el dorado-第85章
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dead leaves。
Marguerite felt Armand's inert body leaning heavily against her
shoulder。
〃Are you in pain； dear？〃 she asked softly。
He made no reply； and she thought that he had fainted。 It was
better so； at least the next dreary hours would flit by for him in
the blissful state of unconsciousness。 Now at last the heavy
carriage began to move more evenly。 The soldier at the horses'
heads was stepping along at a rapid pace。
Marguerite would have given much even now to look back once more
at the dense black mass； blacker and denser than any shadow that
had ever descended before on God's earth； which held between its
cold； cruel walls all that she loved in the world。
But her wrists were fettered by the irons； which cut into her
flesh when she moved。 She could no longer lean out of the window；
and she could not even hear。 The whole forest was hushed； the
wind was lulled to rest； wild beasts and night…birds were silent
and still。 And the wheels of the coach creaked in the ruts；
bearing Marguerite with every turn further and further away from
the man who lay helpless in the chapel of the Holy Sepulchre。
CHAPTER XLVIII
THE WANING MOON
Armand had wakened from his attack of faintness； and brother and
sister sat close to one another； shoulder touching shoulder。 That
sense of nearness was the one tiny spark of comfort to both of
them on this dreary； dreary way。
The coach had lumbered on unceasingly since all eternityso it
seemed to them both。 Once there had been a brief halt； when
Heron's rough voice had ordered the soldier at the horses' heads
to climb on the box beside him； and onceit had been a very
little while agoa terrible cry of pain and terror had rung
through the stillness of the night。 Immediately after that the
horses had been put at a more rapid pace； but it had seemed to
Marguerite as if that one cry of pain had been repeated by several
others which sounded more feeble and soon appeared to be dying
away in the distance behind。
The soldier who sat opposite to them must have heard the cry too；
for he jumped up； as if wakened from sleep； and put his head out
of the window。
〃Did you hear that cry； citizen？〃 he asked。
But only a curse answered him； and a peremptory command not to
lose sight of the prisoners by poking his head out of the window。
〃Did you hear the cry？〃 asked the soldier of Marguerite as he made
haste to obey。
〃Yes！ What could it be？〃 she murmured。
〃It seems dangerous to drive so fast in this darkness；〃 muttered
the soldier。
After which remark he； with the stolidity peculiar to his kind；
figuratively shrugged his shoulders； detaching himself； as it
were； of the whole affair。
〃We should be out of the forest by now；〃 he remarked in an
undertone a little while later； 〃the way seemed shorter before。〃
Just then the coach gave an unexpected lurch to one side； and
after much groaning and creaking of axles and springs it came to a
standstill； and the citizen agent was heard cursing loudly and
then scrambling down from the box。
The next moment the carriage…door was pulled open from without；
and the harsh voice called out peremptorily：
〃Citizen soldier； herequick！quick！curse you！we'll have one
of the horses down if you don't hurry！〃
The soldier struggled to his feet； it was never good to be slow in
obeying the citizen agent's commands。 He was half…asleep and no
doubt numb with cold and long sitting still； to accelerate his
movements he was suddenly gripped by the arm and dragged
incontinently out of the coach。
Then the door was slammed to again； either by a rough hand or a
sudden gust of wind； Marguerite could not tell； she heard a cry of
rage and one of terror； and Heron's raucous curses。 She cowered
in the corner of the carriage with Armand's head against her
shoulder； and tried to close her ears to all those hideous sounds。
Then suddenly all the sounds were hushed and all around everything
became perfectly calm and stillso still that at first the
silence oppressed her with a vague； nameless dread。 It was as if
Nature herself had paused； that she might listen； and the silence
became more and more absolute； until Marguerite could hear
Armand's soft； regular breathing close to her ear。
The window nearest to her was open； and as she leaned forward with
that paralysing sense of oppression a breath of pure air struck
full upon her nostrils and brought with it a briny taste as if
from the sea。
It was not quite so dark； and there was a sense as of open country
stretching out to the limits of the horizon。 Overhead a vague
greyish light suffused the sky； and the wind swept the clouds in
great rolling banks right across that light。
Marguerite gazed upward with a more calm feeling that was akin to
gratitude。 That pale light； though so wan and feeble； was thrice
welcome after that inky blackness wherein shadows were less dark
than the lights。 She watched eagerly the bank of clouds driven by
the dying gale。
The light grew brighter and faintly golden； now the banks of
cloudsstorm…tossed and fleecyraced past one another； parted
and reunited like veils of unseen giant dancers waved by hands
that controlled infinite spaceadvanced and rushed and slackened
speed againunited and finally tore asunder to reveal the waning
moon； honey…coloured and mysterious； rising as if from an
invisible ocean far away。
The wan pale light spread over the wide stretch of country；
throwing over it as it spread dull tones of indigo and of blue。
Here and there sparse； stunted trees with fringed gaunt arms
bending to prevailing winds proclaimed the neighbourhood of the
sea。
Marguerite gazed on the picture which the waning moon had so
suddenly revealed； but she gazed with eyes that knew not what they
saw。 The moon had risen on her rightthere lay the eastand the
coach must have been travelling due north； whereas Crecy 。。。
In the absolute silence that reigned she could perceive from far；
very far away； the sound of a church clock striking the midnight
hour； and now it seemed to her supersensitive senses that a firm
footstep was treading the soft earth； a footstep that drew
nearerand then nearer still。
Nature did pause to listen。 The wind was hushed； the night…birds
in the forest had gone to rest。 Marguerite's heart beat so fast
that its throbbings choked her； and a dizziness clouded her
consciousness。
But through this state of torpor she heard the opening of the
carriage door； she felt the onrush of that pure； briny air； and
she felt a long； burning kiss upon her hands。
She thought then that she was really dead； and that God in His
infinite love had opened to her the outer gates of Paradise。
〃My love！〃 she murmured。
She was leaning back in the carriage and her eyes were closed； but
she felt that firm fingers removed the irons from her wrists； and
that a pair of warm lips were pressed there in their stead。
〃There； little woman； that's better sois it not？ Now let me get
hold of poor old Armand！〃
It was Heaven； of course； else how could earth hold such heavenly
joy？
〃Percy！〃 exclaimed Armand in an awed voice。
〃Hush； dear！〃 murmured Marguerite feebly； 〃we are in Heaven you
and I〃
Whereupon a ringing laugh woke the echoes of the silent night。
〃In Heaven； dear heart！〃 And the voice had a delicious earthly
ring in its whole…hearted merriment。 〃Please God； you'll both be
at Portel with me before dawn。〃
Then she was indeed forced to believe。 She put out her hands and
groped for him； for it was dark inside the carriage； she groped；
and felt his massive shoulders leaning across the body of the
coach； while his fingers busied themselves with the irons on
Armand's wrist。
〃Don't touch that brute's filthy coat with your dainty fingers；
dear heart；〃 he said gaily。 〃Great Lord！ I have worn that
wretch's clothes for over two hours； I feel as if the dirt had
penetrated to my bones。〃
Then with that gesture so habitual to him he took her head between
his two hands； and drawing her to him until the wan light from
without lit up the face that he worshipped； he gazed his fill into
her eyes。
She could only see the outline of his head silhouetted a
