And yet, in spite of such thoughts as these, Ashby was full of pity for her. He could not help it. And justly so; for hard indeed must that heart have been which could have remained unmoved at such a sight. Never was a bride seen more despairing. There was agony in her face, and in her att.i.tude, and in her gestures. It was not a bride that he saw; it was a victim. It was an altar of sacrifice upon which Katie was to be offered up--not an altar of love.
And thus Ashby, like Harry, stood overwhelmed at this unexpected sight.
Harry felt an almost irrepressible impulse to spring forward and greet her, but something there was in her look which deterred him. It was her face of despair, her att.i.tude of utter weakness and prostration, her downcast eyes, her averted look. He could not move; he was petrified.
There came over him something like a feeling of horror. He shuddered at the sight. All his thoughts and all his soul were fixed on her, while he kept asking himself, What is this? What does it mean? A marriage? And is this the bride--Katie?
Meanwhile Lopez had taken up a position at the upper end of the room, and, looking around with a sarcastic smile, began to make a few remarks:
"Senors," said he, "I have done myself the honor of requesting your company on this occasion, so as to have your presence on the happiest moment of my life, on the joyful moment when I am to be united in the holy bonds of matrimony to one whom I have long loved, and whom I have at last won by rescuing her from a fearful peril. I shall expect your warmest congratulations; but however warm they may be, they cannot be adequate to the occasion that calls them forth."
At this speech Harry stood transfixed. Then his whole nature and aspect changed instantly and utterly. His face grew death-white, there glowed a burning spot on each cheek, and his eyes, as he stared at Lopez, blazed with the fury of a madman.
"Senor," said he, feverishly and in a loud voice, "who is the lady?"
Lopez smiled scornfully, and took Katie"s cold hand in his.
"This," said he, "is the lady--my chosen bride."
Scarce was the action done, scarce were the words spoken, when Harry"s hand, quick as lightning, had plunged into his breast pocket and s.n.a.t.c.hed forth a revolver. In an instant it was levelled. Lopez saw the act, and with rapid presence of mind dropped Katie"s hand and flung himself flat on the floor.
At the same instant two shots in immediate succession came from Harry"s revolver. In another instant Lopez was on his feet, and had bounded against his a.s.sailant. A fierce struggle followed. Harry hurled Lopez to the floor; but the soldiers rushed up, and those without, hearing the noise, hurried in. All was the wildest confusion, in the midst of which was Harry struggling like a wild beast with overpowering numbers. He was at length held fast by the fierce soldiers, who wished to kill him on the spot, but were restrained by Lopez.
"Tie his hands behind him," he cried, in a loud voice, "and leave him here. Don"t hurt him. It"s nothing at all. It"s all a mistake."
But amidst the crowd of those who rushed upon Harry, Katie, with a wild scream, had flung herself; and as they now retreated at the command of their leader, she caught her prostrate lover in her arms, and fainted.
Lopez dragged her away rudely. Harry, with his hands tied behind him, rose up and looked all around in despair.
Amidst that wild uproar, Talbot had been roused from her deep abstraction.
She looked up, and as the struggle subsided she saw rising full before her out of the crowd of combatants the face of Harry Rivers. She recognized it, and there came over her heart a cold shudder, followed by a dark despair, in comparison with which her late troubles now seemed trivial.
For this was Harry Rivers, the man for whose sake she had come to Spain!
CHAPTER L.
HOW LOPEZ INVITES THE PRIEST TO MARRY HIM, AND HOW THE PRIEST MAKES A DISTURBANCE.
All was wild confusion.
Katie had fainted, and Rita was endeavoring to bring her back to consciousness. Russell stood amazed and bewildered. His chief fear now was one of being implicated in this mad outbreak of Rivers, who had been his companion in the train and in the castle, and might be taken as his confidant.
Talbot stood staring at Harry in wonder and in dark perplexity. Harry, however, saw her not; but thought only of Katie, whom he had failed to save. Struggles now were useless. He could only fall back on despair.
Brooke noticed a new expression on Talbot"s face, and marvelled, but thought it merely arose from natural wonder or natural sympathy with this unhappy man, who by his madness had rushed upon his doom.
Ashby meanwhile stood calm. He saw and understood the act of Harry and Katie. He wondered somewhat to find that their acquaintance had gone so far. He knew that both had been false to him, but had no idea that either had grown to feel such pa.s.sionate love for the other. And there came over him a pa.s.sing feeling of jealous anger, together with a natural indignation at the baseness of these two--the one his love, the other his friend--who had both betrayed him. So he looked with cold complacency upon their woes, and thought that they were both receiving such severe retribution that he had no need for further revenge.
