Adventure stories; Fiction; Great Britain -- History -- James II, 1685-1688 -- Fiction
It was quite evident to Barbara that neither her uncle nor Lord Rosmore
intended her to know what had happened that night; what line they would
take to-morrow she could not guess, but she had already hinted to Lord
Rosmore that in exchange for her promise he must leave Martin free at
the Abbey with her. This he could not do if Martin and Gilbert Crosby
had got away safely, and she believed they had done so.
Barbara could not sleep. The most fantastic happenings seemed possible
through the long hours of wakefulness. Martin might see his companion
far enough upon the road to render his capture unlikely, and then return
at once. If he came before Lord Rosmore departed, what excuse would be
left her for not fulfilling her part of the bargain? Towards morning
this fear began to dwarf all others, and an intense longing to be
certain that Martin had not returned took possession of her. She was
always an early riser; there would be no reason for comment if she were
found upon the terrace soon after the sun had risen. She would have no
need to find an excuse, because her habit was well known.
It was a silent and beautiful world into which she stepped. The Abbey
was still asleep, no sound came from the servants' quarters at present,
nor the clink of a pail-handle from the stables. If they were waking in
the village yonder, they were welcoming the new day in silence.
Barbara's footfall on the stone flags of the terrace rang strangely loud
in the morning air, and she went slowly, pausing to look across the
woods and down into the stream. Hidden men might still be watching, or
someone, whose night had been as wakeful as her own, might see her from
one of the windows. She must act as though she had no thought beyond the
full enjoyment of the early morning. Slowly, and with many pauses, she
made her way towards the ruins, and passed in after standing at the door
absorbed in contemplation of the beauty of the scene about her. She
hummed the tune of a little ballad to herself, and sat down on the first
convenient piece of fallen masonry. If men were watching this place she
would give them ample opportunity to ask what her business there might
be. Not a movement, not a sound disturbed her. The door into the tower
stood open; she wondered what had become of the men who had groaned last
night, and must have fallen on the narrow stairs; and she shuddered a
little at the thought of some hastily contrived grave, quite close to
her, perchance. She had no intention of entering the tower, only to show
herself in the ruins; surely if Martin were in hiding there he would
contrive some means to let her know. Still humming the ballad, slightly
louder than before, she went a little farther into the ruins, and
stopped by a piece of fallen stone-work which had constantly afforded
her a resting-place. It was here that Gilbert Crosby had caught his foot
and stumbled last night as he and Martin had run from their pursuers; it
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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