Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Fiction
Dorothy darted forward, but could not come near him for the crowd.
'My lord Charles,' cried the marquis, 'see the poor fellow taken care
of. Let him sleep, and perchance on the morrow he will listen to reason.
Mistress Watson will see to his hurts. I would to God he were on our
side! I like him well.'
The men took him up and followed lord Charles to the housekeeper's
apartment, where they laid him on a bed in a little turret, and left
him, still insensible, to her care, with injunctions to turn the key in
the lock if she went from the chamber but for a moment. 'For who can
tell,' thought lord Charles, greatly perplexed, 'but as he came he may
go?'
Some of the household had followed them, and several of the women would
gladly have stayed, but Mrs. Watson sent all away. Gradually the crowd
dispersed. The tumult ceased; the household retired. The castle grew
still, and most of its inhabitants fell asleep again.
'A damned hot-livered roundhead coxcomb!' said lord Worcester to
himself, pacing his room. 'These pelting cockerel squires and yeomen
nowadays go strutting and crowing as if all the yard were theirs! We
shall see how far this heat will carry the rogue! I doubt not the boy
would tell everything than see his mare whipped. He's a fine fellow, and
it were a thousand pities he turned coward and gave in. But the affair
is not mine; it is the king's majesty's. Would to God the rascal were of
our side! He's the right old English breed. A few such were very
welcome, if only to show some of our dainty young lordlings of yesterday
what breed can do. But an ass-foal it is! To run his neck into a halter,
and set honest people in mortal doubt whether to pull the end or no!
How on earth did he ever dream of carrying off a horse out of the very
courts of Raglan castle! And yet, by saint George! he would have done it
too, but for that brave wench of a Vaughan! What a couple the two would
make! They'd give us a race of Arthurs and Orlandos between them. God be
praised there are such left in England! And yet the rogue is but a
pestilent roundhead--the more's the pity! Those coward rascals need
never have mauled him like that. Yet had the blow gone a little deeper
it had been a mighty gain to our side. Out he shall not go till the war
be over! It would be downright treason.'
So ran the thoughts of the marquis as he paced his chamber. But at
length he lay down once more, and sought refuge in sleep.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE SLEEPLESS.
There were more than the marquis left awake and thinking; amongst the
rest one who ought to have been asleep, for the thoughts that kept her
awake were evil thoughts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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