She was sitting as placidly unconscious of danger as usual, in her harmless hallucination, playing with her little dog, which was coiled up on her lap.
Beatrix Pendleton, who had scarcely left Sybil for an hour since her imprisonment, sat gravely and quietly near, engaged as usual upon some little trifle of needle-work.
And Lyon Berners sat purposely with his back to the light to shade his face, and hide the uncontrollable agitation of his countenance, as he gazed upon his doomed wife, and shuddered to think of the awful issues at stake in the success or failure of Ishmael Worth"s mission.
Should this second pet.i.tion be more fortunate than the first one, and should Mr. Worth succeed in obtaining for her a full pardon, Sybil might go forth this very day a free woman, and her husband might take her far away from these scenes of suffering to some fair foreign land, where she might recover her reason and her peace of mind.
Should Mr. Worth fail in obtaining a full pardon, but succeed in gaining a respite, Sybil would be permitted to live, if she could, long enough to bring forth her child, and then her own forfeited life must be yielded up.
But should her advocate fail also to obtain the respite, Sybil had just one week to live; for on the seventh day from this, she was ordered for death!
And she, shielded by a mild and merciful insanity, was so peacefully unconscious of impending doom!
But to-day he knew that he must hear the best or the worst that could befall her; for to-day the Richmond coach would arrive, and would bring her zealous advocate, Ishmael Worth.
And even while he sat thus gazing with his grief-dimmed eyes upon his fated young wife, the sound of approaching footsteps was heard; the cell door was unlocked, and the warden presented himself, saying in a low tone:
"Mr. Worth has just arrived, and wishes to see you down stairs in my office, sir."
Before the warden had finished his sentence, Lyon Berners had started up and sprung past him.
He hurried down the stairs, threw open the door of the warden"s office and confronted Ishmael Worth, who, pale, weary, travel-stained, and troubled, stood before him.
"For Heaven"s sake!" cried Sybil"s husband, breathlessly--"speak! what news? Is it to be _death_,--or--LIFE!"
CHAPTER XXI.
ISHMAEL WORTH"S NEWS.
Even through the hollow eye of Death I spy Life peering; but I dare not say How near the tidings of our comfort is.--SHAKESPEARE.
"Life, or death?" cried Lyon Berners, pallid with intense anxiety.
"It is a respite," answered Ishmael Worth, gravely and kindly, taking the arm of the agitated man and gently leading him towards a chair.
"Only that!" groaned Lyon Berners, as he dropped heavily into the offered seat.
"But that is much," soothingly began Ishmael Worth, "very much, for it is an earnest of--"
"How long?" moaned Mr. Berners, interrupting his companion.
"During the pleasure of the governor. No new day has been appointed for her--_death_!" added the young lawyer, in a low voice and after a short pause, for he could not bear to utter the other awful word of doom.
"Go on!" said Sybil"s husband, still violently shaken by his emotions.
Ishmael Worth arose from the seat into which he had sunk for a moment, and he laid his hand on the shoulder of the suffering man and said:
"Try to calm the perturbation of your spirits, Mr. Berners, so that you can hear and comprehend what I am about to communicate to you."
"I will."
"Listen, then. You are aware that the respite, for an indefinite period, of any condemned person, is almost always the prelude to the full pardon."
"Yes."
"Mrs. Berners has a respite for an indefinite period. I consider that respite an earnest of her full pardon. You do not doubt my sincerity in saying this?"
"No."
"Listen yet longer. As no new day has been set for her death, so I think no further action will be taken in the matter until after the birth of her child--and some considerable time after that event. And then, I think, a full pardon will be granted her."
""Hope deferred!"" began Mr. Berners, with a deep sigh.
"Yes, I know," said Ishmael Worth, with a grave smile; "but hear me out."
"I am listening."
"I had several interviews with the governor, and though he was very reserved in communicating his sentiments, I perceived that he really wished to pardon his pet.i.tioner."
"Then why, in the name of Heaven, did he not do so?" demanded Mr.
Berners, starting up from his seat.
"Be calm and I will tell you," said Ishmael Worth, gently drawing him down into the chair.
Again Lyon Berners dropped into it with a deep groan.
"If it were not that trouble has so disturbed the clearness of your mind, you would yourself see that men in authority cannot do these things so suddenly. I repeat that I perceived that the governor would gladly have granted the pardon immediately upon the presentation of the pet.i.tion, founded as it was upon such strong grounds, and he was only deterred from doing so by the fact that at the present point of time such a pardon would be a very unpopular measure."
"That a lady"s innocent life should fall a sacrifice to a politician"s selfish love of popularity!" bitterly commented Lyon Berners.
Ishmael Worth was silent for a moment, because he felt the injustice of Lyon Berners" remarks, yet did not wish to rebuke them, and then he said, deprecatingly:
"I do not think the governor"s course here was directed by any selfish policy. He feels that he must be guided in a great degree by the will of the people, who are now most unjustly certainly, but most violently set against Mrs. Berners. So he sends down the respite, to which, under the peculiar circ.u.mstances, no one can object, and sends it as a prelude to the pardon which I believe will certainly follow when the popular excitement has had time to subside."
"Heaven grant it may be so," fervently prayed Lyon Berners.
"And now," said Ishmael Worth, drawing from his breast pocket a sealed parcel directed to the sheriff of the county, "I must take this doc.u.ment to Mr. Fortescue at once."
"I will not detain you, then. A thousand thanks for your kindness! I pray Heaven that some day I may be able to return it," fervently exclaimed Lyon Berners, rising from his chair.
Ishmael Worth took his hand and held it while he looked earnestly in his face, and said:
"You have every good reason now to hope for the best; so much reason not only to hope, but to feel a.s.sured of her release, that I should counsel you to begin at once your preparations to leave the country, so as to be able to start on your voyage with her immediately after the pardon arrives."
"Thanks for your words of comfort! Thanks for your counsel! I always leave your presence, Mr. Worth, with new life!" warmly exclaimed Lyon Berners, cordially grasping and shaking the hands that held his own.