The Northern Iron Part 8

After the third time he lay still. Maurice rose and stood over him.

"Captain Twinely," said Lord Dunseveric, "loose the belt from your prisoner's arms at once."

The order was obeyed, and Neal stood free. "Bid your men leave the meeting-house, all but the man who holds the torch and the one who lies there on the floor."

The men, cowed and sullen, went out.

"Now," said Lord Dunseveric, "I will have this matter cleared up and I will have justice done." He turned to Neal.

"How came you here with my daughter and the Comtesse de Tourneville?"

Neal stood silent.

"It was my fault," said the Comtesse. "I brought Una. I wanted to see what was going on. Mr. Neal had nothing to do with it. He tried to save us when, when that man"--she pointed to the soldier on the floor--"found us."

"Is that so?" asked Lord Dunseveric of Neal.

"It is."

"Maurice," said Lord Dunseveric, "take your sister and your aunt home, and when you get them there see that they do not leave the house again.

Stay. Take Neal with you. Those ruffians outside will scarcely venture to molest you, but, in case any of them are drunk enough to try, you will be the better of having Neal beside you. Captain Twinely, you will kindly give orders to your men that my son and his party are to be allowed to pa.s.s."

Lord Dunseveric was left alone in the meeting-house save for the man who held the torch and the trooper who lay unconscious on the floor.

"Give me the light," he said, "and go you over to your comrade. Loose his tunic and feel if his heart still beats."

The man did as he was bidden, and reported that the trooper whom Maurice had stunned was still alive. Lord Dunseveric walked to the door of the meeting-house and said--

"Captain Twinely, you will now be so good as to take the man who lies here on the floor and hang him at once. We are not well off for trees in this country, but there is at least one at the back of the meeting-house tall enough for the purpose."

There was a threatening growl from the men outside. They drew together.

Their hands were on their swords. Captain Twinely stood a little apart from them. His eyes were fixed on the ground. He made no motion, and showed no sign of obeying the orders he was given. Lord Dunseveric looked first at him and then at the group of angry troopers. He stepped out of the meeting-house and faced them. He took out his watch and looked at it.

"I give you ten minutes," he said, "in which to obey my order. If that man is not hanged in ten minutes I shall march you back to Dunseveric House, where there are trees enough, and hang every one of you there."

They could have killed him easily as he stood there. They probably would have killed him if he had shown the smallest sign of fear. They knew perfectly well that he could not have marched them to Dunseveric House or anywhere else if they had chosen to resist. Nevertheless, they obeyed him. A rope was fetched from the saddle of one of the troopers. In those days the yeomen carried ropes fit for hanging men as they went through the country. The unconscious man was carried from the meeting-house and hung up on the only tree large enough to bear his weight. Lord Dunseveric, with his watch in his hand, saw the thing done with a quiet smile. Then he spoke again to Captain Twinely.

"You had better proceed with your search for the cannon. It is getting late, and you have already wasted a great deal of time."

More torches were lit. The men, now thoroughly cowed, dragged down the pulpit and the precentor's pew. The earth under them was not beaten hard as was the earth of the rest of the floor. Captain Twinely took a torch and peered at it.

"Fetch a spade," he said.

They shovelled the earth into a heap against the wall and uncovered four cannons. They were wrapped in oily rags, and well preserved, in spite of their damp hiding-place. Lord Dunseveric looked at them carefully.

"Ah," he said. "Four of the six-pounders which I bought for my company of volunteer artillery in 1778. I often wondered what had become of them. Now, Captain Twinely, you have got the cannon, you had better go on to arrest your prisoners. I shall go with you, and remember I shall permit no violence unless resistance is offered. I have given your men one lesson to-night already. I am quite prepared to give them another if necessary."

