Mistress Penwick Part 31

"I am afraid thou dost treat a serious matter lightly; for 'tis a fickle thing; if he meets thee with open arms, thou wilt be cruel; if he greets thee coldly, thou wilt be indifferent--for fear of thy maiden scruples. What if he takes thee unawares?"

"How, unawares?"

"He might trick thee into a thing thou couldst not recede from. If thou didst find thyself so placed, wouldst thou forgive him and love him just the same?"

"I must always love him, no matter what trick he plays;--but he will play me no trick. If he should again threaten to lock me up, as he has done heretofore, I would go to him and say,--'Nay, I will marry thee now, Cedric!'"

"G.o.d, Kate! Kate!" And the priest threw his arms about her, almost crus.h.i.+ng her in his great embrace. The cowl slipt from his head and his dark curls swept her face as he bent over her. Instantly she knew him and straightway fell into a rage.

"Thou, thou, Lord Cedric, dare to receive confession from one whose life thou hast no part in. Dost thou know the penalty of such wickedness? All evil will be visited upon thee for playing the part of a holy priest. Indeed, of all the sins I had deemed thee capable, I had ne'er thought of one so wicked as this!" She fell back in the corner of the coach in such fury, she could not find further utterance.

CHAPTER XX

UNPROCLAIMED BANNS

"Indeed, Mistress Penwick, I asked not for thy confessions. But now that I have heard them, 'tis my meed to be punished by thy sharp tongue for that I could not help. Come, Sweet, forgive and love me.

Have I not suffered enough?"

"Lambkin, I am out of all humour with thee. Thou art half a termagant, I admit!"

"And thou, too, wert privy to this deception. I am truly without friends!" and the maid began to weep softly behind her handkerchief.

Lord Cedric was beside himself with his folly.

"If I only could have withstood thee; but how could I with thy tender words and thy closeness--"

"There is nothing accomplished but mistakes!" Janet ventured, being impatient with both Cedric and Kate.

"--Kate!--Kate! dost not thou know how I have longed for thee; how my heart has ached in thine absence? Those two whole days I lay abed were like so many years, and when I thought of thy danger, I fell into a fever and I arose and leapt upon the fleetest steed and rode until my fever cooled; and then--when I had thee once more, I could not keep from thee longer; I resolved upon this plan that I might be with thee, and ride by thy side. And thou dost murder me outright. Thou dost kill me, Kate! I was a fool to undertake it, I know; but I thought of two whole days I should be separated from thee and felt I could not bear to wait. Thy words, Kate, were so sweet. Kate, come to me once more and see how loving I can be. Let me dry thy tears,--let thy head rest here upon my heart and close thine eyes and dream--dream, Kate, of what we must be to each other, and then wake and find me bending over thee. Come, Sweet, come!" He sought her elusive fingers and tried to draw her to him with a tenderness she could hardly withstand; but she would not unbend, drawing from him, sinking further into the corner.

"And did Sir Julian know of this ruse of thine?" she asked, haughtily.

"Janet, methinks the maid speaks with thee!"

"What is it, Lambkin? I was not listening."

"I will wait until the storm ceases, perhaps thou wilt find thy hearing by then." There was a long silence within the coach. The tears of Mistress Penwick were dried and she sat sullen, deliberately trying to hate Lord Cedric. There came a sudden burst of thunder that turned the tide of her thoughts from him to Sir Julian, who rode by her window constantly. At every flash of lightning she saw his spurs glisten, saw the foam fly from the bits of his horse's bridle. He rode there in the storm, heedless of all but her safety and comfort, he that had wounds on his body that spake of great deeds of n.o.bleness and valour! Why should he care for her so? Like a flood he swept into her heart, and she accepted his presence with gladness--shutting out Cedric as well as she was able. She inclined her head toward the window and watched the handsome figure of Sir Julian with a new interest. His form, so like that of Cedric, she began to compare with ancient warriors she had read about and seen pictures of,--then his tender and meaning hand pressure recurred to her, and she flushed mightily. After awhile she fell to thinking of the Duke of Monmouth, the tender thoughts of whom she had not yet resigned,--such were the vacillations of the mind of strong, warm, youthful Mistress Penwick.

