CHAPTER XXIII.

"At night he said--and look, 'tis near * * * Perhaps even now he climbs the wood-- Fly, fly--though still the west is bright,--

* * * * *

I know him--he'll not wait for night!" _Lalla Rookh._

However interested our readers may be in the immediate fate of Ellen, it is needful for the continuity of our story to return again to the Towers; and as the shepherd often returns back to seek, and drive on some erring sheep to the flock, so must we often retrograde on our path, to pick up some lost hero, and bring him on till all are again united.

To the study, then, of the Earl let us again bend our eyes, where we left Juana standing at the door. The surprise of the Earl was great, and mingled with it some impatience and anger, at thus seeing one he had once met on far different terms, yet one he had vowed not again to address in his life, standing on the threshold of his door.

"You here!" he exclaimed, frowning, and for the moment forgetting she was there as a messenger, bringing important tidings; "did I not expressly forbid you ever to enter my doors again? Did you not promise you would not? Was it not on this one condition I gave you house and money? You are forgetful, fair donna, let me refresh your memory by telling you you have forfeited them!"

"My Lord, you gave them, and may retake them! I care not for your gold--a tent with love is better than a throne without; it was not thus you spoke to Juana when you tempted, and won her. Remember you then promised nothing should change your love while she lived--she is living still, but where is love?"

"I own my error--I repent my sin; I can do no more. Away, madam, away; I have sworn not to speak to you again on love--I will not perjure myself, away!"

"It is true you love another now; may she never prove how false, how fleeting your passion is."

"Away, Juana; for God's sake taunt me not. He knows I am bitterly punished when she I love is faithless, perhaps, to me. Away--do you hear me--begone! What, lingering still? I command you to depart: would you have me summon my servants to show you out?"

"I will go--I will take my secret with me. Lord Wentworth, hear me, you will repent this to your dying day."

"Away, away, I dare not look at you!"

"Shall I, then, for ever keep my secret? Listen, my Lord; eternity would be too short to mourn your error. I came to tell you about one you love--about her for whom you forsook Juana--you shall not hear it."

"Oh, my God; what said you--about Ellen--where, where is my adored one? Forgive me, I was hasty--I am mad, driven mad--stay, I forgive you--oh, tell me!"

"Nay, I must begone; you bade me away--I obey you."

"Stay, for God's sake, stay; do not drive me distracted."

"Hear me, my Lord, were it not for her sake I would go."

"Yes," cried the Earl, rising and walking towards her, "taunt me with my crime, I deserve it--upbraid me with my faithlessness, I can bear it--but oh! by His blessed name who formed us, withhold not this secret."

"And why should I tell it, after all; is she not my rival? is she not--"

"Powers above, you escape me not thus--you know about Ellen--you shall tell me all--I will arrest you--imprison--torture--"

"Those days are past, you have not the power--and if you had, you might tear my tongue from its roots--but never wring from it the secret it held. Juana would die silent like the wolf; it would be of no use to imprison, nor punish me; to-night, to-night, she suffers, she whom you love better than life--time is passing--every moment is precious as untold wealth, even now, perhaps, she is in his power, even--"

"Oh, sumless agony! I have deserved this at your hand, but, hear me, I will do whatever you wish, Juana. I will marry you--yes, I will--bitterly as it would punish me--I will roll away your reproach--you shall be a countess--only lead me to Ellen--let me save her from this wrong. I love her to wildness--let me save her, though she can never be mine!"

Like one half-distracted, the Earl wrung his hands as he spoke; close to him stood Juana, calm, collected, self-possessed.

"Listen, my Lord, I could now accept your offer, and become your lawful wife--the dearest name that I can have. I will not; Juana must be freely loved, and she is not so base as to betray her friend. Ellen Ravensworth is my friend. I will, for her sake--for her noble sake--lead you to where she is imprisoned,--a captive dove, and cruel hawks near. You shall be happy, and live to remember her who gave all in this world and the next for you--you, who deceived her. Name, fame, future bliss, all I freely give for Ellen's sake."

"Noble Juana," cried the Earl, and not even Ellen could have grudged the look he gave her; "and now tell me who has dared imprison, and where he has imprisoned her. Oh! be quick, time presses."

"Listen, then; I was the Italian minstrel, to me the care of Ellen was given--her brother was my old lover, and for this I saved her. Edward L'Estrange is he who dared make her his captive. To-night he will compel her to become his bride! but no, he will not. Ellen has a blade to deprive herself of life, should that be her last resource; and a heart to do it, should that alone save her from contempt and dishonour. I am brief and curt in my story, for there is little time to waste: even now perhaps we shall be too late, her own hand may have cut the thread of life ere we reach her prison."