Lopez, having seen that Harry"s hands were firmly bound, turned to Katie, who at length came to her senses, and looked all around with a shudder. He was anxious to soothe her, so as to finish the ceremony.
"Be calm," he said, in a low whisper, "for his sake. He may even yet be saved--I swear it. If you perform your promise I will forgive him. As you value your life, control yourself. If these men understand how it is, they will kill him on the spot."
At these words Katie shuddered the more, and with a violent effort attained to something like calmness. She then stood up, more tremulous and weak than ever, and stood thus, leaning upon Rita, without daring to encounter Harry"s look.
"The ceremony shall go on," said Lopez, aloud. "This fool"s-play shall not stop it."
"Keep calm," he whispered to Katie; "his life now depends on you altogether."
Harry still stood there, with soldiers around him, his hands bound, his face bloodless, but with the eyes of a madman.
"Senor," said Lopez, coolly, "I had no idea that you were a lunatic. You must submit to temporary restraint."
Harry made no reply. He looked all around, as though trying to see if there might be any signs of sympathy in the faces of the others, as though seeking in his despair for some faint ray of hope. He saw the cold sneer of Ashby; he saw the fierce frown of Lopez; he saw the trembling figure of Russell; he saw the anxious face of Brooke; and then, last of all, he saw--Talbot!
[Ill.u.s.tration: "Harry, With His Hands Tied Behind Him, Rose Up, And Looked All Around In Despair."]
This was the first time that he had got a sight of her face. In that instant, in spite of her disguise, there came in one flash the recognition of the whole truth. He saw that she had been lost--had been captured--had put on this disguise. At this discovery there followed within him nothing less than a complete paralysis of thought and feeling. In the shock of his sudden amazement he could only e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.e in half-audible tones the one word--"Sydney!"
Lopez heard this, but did not understand it. He wondered why Harry should exhibit such emotion at the sight of the priest, but hastily concluded that it was some more of his wild and insane excitement over this marriage ceremony.
Brooke heard it, and stared in bewilderment first at one and then at the other.
Talbot stood as before. She moved not, she spoke not, she was stolid and stiff, like a statue of ice; but there was in her face a new horror--it was the face of one who sees a ghost.
To both of these it was a terrible moment. For Talbot saw Harry, and Harry saw Talbot, and each recognized the other fully, though neither ventured to address the other. This, then, was the meeting of those two who had once loved and exchanged vows; who had suffered and rejoiced together; who had parted in sorrow, and looked forward to a reunion with joy; who but a short time since had desired nothing so much as the sight of each other; this was their meeting and thus it took place, at the very climax of that new and more pa.s.sionate love which had been conceived by each for another!
Had Harry only recognized her a few minutes before, the sight would have effectually chilled his hot blood and saved him from his mad a.s.sault on Lopez. He was calm enough now, however, and this was quite sufficient for the latter.
"Senor," said he, "you deserve to be shot on the spot without mercy, but out of regard for this lady and at her solicitation I spare you. And now, senor priest, let the ceremony begin, for this lady seems feeble."
Lopez waited, expecting Brooke to translate this to Talbot.
Brooke hesitated.
Lopez, in surprise, repeated his words. "Why do you not interpret?" he added.
It was the crisis of Talbot"s fate. How could Brooke decide? Why should he interpret at all? Should he do this? No; better draw upon himself the wrath of Lopez. And yet what could he accomplish by a refusal to interpret? These other prisoners could act. They understood Spanish as well as English. Such were the questions in Brooke"s mind, and he could not decide.
Suddenly the decision on this matter was taken away altogether, and adopted by Talbot herself. She would not let the vengeful wrath of Lopez fall on Brooke or on any other than herself. She understood his feelings fully, and therefore, to put an end to all suspense, she took the matter in her own hands.
She therefore came close up to Lopez, and fixed her large, dark, solemn eyes sternly yet mournfully upon his. Her face bore witness to a resolution that was immutable. Lopez could read its expression and see all that was in her mind.
She pointed to Katie, then to herself, and then to him. Then looking fixedly at him, she shook her head violently and with emphasis, and then hurled the breviary upon the floor. The act and the expression were more eloquent than words. Lopez understood all perfectly. His eyes flashed with just indignation, and a savage smile came over his face.