el dorado-第75节

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They　were　by　now　accustomed　to　the　gloom；　the　dilated　pupils
taking　in　pictures　of　vague　forms　moving　like　ghouls　in　the
shadows。　　The　other　coach　was　not　far；　and　she　could　hear　Heron's
voice；　still　subdued　and　calm；　and　the　curses　of　the　men。　　But　not
a　sound　from　Percy。

〃I　think　the　prisoner　is　unconscious；〃　she　heard　one　of　the　men　say。

〃Lift　him　out　of　the　carriage；　then；〃　was　Heron's　curt　command；
〃and　you　go　and　throw　open　the　chapel　gates。〃

Marguerite　saw　it　all。　　The　movement；　the　crowd　of　men；　two　vague；
black　forms　lifting　another　one；　which　appeared　heavy　and　inert；
out　of　the　coach；　and　carrying　it　staggering　up　towards　the
chapel。

Then　the　forms　disappeared；　swallowed　up　by　the　more　dense　mass　of
the　little　building；　merged　in　with　it；　immovable　as　the　stone
itself。

Only　a　few　words　reached　her　now。

〃He　is　unconscious。〃

〃Leave　him　there；　then；　he'll　not　move！〃

〃Now　close　the　gates！〃

There　was　a　loud　clang；　and　Marguerite　gave　a　piercing　scream。
She　tore　at　the　handle　of　the　carriage　door。

〃Armand；　Armand；　go　to　him！〃　she　cried；　and　all　her　self…control；
all　her　enforced　calm；　vanished　in　an　outburst　of　wild；　agonising
passion。　　〃Let　me　get　to　him；　Armand！　　This　is　the　end；　get　me　to
him；　in　the　name　of　God！〃

〃Stop　that　woman　screaming；〃　came　Heron's　voice　clearly　through
the　night。　〃Put　her　and　the　other　prisoner　in　ironsquick！〃

But　while　Marguerite　expended　her　feeble　strength　in　a　mad；
pathetic　effort　to　reach　her　husband；　even　now　at　this　last　hour；
when　all　hope　was　dead　and　Death　was　so　nigh；　Armand　had　already
wrenched　the　carriage　door　from　the　grasp　of　the　soldier　who　was
guarding　it。　　He　was　of　the　South；　and　knew　the　trick　of　charging
an　unsuspecting　adversary　with　head　thrust　forward　like　a　bull
inside　a　ring。　Thus　he　knocked　one　of　the　soldiers　down　and　made　a
quick　rush　for　the　chapel　gates。

The　men；　attacked　so　suddenly　and　in　such　complete　darkness；　did
not　wait　for　orders。　　They　closed　in　round　Armand；　one　man　drew
his　sabre　and　hacked　away　with　it　in　aimless　rage。

But　for　the　moment　he　evaded　them　all；　pushing　his　way　through
them；　not　heeding　the　blows　that　came　on　him　from　out　the
darkness。　　At　last　he　reached　the　chapel。　　With　one　bound　he　was
at　the　gate；　his　numb　fingers　fumbling　for　the　lock；　which　he
could　not　see。

It　was　a　vigorous　blow　from　Heron's　fist　that　brought　him　at　last
to　his　knees；　and　even　then　his　hands　did　not　relax　their　hold；
they　gripped　the　ornamental　scroll　of　the　gate；　shook　the　gate
itself　in　its　rusty　hinges；　pushed　and　pulled　with　the　unreasoning
strength　of　despair。　　He　had　a　sabre　cut　across　his　brow；　and　the
blood　flowed　in　a　warm；　trickling　stream　down　his　face。　　But　of
this　he　was　unconscious；　all　that　he　wanted；　all　that　he　was
striving　for　with　agonising　heart…beats　and　cracking　sinews；　was
to　get　to　his　friend；　who　was　lying　in　there　unconscious；
abandoneddead；　perhaps。

〃Curse　you；〃　struck　Heron's　voice　close　to　his　ear。　　〃Cannot　some
of　you　stop　this　raving　maniac？〃

