"Where is Mr Westray?" Lord Blandamer said. "Ask him to speak to me for a minute."
He looked round about for the architect; he wondered now that he had not seen him among the crowd. The people standing near had listened to Lord Blandamer"s words. They of Cullerne looked on the master of Fording as being almost omnipotent. If he could not command the tower, like Joshua"s sun in Ajalon, to stand still forthwith and not fall down, yet he had no doubt some sage scheme to suggest to the architect whereby the great disaster might be averted. Where was the architect? they questioned impatiently. Why was he not at hand when Lord Blandamer wanted him? Where was he? And in a moment Westray"s name was on all lips.
And just then was heard a voice from the tower, calling out through the louvres of the belfry windows, very clear and distinct for all it was so high up, and for all the chatter of the jackdaws. It was Westray"s voice:
"I am shut up in the belfry," it called; "the door is jammed. For G.o.d"s sake! someone bring a crowbar, and break in the door!"
There was despair in the words, that sent a thrill of horror through those that heard them. The crowd stared at one another. The foreman-mason wiped the sweat off his brow; he was thinking of his wife and children. Then the Catholic priest stepped out.
"I will go," he said; "I have no one depending on me."
Lord Blandamer"s thoughts had been elsewhere; he woke from his reverie at the priest"s words.
"Nonsense!" said he; "I am younger than you, and know the staircase.
Give me a lever." One of the builder"s men handed him a lever with a sheepish air. Lord Blandamer took it, and ran quickly towards the minster.
The foreman-mason called after him:
"There is only one door open, my lord--a little door by the organ."
"Yes, I know the door," Lord Blandamer shouted, as he disappeared round the church.
A few minutes later he had forced open the belfry door. He pulled it back towards him, and stood behind it on the steps higher up, leaving the staircase below clear for Westray"s escape. The eyes of the two men did not meet, for Lord Blandamer was hidden by the door; but Westray was much overcome as he thanked the other for rescuing him.
"Run for your life!" was all Lord Blandamer said; "you are not saved yet."
The younger man dashed headlong down the steps, and then Lord Blandamer pushed the door to, and followed with as little haste or excitement as if he had been coming down from one of his many inspections of the restoration work.
As Westray ran through the great church, he had to make his way through a heap of mortar and debris that lay upon the pavement. The face of the wall over the south transept arch had come away, and in its fall had broken through the floor into the vaults below. Above his head that baleful old crack, like a black lightning-flash, had widened into a cavernous fissure. The church was full of dread voices, of strange moanings and groanings, as if the spirits of all the monks departed were wailing for the destruction of Abbot Vinnicomb"s tower. There was a dull rumbling of rending stone and crashing timbers, but over all the architect heard the cry of the crossing-arches: "The arch never sleeps, never sleeps. They have bound upon us a burden too heavy to be borne; we are shifting it. The arch never sleeps."
Outside, the people in the market-place held their breath, and the stream of white dust still poured out of the side of the wounded tower.
It was six o"clock; the four quarters sounded, and the hour struck.
Before the last stroke had died away Westray ran out across the square, but the people waited to cheer until Lord Blandamer should be safe too.
The chimes began "Bermondsey" as clearly and cheerfully as on a thousand other bright and sunny evenings.
And then the melody was broken. There was a jangle of sound, a deep groan from Taylor John, and a shrill cry from Beata Maria, a roar as of cannon, a shock as of an earthquake, and a cloud of white dust hid from the spectators the ruin of the fallen tower:
EPILOGUE.
On the same evening Lieutenant Ennefer, R.N., sailed down Channel in the corvette _Solebay_, bound for the China Station. He was engaged to the second Miss Bulteel, and turned his gla.s.s on the old town where his lady dwelt as he pa.s.sed by. It was then he logged that Cullerne Tower was not to be seen, though the air was clear and the ship but six miles from sh.o.r.e. He rubbed his gla.s.s, and called some other officers to verify the absence of the ancient seamark, but all they could make out was a white cloud, that might be smoke or dust or mist hanging over the town.
It must be mist, they said; some unusual atmospheric condition must have rendered the tower invisible.
It was not for many months afterwards that Lieutenant Ennefer heard of the catastrophe, and when he came up Channel again on his return four years later, there was the old seamark clear once more, whiter a little, but still the same old tower. It had been rebuilt at the sole charge of Lady Blandamer, and in the bas.e.m.e.nt of it was a bra.s.s plate to the memory of Horatio Sebastian Fynes, Lord Blandamer, who had lost his own life in that place whilst engaged in the rescue of others.
The rebuilding was entrusted to Mr Edward Westray, whom Lord Blandamer, by codicil dictated only a few hours before his death, had left co-trustee with Lady Blandamer, and guardian of the infant heir.