"Leoline! Leoline! Leoline!" he called, while he rushed impetuously ap

stairs, and down stairs, and in my lady's chamber; but Leoline answered

not--perhaps never would answer more! Even "hoping against hope," he had

to give up the chase at last--no Leoline did that house hold; and with

this conviction despairingly impressed on leis mind, Sir Norman Kingsley

covered his face with his hands, and uttered a dismal groan.

Yet, forlorn as was the case, he groaned but once, "only that and

nothing more;" there was no time for such small luxuries as groaning and

tearing his hair, and boiling over with wrath and vengeance against the

human race generally, and those two diabolical specimens of it, the

Advertisement..

Earl of Rochester and Count L'Estrange, particularly. He plunged head

foremost down stairs, and out of the door. There he was impetuously

brought up all standing; for somebody stood before it, gazing up at

the gloomy front with as much earnestness as he had done himself, and

against this individual he rushed recklessly with a shock that nearly

sent the pair of them over into the street.

"Sacr-r-re!" cried a shrill voice, in tones of indignant remonstrance.

"What do you mean, monsieur? Are you drunk, or crazy, that you come

running head foremost into peaceable citizens, and throwing them heels

uppermost on the king's highway! Stand off, sir! And think yourself

lucky that I don't run you through with my dirk for such an insult!"

At the first sound of the outraged treble tones, Sir Norman had started

back and glared upon the speaker with much the same expression of

countenance as an incensed tiger. The orator of the spirited address had

stooped to pick up his plumed cap, and recover his centre of gravity,

which was considerably knocked out of place by the unexpected collision,

and held forth with very flashing eyes, and altogether too angry to

recognize his auditor. Sir Norman waited until he had done, and then

springing at him, grabbed him by the collar.

"You young hound!" he exclaimed, fairly lifting him off his feet with

one hand, and shaking him as if he would have wriggled him out of hose

and doublet. "You infernal young jackanapes! I'll run you through in

less than two minutes, if you don't tell me where you have taken her."

The astonishment, not to say consternation, of Master Hubert for that

small young gentleman and no other it was--on thus having his ideas thus

shaken out of him, was unbounded, and held him perfectly speechless,

while Sir Norman glared at him and shook him in a way that would have

instantaneously killed him if his looks were lightning. The boy had

recognized his aggressor, and after his first galvanic shock, struggled

like a little hero to free himself, and at last succeeded by an artful

spring.




Most Popular