Will youaid me to remove the mattress of my couch and lay it on the floorbeside her?"
Sholto signified his willingness. His mind was more than everoppressed by the thought that the Earl of Douglas loved this girl,whom he had found listening to his jests with such frank joyousness.
Maud stayed him with one of the long looks out from under hereyelashes. The dark violet orbs rested upon him a moment reproachfullywith a hurt expression in their depths, and were then dropped with asigh.
"You are still angry with me," she said, a little wistfully, "and Iwanted to tell you how happy it made me--made us, I mean--when weheard that you were to be captain of the castle-guard instead of thatgrumbling old curmudgeon, Jock of Abernethy."
The heart of Sholto was instantly melted, more by her looks than byher words, though deep within him he had still an angry feeling thathe was being played with. All the same, and in spite of his resolves,the eyeshot from under those dark and sweeping lashes did its usualand deadly work.
"I did not know that aught which might befall me could be anything toMistress Maud Lindesay," said Sholto, with the last shreds of dignityin his voice.
"I said not to me, but to _us_," she corrected, smiling; "but tell mewhat think you of this appearance which has so startled our Margaret.Was it ghost or goblin or dream of the night? We have never had eitherwitch or warlock about the house of Thrieve since the old Abbot Gawainlaid the ghost of Archibald the Grim with four-and-forty masses, saidwithout ever breaking his fast, down there in the castle chapel."
"Nay, ask me not," answered Sholto, "I am little skilled in mattersspiritual. I should try sword point and arrowhead on such gentry, andif these do them no harm, why then I think they will not distress memuch."
But all the same he said nothing to the girl about the red blood onhis sword or the splashed gouts on the steps of the staircase.
He followed Maud Lindesay into her chamber, and being arrived there,lifted couch and all in his arms, with an ease born of longapprenticeship to the forehammer. The girl regarded him withadmiration which she was careful not to dissemble.
"You are very strong," she said. Then, after a pause, she added,"Margaret and I like strong men."
The heart of the youth was glad within him, thus to be called a man,even though he kept saying over and over to himself: "She means itnot! She means it not! She loves the Earl! I know well she loves theEarl!"
Maud Lindesay paused a moment before the chamber door of her littlecharge, finger on lip, listening.
"She sleeps--go quietly," she whispered, holding the door open forhim. He set down the bed where she showed him--by the side of thesmall slumbering figure of the Maid of Galloway.
Then he went softly to the door. The girl followed him. "You will notbe far away," she said doubtfully and with a perilous sort ofhumility, "if this dreadful thing should come back again? I--that iswe, would feel safer if we knew that you--that any one strong andbrave was near at hand."
Then the heart of Sholto broke out in quick anger.
"Deceive me not," he cried, "I know well that the Earl loves you, andthat you love him in return."
"Well, indeed, were it for my lord Earl if he loved as honest awoman," said Maud Lindesay, pouting disdainfully. "But what is such amatter, yea or nay
, to you?"
"It is all life and happiness to me," said Sholto, earnestly. "Ah, donot go--stay a moment. I shall never sleep this night if you gowithout giving me an answer."
"Then," said the girl, "you will be the more in the line of your duty,which allows not much sleep o' nights. You are but a silly, petulantboy for all your fine captaincy. I wish it had been Landless Jock. Hewould never have vexed me with foolish questions at such a time."
"But I love you, and I demand an answer," cried Sholto, fuming. "Doyou love the Earl?"
"What do you think yourself now?" she said, looking up at him with aninimitable slyness, and pronouncing her words so as to imitate thebroad simplicity of countryside speech.
Sholto vented a short gasp or inarticulate snort of anger, at whichMaud Lindesay started back with affected terror.
"Do not fright a poor maid," she said. "Will you put me in the castledungeon if I do not answer? Tell me exactly what you want me to say,and I will say it, most mighty captain."
And she made him the prettiest little courtesy, turning at the sametime her eyes in mock humility on the ground.
"Oh, Maud Lindesay," said Sholto, with a little conflicting sob in histhroat, ill becoming so noted a warrior as the captain of thecastle-guard of the Black Douglas, "if you knew how I loved you, youwould not treat me thus."
