"Who speaks?" demanded Auriol. "Ah! is it you, Fiend?"
"What, you are still in your old fancies," rejoined Rougemont. "I thought the draught I gave you last night would have amended you."
"Tell me who and what I am," cried Auriol, stupefied with astonishment; "in what age I am living; and whether I am in my right mind or not?"
"For the first, you are called Auriol Darcy," replied Rougemont; "for the second, you are living in the reign of his most Catholic Majesty James I. of England, and Sixth of Scotland; and for the third, I trust you will soon recover your reason."
"Amazement!" cried Auriol, striking his brow with his clenched hand.
"Then I _am_ mad."
"It"s plain your reason is returning, since you are conscious of your condition," replied Rougemont; "but calm yourself, you have been subject to raging frenzies."
"And I have been shut up here for safety?" demanded Auriol.
"Precisely," observed the other.
"And you are----"
"Your keeper," replied Rougemont.
"My G.o.d! what a brain mine must be!" cried Auriol. "Answer me one question--Is there such a person as Ebba Thorneycroft?"
"You have often raved about her," replied Rougemont. "But she is a mere creature of the imagination."
Auriol groaned, and sank against the wall.
"Since you have become so reasonable, you shall again go forth into the world," said Rougemont; "but the first essay must be made at night, for fear of attracting observation. I will come to you again a few hours hence. Farewell for the present."
And casting a sinister glance at his captive, he turned upon his heel, descended the steps, and quitted the cell.
CHAPTER VI
DOCTOR LAMB AGAIN
Night came, and the cell grew profoundly dark. Auriol became impatient for the appearance of his keeper, but hour after hour pa.s.sed and he did not arrive. Worn out, at length, with doubt and bewildering speculations, the miserable captive was beset with the desire to put an end to his torments by suicide, and he determined to execute his fell purpose without delay. An evil chance seemed also to befriend him, for scarcely was the idea formed, than his foot encountered something on the ground, the rattling of which attracted his attention, and stooping to take it up, he grasped the bare blade of a knife.
"This will, at all events, solve my doubts," he cried aloud. "I will sheathe this weapon in my heart, and, if I am mortal, my woes will be ended."
As he spoke, he placed the point to his breast with the full intent to strike, but before he could inflict the slightest wound, his arm was forcibly arrested.
"Would you destroy yourself, madman?" roared a voice. "I thought your violence was abated, and that you might go forth in safety. But I find you are worse than ever."
Auriol uttered a groan and let the knife fall to the ground. The new-comer kicked it to a distance with his foot.
"You shall be removed to another chamber," he pursued, "where you can be more strictly watched."
"Take me forth--oh! take me forth," cried Auriol. "It was a mere impulse of desperation, which I now repent."
"I dare not trust you. You will commit some act of insane fury, for which I myself shall have to bear the blame. When I yielded to your entreaties on a former occasion, and took you forth, I narrowly prevented you from doing all we met a mischief."
"I have no recollection of any such circ.u.mstance," returned Auriol mournfully. "But it may be true, nevertheless. And if so, it only proves the lamentable condition to which I am reduced--memory and reason gone!"
"Ay, both gone," cried the other, with an irrepressible chuckle.
"Ha!" exclaimed Auriol, starting. "I am not so mad but I recognise in you the Evil Being who tempted me. I am not so oblivious as to forget our terrible interviews."
"What, you are in your lunes again!" cried Rougemont fiercely. "Nay, then I must call my a.s.sistants, and bind you."
"Let me be--let me be!" implored Auriol, "and I will offend you no more.
Whatever thoughts may arise within me, I will not give utterance to them. Only take me forth."
"I came for that purpose," said Rougemont; "but I repeat, I dare not.
You are not sufficiently master of yourself."
"Try me," said Auriol.
"Well," rejoined the other, "I will see what I can do to calm you."
So saying, he disappeared for a few moments, and then returning with a torch, placed it on the ground, and producing a phial, handed it to the captive.
"Drink!" he said.
Without a moment"s hesitation Auriol complied.
"It seems to me rather a stimulant than a soothing potion," he remarked, after emptying the phial.
"You are in no condition to judge," rejoined the other.
And he proceeded to unfasten Auriol"s chain.
"Now then, come with me," he said, "and do not make any attempt at evasion, or you will rue it."
Like one in a dream, Auriol followed his conductor down the flight of stone steps leading from the dungeon, and along a narrow pa.s.sage. As he proceeded, he thought he heard stealthy footsteps behind him; but he never turned his head, to see whether he was really followed. In this way they reached a short steep staircase, and mounting it, entered a vault, in which Rougemont paused, and placed the torch he had brought with him upon the floor. Its lurid glimmer partially illumined the chamber, and showed that it was built of stone. Rude benches of antique form were set about the vault, and motioning Auriol to be seated upon one of them, Rougemont sounded a silver whistle. The summons was shortly afterwards answered by the dwarf, in whose attire a new change had taken place. He was now clothed in a jerkin of grey serge, fashioned like the garments worn by the common people in Elizabeth"s reign, and wore a trencher-cap on his head. Auriol watched him as he timidly advanced towards Rougemont, and had an indistinct recollection of having seen him before; but could not call to mind how or where.
"Is your master a-bed?" demanded Rougemont.
"A-bed! Good lack, sir!" exclaimed the dwarf, "little of sleep knows Doctor Lamb. He will toil at the furnace till the stars have set."
"Doctor Lamb!" repeated Auriol. "Surely I have heard that name before?"
"Very likely," replied Rougemont, "for it is the name borne by your nearest kinsman."
"How is the poor young gentleman?" asked the dwarf, glancing commiseratingly at Auriol. "My master often makes inquiries after his grandson, and grieves that the state of his mind should render it necessary to confine him."
"His grandson! I--Doctor Lamb"s grandson!" cried Auriol.