"Where is it, oh! heavens, where is it? I will fly thither. Oh! Ellen, my own darling, you in danger and I not there to support you! Juana, I can never thank you enough, but tell me where."

"At Cessford's Peel--not seven miles hence."

"Ah!" cried the Earl, "I have it now--and you, fair traitress, are the author of my misery; had it not been this confession, nought would have saved you, a heavy reckoning I would have had."

"You will believe me when I tell you I had not any hand in this; true I was led to believe by bad men it might restore me to honour and virtue, but God willed it otherwise. Ellen, by an accident, the sight of yon dagger, was known to me, and--"

"Tarry not, life hangs on every word. Cessford's Peel, said you? and what room is her prison?"

"The refectory, with the tapestried walls--you are right--fly, fly to the tower--I may lose life, I _shall_ lose liberty, by this confession; you see it is ingenuous."

"You shall not, Juana; stay with me, I care not what the world says, this is your home. I cannot give you my heart, all else, to the half of my wealth, I can, and I will."

"It is needless, I cannot accept; think you I could live so near him I loved so well, and see him love another? No; you know not a woman's heart. Man may love more than one--woman never: but we are losing precious irrevocable time. Haste, the lady is even now in peril. I will away to some distant strand, and bury there my love and my shame. Take back your ring, you gave it to the Italian boy, not to Juana, though they were the same being."

"Nay, keep it, and now for action. L'Estrange will find me a rough host to reckon with."

The Earl sprung up, and rushing from the room frantically summoned all who were near. "Arranmore, John, Musgrave, Scroop, all of you; the secret is out, she is found, but there is danger yet."

Turning a deaf ear to a hundred questions that poured in on every side, the Earl rushed back to his room, to seek for Juana, but she was not there. As he returned he met Lady Arranmore, who asked him in fear what it all was.

"Ellen is found! I go to rescue her."

"Where, where is she?" asked the lady, but her brother was gone, and she ran up stairs to spread the happy news. Meantime the Earl and most of the gentlemen had reached the stables, and were helping the men to saddle the horses as quick as possible. With the utmost despatch the Earl, the Marquis, Musgrave and Scroop, were mounted, and attended by Wilton rode off, leaving the rest to follow as they might.

"Send two carriages to the Peel like lightning," was the Earl's last order.

The news, only half known, spread like wildfire through the castle, and it was much exaggerated, and added to in its travels from mouth to ear. Dreadful rumours of the young lady, being murdered, or dying, were freely circulated, whilst there was mounting in hot haste, and retainer after retainer rode off for the scene of action; last of all started Captain Wilson, not from any laggard feelings, but because the gallant seaman had mounted a fiery young steed he was ill able to manage, though he stuck to it like a lion on the giraffe; thrice he was carried round the park ere he could rein him in and take the pathway, for it was young Nimrod he bestrode.

"Where is the Captain?" asked the Earl, as he and Musgrave rode side by side at a terrific pace. "Why does he not assist in the rescue?"

"The Captain rode to Edinburgh after dinner," answered Sir Richard, "or he would have been the first, and foremost to rescue lady fair, as he has ever been on the battle field."

"I trust so," said the Earl; and then to himself he muttered, "it is curious, it surely cannot be he has any part in this, and yet I have a horrid suspicion; his intimacy with wretched L'Estrange, that base friend who turns to sting his protector's hand, who abuses the hospitality of his host, a terrible reckoning I will have. Oh God, shall I be in time?" And again he struck his spurs in his panting courser's side, and rode as if for life, and life depended on every stroke of his horse's hoofs.

"This grows exciting," said Scroop, "we are now nearing the den. Oh, to think of L'Estrange so foully abusing the Earl's friendship; we shall have a fight I hope. The fair girl shall see Scroop will not bring disgrace on his name."

"Nor Musgrave either," said Sir Richard. "'Forsters Fenwicks and Musgraves they rode and they ran,' is not that the ballad?"

"I hope we shall have better luck than those Musgraves had," said Scroop.

The party were now in sight of the Peel; down the steep they rode as only true followers of the chase could, and a noble quarry was in view. On they rode, the Earl foremost; his face red with conflicting hopes and fears, ire and burning ardour to show how he did battle for his lady love. On his right and left rode the Marquis on a tall steed of the Arab breed, and the false Musgrave; a few paces behind Scroop spurred on his horse, as the jockey with the winning post in view presses on; behind him galloped old Wilton; he was not last because he was unable to keep his foremost rank, but because like a faithful servant he wished his master to gain the praise of being first in, maybe with awful meaning, at the death! Just as they reached the greensward a loud "Tally ho, hillo there, tally ho! where ride you?" assailed their ears.