The girl came nearer to him and laid a white and gentle hand on thesleeve of his blue archer's coat.
"Nay, lad," she said more soberly, lifting a finger to his face,"surely you are no milksop to mind how a girl flouts you. Love theEarl--say you? Well, is it not our duty to the bread we eat? Is he notworthy? Is he not the head of our house?"
"Cheat me not with words. The Earl loves you," said Sholto, liftinghis head haughtily out of her reach. (To have one's chin pushed thisway and that by a girl's forefinger, and as it were consideredcritically from various points of view, may be pleasant, but itinterferes most seriously with dignity.)
"He may, indeed," drolled the minx, "one can never tell. But he hasnever said so. He is perhaps afraid, being born without theself-conceit of some people--archers of the guard, fledgling captains,and such-like gentrice."
"Do you love him?" reiterated Sholto, determinedly.
"I will tell you for that gold buckle," said Maud, calmly pointingwith her finger.
Instantly Sholto pulled the cap from his head, undid the pin of thearchery prize, and thrust it into his wicked sweetheart's hands.
She received it with a little cry of joy, then she pressed it to herlips. Sholto, rejoicing at heart, moved a step nearer to her. But, inspite of her arch delight, she was on the alert, for she retreateddeftly and featly within the chamber door of the Fair Maid ofGalloway. There was still more mirthful wickedness in her eyes.
"Love the Earl?--Of course I do. Indeed, I doat upon him," she said."How I shall love this buckle, just because his hand gave it to you!"
And with that she shut to the door.
Sholto, in act to advance, stood a moment poised on one foot like agoose. Then with a heart blazing with anger, and one of the firstoaths that had ever passed his lips, he turned on his heel and strodeaway.
"I will never think of her again--I will never see her. I will go toFrance and perish in battle. I will throw me in the castle pool. Iwill--"
So the poor lad retreated, muttering hot and angry words, all hisheart sore within him because of the cruelty of this girl.
But he had not proceeded twenty steps along the corridor, when heheard the door softly open and a low voice whispered, "Sholto! Sholto!I want you, Sholto!"
He bent his brows and strode manfully on as if he had not heard aword.
"Sholto!--dear Sholto! Do not go, I need you."
Against his will he turned, and, seeing the head of Maud Lindesay, herpouting lips and beckoning finger, he went sulkily back.
"Well?" he said, with the stern curtness of a military commander, ashe stood before her.
She held the iron lamp in her hand. The wick had fallen aside and wasnow wasting itself in a broad, unequal yellow flame. The maid ofhonour looked at it in perplexity, knitting her pretty brows in a mockfrown.
"It burned me as I was ordering my hair," she said. "I cannot blow itout. I dare not. Will you--will you blow it out for me, CaptainSholto?"
She spoke with a sweet childlike humility.
And she held the lamp up so that the iron handle was almost touchingher soft cheek. There was a dancing challenge in her dark eyes and herlips smiled dangerously red. She could not, of course, have known thatthe light made her look so beautiful, or she would have been morecareful.
Sholto stood still a moment, at wrestle with himself, trying toconquer his dignity, and to retain his attitude of stern disapproval.
But the girl swept her lashes up towards him, dropped them again darkas night upon her cheek, and anon looked a second time at him.
"I am sorry," she said, more than ever like a child. "Forgive me,and--the lamp is so hot."
Now Sholto was young and inexperienced, but he was not quite a fool.He stooped and blew out the light, and the next moment his lips restedupon other lips which, as it had been unconsciously, resigned theirsoft sweetness to his will.
Then the door closed, and he heard the click of the lock as the boltswere shot from within. The gallery ran round and round about him likea clacking wheel. His heart beat tumultuously, and there was a strangehumming sound in his ears.
The captain of the guard stumbled half distracted down the turretstair.
The old world had been destroyed in a moment and he was walking in anew, where perpetual roses bloomed and the spring birds sang forevermore. He knew not, this poor foolish Sholto, that he had much tolearn ere he should know all the tricks and stratagems of this mostnaughty and prettily disdainful minx, Mistress Maud Lindesay.
But for that night at least he thought he knew her heart and soul,which made him just as happy.