Kilgorman Part 49

"The holy sisters live a mile or so beyond the city, before you come to Overschie, on the road to Delft. You will know the house by the high wall and the cross above the gate."

"Monseigneur," said I, "a thousand thanks, and may the saints make your bed to-night;" and I departed along the road he pointed out.

I had not gone far, or reached the open fields beyond the town, when I perceived, grazing at the roadside, a horse with saddle and pillion, such as market folk rode, which had evidently broken tether while its riders were away on some errand at a neighbouring _auberge_.

Necessity, which knows no law, and made me villain enough to deceive a priest, was hardly likely to stick at borrowing a nag, especially when the safety of my dear young mistress was at stake. It went to my heart to think that the honest couple would have to complete their marketing on foot; but I promised them in my mind that if the beast was one of sense and natural affection, it should find its way home sooner or later when its present task was done.

A short ride now cleared me of the town and brought me on to the road which follows the ca.n.a.l to Delft. It was already dark, and as I ambled past the lofty windmills that skirt the ca.n.a.l, I met scarcely a soul.

Presently at a junction of roads I distinguished a little way back from the highroad the roof of a building almost hidden in trees, and closed round with a high wall. A thick, nail-studded gate, surmounted by a cross, marked the entrance. Here, then, was my destination.

I reined in my horse under the deepest shadow of the wall, within view of the portal, and waited. To pa.s.s the time, I took from my pocket the pistol which had lain there all the while I was in the water, and drawing the wet charge, replaced it with powder and shot which I had taken the precaution to provide myself with before I left the _Scheldt_.

Then it occurred to me, if I was to play highwayman, I could do it more securely out in the solitary road than within earshot of the holy sisters, who might harbour within their precincts watch-dogs, human or animal, who could spoil sport of that kind.

So I rode a little way back on my steps and halted under a clump of trees at the cross-roads, straining my ears impatiently for the noise of wheels.

Nearly an hour elapsed before they came, and I concluded Miss Kit must have taken my advice and given her custodian a bad time of it before she permitted herself to be conducted from the s.h.i.+p to the vehicle. Now the wheels advanced rapidly, and the frequent crack of the driver's whip showed that Martin was trying to make up for lost time.

I could see as they approached that the two men were on the box, leaving the inside to the ladies. The driver was evidently pointing out the roof of the convent, dimly visible among the trees, and a face at the open window was peering out in the same direction.

At that moment I darted out of my hiding-place, and firing my pistol in the air, but near enough to the driver's ears to make him jump, shouted gruffly,--

"_Haltez la_!"

The horse came up short on his haunches. The terror-stricken men gaped round in a dazed way and tumbled off on the far side of the coach, while the maid within uttered a loud scream. But almost before any of them knew what had happened, I was bending beside the face at the window.

"Quick, Miss Kit, mount behind me." And pa.s.sing my arm round her, I drew her through the window and set her on the pillion behind me; and next moment we were galloping away as fast as the beast could carry us, with her dear arms clasping me, and her breath coming and going in quick tumult on my neck.

For a mile we rode thus without a word, when I heard her give a little laugh.

"What is it?" I asked.

"What a trouble for Martin!" said she, "He has Norah to console him."

"I am not jealous of Norah."

And I thought her arms held me a little firmer.

"How well you managed it," said she in a little. "I was terrified too, just at first. Where are we going?"

"To Biddy McQuilkin's, at the Hague."

"Biddy McQuilkin's!" exclaimed she, with a start of surprise. "Surely she is dead."

"So I thought; but she is not. She keeps an inn at the Hague; and has orders from one in high authority among the Irish rebels to take care of you."

"As a prisoner?"

"Surely not; as a lady."

She sighed.

"One peril never seems to be past," said she, "but a new one looms ahead."

"Courage," said I. "Providence that saved you from the old peril will save you from the new."

"Ah, Barry," she said gently, "I begin to wonder if your name spells Providence to me. On that hateful s.h.i.+p I wondered often what had become of you. When I saw behind us at Malin a red flag waved on the cliff- top, I said, Could that be you, but for once too late to help?"

"It was," I replied.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed almost triumphantly, "Night by night as we sailed further and further from home, I prayed Heaven to send you. Once when an English wars.h.i.+p crossed our path, I pictured you among the crew, and wished they might capture us. Then when I got that wonderful little letter among the biscuits I knew my prayer was answered; and I troubled myself about nothing but to do your bidding. Poor Martin," and she laughed again, "he was the sufferer by that."

You may fancy if her voice across my shoulder that night was not music in my ears! It humoured her to talk of all the perils we had encountered together, and of the ups and downs in our lots since that first day I brought her in the boat from Rathmullan to Knockowen. Then she spoke of her father and the peril he was in, and of the feuds and dangers that beset our distracted country. From that we came to talk of my adventures, and of Tim. But I could not find it in my heart to tell her of the paper under the hearth at Kilgorman, or of the villainy by which her father came into the estates he now held.

Near the end of our talk I mentioned that I had seen Captain Lestrange in Derry.

She was silent a little, and then said,--

"He is the man my father says I must marry." This was a speech I found no ready answer to, except a mumbled, "He is a fortunate man."

"He does not think so," said Miss Kit with a laugh. "He is good and kind, but he loves his liberty more than any woman."

"And what says my little lady to that?" I faltered.

"_Vive la Liberte_," said she. "Heigho, Barry, are we nearly there?"

We were past Delft, where no one supposed but we were a belated pair of market folk trudging home. Our horse had dropped into a leisurely jog, and the morning sky was beginning to show streaks of grey.

"Are you weary?" said I, putting my hand on the little arm that held me round.

"No, Barry, I am very happy so," said she; and after that we were silent till the stars began to fade and the towers and spires of the Hague loomed ahead against the northern sky.

Despite our loitering, it was still early when we found ourselves in the streets of that city, inquiring for the _auberge_ of the "White Angel."

After some trouble, we were directed through the town to the road that leads to the little fis.h.i.+ng village of Scheveningen, two miles beyond the Hague, where, just as we came in sight of the sea, a little wayside inn with a swinging sign of a heavenly body in a snowy robe told us we had at last found our journey's end.

No one was astir, but our knocking brought a groom on the scene, who rather surlily admitted us to the stable-yard.

"Tell madame she is wanted at once; I bear a message from Lord Edward, tell her."

Here a head looked out from a window, and madame's voice called out in broadest brogue,--

"Lord Edward, is it? And who might you be yourself?"

"I'm Barry Gallagher, Biddy. Put on your clothes, like a decent soul, and let us in."

Biddy obeyed with an alacrity which led us to doubt whether her toilet below the shawl she wore had been very elaborate.

On the sight of me, still more of my fair charge, she broke out into a tumult of Irish welcome.