Henry of Guise; or, The States of Blois (Vol. 3 of 3)James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
General
Henry of Guise; or, The States of Blois (Vol. 3 of 3)
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
Guise, Henri, duc de, 1550-1588 -- Fiction
"You shall have it! you shall have it!" replied the Abbé. "But if you
do it, so that no suspicion ever falls on me, you shall have as much
again this day two years; for nothing but the lives of these two young
men stands between me and immense wealth."
"The worst of it all is," said the Italian, "that there is so short a
time. It is to take place in the castle chapel; so there will be no
going through the streets. To find him alone will be a matter of
difficulty; and though I went over the passages, thinking it might
come to this, yet I saw no one place, but at the door of the room
called the revestry, where one could strike easily."
"I have seen the place," said the Abbé, "long ago; but I do not
remember it so perfectly as to give you any aid. I know that the
window of the room you mention looks into the court and gardens, and
under the garden wall shall be a swift horse to bear you away. That is
all I can do for you."
"I must do the rest for myself," replied the man, "and will find some
means, depend upon it. Perhaps he may not wait for the other if he be
eager, but may come first by himself, and then it will be easily done.
However, I will now go and get the dagger ready, and I can undertake
that the least scratch shall not leave an hour's life in him."
The Abbé de Boisguerin nodded his head and smiled as the other
departed. "They know not," he said to himself, "they know not the man
they have to deal with. These mighty men, these haughty Guises, may
find that every man of strong determination and unflinching courage
may thwart, if he cannot master, them; may destroy their plans, if he
cannot accomplish his own. But there is another still to be dealt
with. There is this proud, unfeeling, contemptuous girl; she who
has been rejoicing in the reappearance of this crafty fair-faced
boy.--There is now no going back; and why should I not risk life to
win her too, and gratify both my love and my revenge?--Yet that seems
scarcely possible," he continued. "Closely watched within the castle,
never going out but strongly accompanied, she is put, it would seem,
entirely out of my power, now that Villequier has fallen off from
me.--And yet," he continued meditating, "and yet, there is nothing
impossible to the dauntless and the daring.--Could I not bring her to
the postern gate of the garden an hour before this marriage is to take
place, and then, with swift horses and a carriage ready, convey her
once more far away?--We have done as bold and difficult a feat before;
and methinks, if I could tell her that I have news to give her
concerning her uncle's safety--for rumours of his danger must have
reached her ears--she will not fail to come, and come alone.--Oh! if I
once more get her in my power, she shall find no means to fly again,
till, on the contrary, she shall be more inclined to kneel at my feet,
and beseech that I would wed her.--So it shall be! I will write to her
that, if at ten o'clock she will be alone at the postern gate of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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