The rain had ceased when Maurice and Neal, with their charge, left the meeting-house. The direction of the wind had changed since sunset. It blew in from the north and was sweeping the clouds away. The moon, then in its first quarter, seemed to be racing across the sky among the torn fragments of black cloud. Now and then it reached an open s.p.a.ce and shed a pale, white light over the landscape. Again, it was hidden and the night was very dark. Already the wind had aroused the sea to its old warfare against the rocks and strands. Its hollow roaring was borne far inland. For a time the little party walked in silence. The Comtesse was the first to speak.

"If that is the way your loyal troops behave, Maurice, I think that I prefer the _sans culottes_. Ugh! my clothes are half torn off my back. I shall never be able to wear this dress again. It will smell, positively smell, of the grimy hands of that drunken wretch."

"What brought you out?" asked Maurice. "If you had stayed at home nothing would have happened to you."

"Now," said the Comtesse, "if you begin to lecture me, to preach sermons to me, I shall sit down and cry. I could scream and kick at this moment with the greatest ease and pleasure. Then what would you do, my nephew?"

"Maurice," said Una, "let us go home across the fields. Don't let us go by the road. I'm afraid of meeting those men again. They will be coming after us."

"Nonsense, Una," said the Comtesse, "we have climbed walls enough to-night; we have lain in ditches enough. For my part, if there is a road I shall go along it. Come, Maurice."

She walked quickly on, and Maurice, puzzled and uncomfortable, followed her. Then Neal laid his hand on Una's arm.

"This way," he said. "I will take you home by the fields."

He sprang across the ditch and stretched out his hand to the girl.

Without a word she took it and followed him. They walked in silence over the rough ground. They crossed a wall, and then another, and each time Neal thrilled at the touch of her hand as he turned to help her.

"You were very brave, Neal," she said.

"It's not much to be brave for you, Una. Oh, I wish I could have saved you."

He had her hand in his again, and this time it seemed as if it lingered in his clasp.

"Una," he said. "Una."

But her face was turned away from him, and she made no answer. The tone of his voice set her pulses beating with a strong excitement, so that she could not look at him or speak. He was silent again. They reached the high wall which bounded the demesne of Dunseveric House. Once more, as they climbed, her hand was in his.

This time he held it fast. It seemed to him that he was doing something that would call down on him swift rebuke and angry reproach. He expected to have the hand s.n.a.t.c.hed from him. Then, with wonder and a glow of rapturous delight, he felt it lie pa.s.sive in his. He realised that he was being swept beyond his self-control; that his desire for the girl beside him was stronger than his reason. He yielded to an impulse of sheer pa.s.sion, clasped Una in his arms, and kissed her face. Again and again he kissed her. He felt her arms tighten round him, knew that she was clinging to him. Then suddenly he let her go and stood back from her, terror-stricken.

"Oh, Una, what have I done? I am mad."

She stood before him, her face covered with her hands.

"Una, speak to me. Can you ever forgive me? My love made me mad."

She raised her face and looked at him. In the dim moonlight he saw in her eyes a look of wonderful tenderness. He realised without a word from her that she loved him, too.

"Una--I ought never--I was wrong. But I love you more than my life.

Una, you are too far above me. You are a great man's daughter. How did I dare?"

She came close to him and spoke.

"There is no above or below, Neal, when we love each other. How can I be far above the man who loves me?"

"But there is no hope for us, none at all anywhere. Even to-morrow I may have to go--Una, I may have to fight----"

"Whatever comes, Neal, I know that you will be brave and good. Be brave and good, dear Neal, and then G.o.d will give us our hearts' desire. I am not afraid of the future. Why should you be afraid? If you do what is right and honourable what is there to fear? G.o.d is good."

They walked together to the house. Then Neal turned and went home. The future, so far as he could see into it, was dark enough. His love seemed utterly hopeless, yet his heart was full of unspeakable joy. He knew, beyond all possibility of doubt, that Una loved him and would love him whatever happened. Her strangely simple faith seemed to make all things plain before him. Una loved him and G.o.d was good. It was enough.