The storm grew furious, and the wind blew such a gale it appeared at times as if the trees swept the earth. They bended and swung rudely, brus.h.i.+ng hard against the windows. In the midst of its severity the coach came to a stand-still and Lord Cedric threw open the door. Janet leant quickly toward him,--

"I pray thee not to go forth in the storm, my lord; 'tis enough to give thee thy death."

"Nay, nay, Janet, 'twill not be summer rain that will kill me, but cold looks and threatening mien." And he stepped out into the night.

"What, Lambkin, if Lord Cedric should catch cold and die? 'Twould kill thee, too; for remorse would give thee no rest."

"I never so disliked him as I do now. I never want to see him again.

How shall I look him in the face after confessing such things? I shall die of shame. That is all he wanted to hear me say, and--he heard it--and that is all the benefit he will get." Again she fell to weeping, finding she could wring no sympathy from Janet, who sat coldly listening to her nursling's plaints.

They reached Crandlemar late the second evening, tired and weary. The d.u.c.h.ess of Ellswold greeted them with a happy countenance, so pleased that she could make known to them that her lord was better and the physicians had given permission to remove him to his own county seat.

Her greeting to Katherine in particular was evidently a forced one; she feeling sorely distressed at her capricious nature.

Never did the great old seat look so beautiful as it did in its midsummer glory. Mistress Penwick had arisen early and walked out upon the rich greensward. She wandered from place to place, enjoying the gorgeous fullness of leaf and bloom. She felt a strange disquiet, a longing for love and knowing not the meaning of her unrest vainly tried to find comfort in the beauty of the outer world, that only inclined her heart the more to its desire. She pa.s.sed from flower to flower, endeavouring to 'suage the uprisings of Cupid. Suddenly she heard the organ peal forth, and straightway she entered the library to hear those great, soothing chords the better. She, being shaken by love, fell upon her knees and tried to pray for comfort, for she felt at the moment she had not one to comfort her. Janet had been taciturn, showing not her affection as had been her wont heretofore. The tears came, and she wept aloud. Then the organ ceased and a moment later Sir Julian stood upon the landing of the stairway, looking down upon her.

Without noise he descended and stood by her side. His voice, when he spoke, appeared shaken as if a storm of love wrought upon it.

"Katherine! It pains me to see thee thus. Can I not give thee some bit of comfort?"

"I am comforted already, Sir Julian; thy music did that."

"Then why dost still remain with bowed head and thy sobs una.s.suaged?"

"I do not know. I must either laugh or cry and--'tis easier to do the latter."

"Come! Mistress Penwick, what can I do for thee? Ask, I pray, anything, for thy happiness--Katherine--" and for the first time in his life he looked guiltily about him. But no one was near to hear him, and he continued lowly--"thou dost know, surely, that man cannot look on thee without loving?" and he raised her from her knees.

"I am unloved," she answered, the social lie tinging her cheek to a brighter hue.

"Not so, for I love thee."

"Thou, thou, Sir Julian, who art used to spurning woman's heart?"

"Not spurn, nay! I have not found one yet I could do that to, and on the other hand I have found but one I could love, and--that is thine."

"Ah, Sir Julian. I wonder if thou dost love me. 'Tis a great thing to be loved by one who has fought in great battles."

"And thou dost not know that the battle of hearts is much deadlier than that of arms?"

"I do not know; but thou seemest like a warrior of olden time. And for thee to love me!"

"Is it enough? Wilt thou give thyself to me?" There was a silence so long and unbroken Katherine was made to realize that her reply was not to be lightly uttered, so she answered with all the strength of a plaything of caprice,--

"If thou wilt have it so, Sir Julian, I will be thine."

She had hardly finished, when he laid his lips, to her astonishment, coldly and with formal grace upon her forehead.

"I will not ask thee if thou lovest me, but will say instead dost think thou mayest?"

"But I think I love thee now--"

"Nay, sweet Mistress, thou dost not--" A look of fear came into her eyes. Had Lord Cedric told her confessions? Nay, nay! he would not, she knew.

"How dost come by so much knowledge?" she said, coquettishly.

"I have ascertained by subtleness, but--let it pa.s.s. Let us talk of thee now. When wilt thou marry me? If thou art kind, thou wilt say at once."