Minnie, however, did not tremble at all, nor was the suspense at all painful. When Mrs. Willoughby first cautiously directed her attention to it in a whisper, Minnie thought it was some animal.
"Why, Kitty dear," she said, speaking back in a whisper, "why, it"s an animal; I wonder if the creature is a wild beast. I"m sure I think it"s very dangerous, and no doors or windows. But it"s _always_ the way. He wouldn"t give me a chair; and so I dare say I shall be eaten up by a bear before morning."
Minnie gave utterance to this expectation without the slightest excitement, just as though the prospect of becoming food for a bear was one of the very commonest incidents of her life.
"Oh, I don"t think it"s a bear."
"Well, then, it"s a tiger or a lion, or perhaps a wolf. I"m sure _I_ don"t see what difference it makes what one is eaten by, when one _has_ to be eaten."
"It"s a man!" said Mrs. Willoughby, tremulously.
"A man!--nonsense, Kitty darling. A man walks; he doesn"t go on all-fours, except when he is very, very small."
"Hush! it"s some one coming to help us. Watch him, Minnie dear. Oh, how dangerous!"
"Do you really think so?" said Minnie, with evident pleasure. "Now that is really kind. But I wonder who it _can_ be?"
Mrs. Willoughby squeezed her hand, and made no reply. She was watching the slow and cautious movement of the shadowy figure.
"He"s coming nearer!" said she, tremulously.
Minnie felt her sister"s hand throb at the quick movement of her heart, and heard her short, quick breathing.
"Who _can_ it be, I wonder?" said Minnie, full of curiosity, but without any excitement at all.
"Oh, Minnie!"
"What"s the matter, darling?"
"It"s so terrible."
"What?"
"This suspense. Oh, I"m so afraid!"
"Afraid! Why, I"m not afraid at all."
"Oh! he"ll be caught."
"No, he won"t," said Minnie, confidently. "I _knew_ he"d come. They _always_ do. Don"t be afraid that he"ll be caught, or that he"ll fail.
They _never_ fail. They always _will_ save me. Wait till your life has been saved as often as mine has, Kitty darling. Oh, I expected it all!
I was thinking a little while ago he ought to be here soon."
"He! Who?"
"Why, any person; the person who is going to save me this time. I don"t know, of course, who he is; some horrid man, of course. And then--oh dear!--I"ll have it all over again. He"ll carry me away on his back, and through those wretched woods, and b.u.mp me against the trees and things. Then he"ll get me to the road, and put me on a horrid old horse, and gallop away. And by that time it will be morning. And then he"ll propose. And so there"ll be another. And I don"t know what I _shall_ do about it. Oh dear!"
Mrs. Willoughby had not heard half of this. All her soul was intent upon the figure outside. She only pressed her sister"s hand, and gave a warning "Hus-s-s-h!"
"I know one thing I _do_ wish," said Minnie.
Her sister made no reply.
"I do wish it would turn out to be that nice, dear, good, kind Rufus K. Gunn. I don"t want any more of them. And I"m sure he"s nicer than this horrid Count, who wouldn"t take the trouble to get me even a chair. And yet he pretends to be fond of me."
"Hus-s-s-h!" said her sister.
But Minnie was irrepressible.
"I don"t want any horrid stranger. But, oh, Kitty darling, it would be so awfully funny if he were to be caught! and then he _couldn"t_ propose, you know."
By this time the figure had reached the house. Minnie peeped over and looked down. Then she drew back her head and sighed.
"Oh dear!" she said, in a plaintive tone.
"What, darling?"
"Why, Kitty darling, do you know he really looks a little like that great, big, horrid man that ran with me down the volcano, and then pretended he was my dear papa. And here he comes to save me again. Oh, what _shall_ I do? Won"t you pretend you"re me, Kitty darling, and please go yourself? Oh, ple-e-ease do!"
But now Minnie was interrupted by two strong hands grasping the window-sill. A moment after a shadowy head arose above it. Mrs.
Willoughby started back, but through the gloom she was able to recognize the strongly marked face of Scone Dacres.
For a moment he stared through the darkness. Then he flung his elbow over.
There arose a noise below. There was a rush. The figure disappeared from the window. A furious struggle followed, in the midst of which arose fierce oaths and deep breathings, and the sound of blows. Then the struggle subsided, and they heard footsteps tramping heavily. They followed the sound into the house. They heard men coming up the stairs and into the hall outside. Then they all moved into, the front-room opposite theirs. After a few minutes they heard the steps descending the stairs. By this they judged that the prisoner had been taken to that room which was on the other side of the hall and in the front of the house.
"There dies our last hope!" said Mrs. Willoughby, and burst into tears.
"I"m sure I don"t see what you"re crying about," said Minnie. "You certainly oughtn"t to want me to be carried off again by that person.
If he had me, he"d _never_ give me up--especially after saving me twice."
Mrs. Willoughby made no reply, and the sisters sat in silence for nearly an hour. They were then aroused by the approach of footsteps which entered the house; after which voices were heard below.
Then some one ascended the stairs, and they saw the flicker of a light. It was Girasole.
He came into the room with a small lamp, holding his hand in front of the flame. This lamp he set down in a corner out of the draught, and then turned to the ladies.
"Miladi," said Girasole, in a gentle voice, "I am ver pained to haf to tella you dat it is necessaire for you to separat dis night--till to-morra."
"To separate?" exclaimed Mrs. Willoughby.
"Only till to-morra, miladi. Den you sall be togeder foravva. But it is now necessaire. Dere haf ben an attemp to a rescue. I mus guard again dis--an" it mus be done by a separazion. If you are togeder you might run. Dis man was almos up here. It was only chance dat I saw him in time."
"Oh, Sir," cried Mrs. Willoughby, "you can not--you will not separate us. You can not have the heart to. I promise most solemnly that we will not escape if you only leave us together."
Girasole shook his head.
"I can not," said he, firmly; "de mees is too precious. I dare not. If you are prisonaire se will not try to fly, an" so I secure her de more; but if you are togeder you will find some help. You will bribe de men. I can not trust dem."