Then　it　was　that　the　heavy　blow　on　his　head　caused　him　a　sensation
of　sickness；　and　he　fell　on　his　knees；　still　gripping　the　ironwork。

Stronger　hands　than　his　were　forcing　him　to　loosen　his　hold；　blows
that　hurt　terribly　rained　on　his　numbed　fingers；　he　felt　himself
dragged　away；　carried　like　an　inert　mass　further　and　further　from
that　gate　which　he　would　have　given　his　lifeblood　to　force　open。

And　Marguerite　heard　all　this　from　the　inside　of　the　coach　where
she　was　imprisoned　as　effectually　as　was　Percy's　unconscious　body
inside　that　dark　chapel。　　She　could　hear　the　noise　and　scramble；
and　Heron's　hoarse　commands；　the　swift　sabre　strokes　as　they　cut
through　the　air。

Already　a　trooper　had　clapped　irons　on　her　wrists；　two　others　held
the　carriage　doors。　　Now　Armand　was　lifted　back　into　the　coach；
and　she　could　not　even　help　to　make　him　comfortable；　though　as　he
was　lifted　in　she　heard　him　feebly　moaning。　Then　the　Carriage
doors　were　banged　to　again。

〃Do　not　allow　either　of　the　prisoners　out　again；　on　peril　of　your
lives！〃　came　with　a　vigorous　curse　from　Heron。

After　which　there　was　a　moment's　silence；　whispered　commands　came
spasmodically　in　deadened　sound　to　her　ear。

〃Will　the　key　turn？〃

〃Yes；　citizen。〃

〃All　secure？〃

〃Yes；　citizen。　The　prisoner　is　groaning。〃

〃Let　him　groan。〃

〃The　empty　coach；　citizen？　The　horses　have　been　taken　out。〃

〃Leave　it　standing　where　it　is；　then；　citizen　Chauvelin　will　need
it　in　the　morning。〃

〃Armand；〃　whispered　Marguerite　inside　the　coach；　〃did　you　see
Percy？〃

〃It　was　so　dark；〃　murmured　Armand　feebly；　〃but　I　saw　him；　just
inside　the　gates；　where　they　had　laid　him　down。　　I　heard　him
groaning。　　Oh；　my　God！〃

〃Hush；　dear！〃　she　said。　　〃We　can　do　nothing　more；　only　die；　as　he
lived；　bravely　and　with　a　smile　on　our　lips；　in　memory　of　him。〃

〃Number　35　is　wounded；　citizen；〃　said　one　of　the　men。

〃Curse　the　fool　who　did　the　mischief；〃　was　the　placid　response。
〃Leave　him　here　with　the　guard。〃

〃How　many　of　you　are　there　left；　then？〃　asked　the　same　voice　a
moment　later。

〃Only　two；　citizen；　if　one　whole　section　remains　with　me　at　the
chapel　door；　and　also　the　wounded　man。〃

〃Two　are　enough　for　me；　and　five　are　not　too　many　at　the　chapel
door。〃　　And　Heron's　coarse；　cruel　laugh　echoed　against　the　stone
walls　of　the　little　chapel。　　〃Now　then；　one　of　you　get　into　the
coach；　and　the　other　go　to　the　horses'　heads；　and　remember；
Corporal　Cassard；　that　you　and　your　men　who　stay　here　to　guard
that　chapel　door　are　answerable　to　the　whole　nation　with　your
lives　for　the　safety　of　the　Englishman。〃

The　carriage　door　was　thrown　open；　and　a　soldier　stepped　in　and
sat　down　opposite　Marguerite　and　Armand。　　Heron　in　the　meanwhile
was　apparently　scrambling　up　the　box。　Marguerite　could　hear　him
muttering　curses　as　he　groped　for　the　reins；　and　finally　gathered
them　into　his　hand。

The　springs　of　the　coach　creaked　and　groaned　as　the　vehicle　slowly
swung　round；　the　wheels　ploughed　deeply　through　the　soft　carpet　of
dead　leaves。