Without reining their horses they all looked back, and saw the Captain, who in hot haste rode up.

"God be thanked, my fears are groundless," said the Earl to himself, and then aloud, "Ha! I thought the Captain would not be missing, in the forefront of the battle."

"Battle is it? By G--" said the soldier, "hurrah then! I was just riding in from Edinburgh when I met my man Archy, and he told me to ride off to Cessford's Peel, and something about Ellen being found. Egad I rode as if old Scratch was at my heels, and I am right glad I was in time: where is the rampart to storm? Egad, Ellen shall see how John de Vere can do battle for ladye bright!"

One or two others just then arrived, and amongst them young Nimrod, who sped in like a wild Indian, and pitched his rider fairly on the greensward.

"Such a brute I never cruised on," said the Commander, rising all wet with the dewy grass; "there was no steering him, he would not obey his helm and has wrecked me at last on a leeshore."

This incident produced some laughter, and the appearance of the gallant sea captain as he got up, and the horse galloping round and round the enclosure, leaping and bounding with delight at thus ridding himself of, what doubtless he had thought, a wild beast, gripping him by neck and mane, was indeed ludicrous, and would have made the Earl laugh too on any other occasion. At the same moment Juana once more appeared. When the Earl had run off for assistance, unseen, or unnoticed in the confusion, she had left the castle, and remounting her fleet horse at a gentle, but unbroken hand gallop, set off for the Peel, determined if the help should not come soon enough, she would at least risk an encounter with the three furious men to save Ellen; the mad haste with which the pursuers had however ridden across the country, whilst she took the more circuitous route by the main road, had counteracted her plans, and she arrived a few moments after the rescuers.

"Ha, my guide, you here?" said the Earl; "why where have you been?" A shriek from the high window of the castle rose slightly, but terribly on the night air as he spoke. "Ye gods it is she; her cry for aid, and I not there!"

"Haste, my Lord, or it may be too late," cried Juana.

There was no need of such a charge; like lightning the whole party were dismounted, and the Earl, followed by the Marquis and the others, fled up the entrance, mounting the stairs more like maniacs than men in their eagerness. The Captain alone lingered behind, he was the only person but Juana in sight.

"Then it was you, perjured woman, that betrayed our cause?"

"It was, bold, bad man."

"You did not compromise me?"

"I named no one but L'Estrange, though you deserved it."

"It is well for you,--you are a cunning asp, but one that bites too; had you spoken a word against my honour, you had died the death!"

"Your honour?" said Juana, in bitter irony.

"And if you dare breathe a syllable of my being an accomplice I will wring that head of yours off its fair neck. I will bring you to a reckoning for this yet, by G--d, I will!"

"Take not his name on thy perjured lips."

"Avast there--keep thy viperous tongue still, it has done mischief enough already for one night; but I must not delay. Ha, they batter the door do they, it will stand the best of them," so saying he sped up the stairs crying: "Egad, I had lost you in this old labyrinth. Blaze away, Arranmore, I will help."

Whilst the Captain had been talking with Juana, the five others had reached the door, and were wild at finding it locked within, and well able to withstand the attack.

"God grant," said the Earl, "she be not murdered within, and her murderer fled; I dread the silence: try again, Arranmore, try, oh! once more."

The Captain smiled in scorn. "It stood me," he muttered to himself.

But at that moment the Marquis again threw his giant size and strength against the oaken door; it shook like an aspen, but still it held firm.

"Once more," he cried, "all help, it must be supernatural if it still stands."

Suiting the action to the word the Earl, Musgrave, and the Captain, leant their full weight against the framework, and the Marquis throwing back his form once more struck the door with his shoulder. Before the shock of the young Titan it yielded like a thin panel before the boxer's glove, and with a terrible crash the whole fell in, tearing with it, in its descent, the iron hinges soldered into the masonry, that fell like powder; and the bolts, that drew out the framework with them as they yielded. A loud shout of joy followed this wonderful display of strength, and a louder cry still, partly of joy, partly of that wild fury with which foe meets foe, partly of that bounding thrill when we save the life of a fellow being--especially if she be fair and young, partly of that yell of vengeance when we behold the miscreant, on whom a just punishment is to fall. A wilder shout still when they saw, over the wreck of the portal, her whom they had ridden and striven so hard to save, and him they had ridden and striven so hard to be avenged on. In the silver beams of the moon stood Ellen, trembling. More in the shade still, and for a moment hardly discernible, stood Edward L'Estrange, calm, unmoved, placid, yet they who read his eye saw in him the fury of the lion, brought to bay. In his hand he held a pistol. There might be a hard struggle yet ere they held him captive.