Marguerite　felt　Armand's　inert　body　leaning　heavily　against　her
shoulder。

〃Are　you　in　pain；　dear？〃　she　asked　softly。

He　made　no　reply；　and　she　thought　that　he　had　fainted。　It　was
better　so；　at　least　the　next　dreary　hours　would　flit　by　for　him　in
the　blissful　state　of　unconsciousness。　　Now　at　last　the　heavy
carriage　began　to　move　more　evenly。　　The　soldier　at　the　horses'
heads　was　stepping　along　at　a　rapid　pace。

Marguerite　would　have　given　much　even　now　to　look　back　once　more
at　the　dense　black　mass；　blacker　and　denser　than　any　shadow　that
had　ever　descended　before　on　God's　earth；　which　held　between　its
cold；　cruel　walls　all　that　she　loved　in　the　world。

But　her　wrists　were　fettered　by　the　irons；　which　cut　into　her
flesh　when　she　moved。　　She　could　no　longer　lean　out　of　the　window；
and　she　could　not　even　hear。　　The　whole　forest　was　hushed；　the
wind　was　lulled　to　rest；　wild　beasts　and　night…birds　were　silent
and　still。　　And　the　wheels　of　the　coach　creaked　in　the　ruts；
bearing　Marguerite　with　every　turn　further　and　further　away　from
the　man　who　lay　helpless　in　the　chapel　of　the　Holy　Sepulchre。



CHAPTER　XLVIII
THE　WANING　MOON

Armand　had　wakened　from　his　attack　of　faintness；　and　brother　and
sister　sat　close　to　one　another；　shoulder　touching　shoulder。　　That
sense　of　nearness　was　the　one　tiny　spark　of　comfort　to　both　of
them　on　this　dreary；　dreary　way。

The　coach　had　lumbered　on　unceasingly　since　all　eternityso　it
seemed　to　them　both。　　Once　there　had　been　a　brief　halt；　when
Heron's　rough　voice　had　ordered　the　soldier　at　the　horses'　heads
to　climb　on　the　box　beside　him；　and　onceit　had　been　a　very
little　while　agoa　terrible　cry　of　pain　and　terror　had　rung
through　the　stillness　of　the　night。　　Immediately　after　that　the
horses　had　been　put　at　a　more　rapid　pace；　but　it　had　seemed　to
Marguerite　as　if　that　one　cry　of　pain　had　been　repeated　by　several
others　which　sounded　more　feeble　and　soon　appeared　to　be　dying
away　in　the　distance　behind。

The　soldier　who　sat　opposite　to　them　must　have　heard　the　cry　too；
for　he　jumped　up；　as　if　wakened　from　sleep；　and　put　his　head　out
of　the　window。

〃Did　you　hear　that　cry；　citizen？〃　he　asked。

But　only　a　curse　answered　him；　and　a　peremptory　command　not　to
lose　sight　of　the　prisoners　by　poking　his　head　out　of　the　window。

〃Did　you　hear　the　cry？〃　asked　the　soldier　of　Marguerite　as　he　made
haste　to　obey。

〃Yes！　　What　could　it　be？〃　she　murmured。

〃It　seems　dangerous　to　drive　so　fast　in　this　darkness；〃　muttered
the　soldier。

After　which　remark　he；　with　the　stolidity　peculiar　to　his　kind；
figuratively　shrugged　his　shoulders；　detaching　himself；　as　it
were；　of　the　whole　affair。

〃We　should　be　out　of　the　forest　by　now；〃　he　remarked　in　an
undertone　a　little　while　later；　〃the　way　seemed　shorter　before。〃

Just　then　the　coach　gave　an　unexpected　lurch　to　one　side；　and
after　much　groaning　and　creaking　of　axles　and　springs　it　came　to　a
standstill；　and　the　citizen　agent　was　heard　cursing　loudly　and
then　scrambling　down　from　the　box。

The　next　moment　the　carriage…door　was　pulled　open　from　without；
and　the　harsh　voice　called　out