"My lady,"he said,"I went quickly to the street,and indeed to the corner of it,but Sir John was not within sight.""Fool,you were not swift enough!"she said angrily."Wait,you must go to his lodgings with a note.The matter is of importance."She went to a table--'twas close to the divan,so close that if she had thrust forth her foot she could have touched what lay beneath it--and wrote hastily a few lines.They were to request That which was stiffening within three feet of her to return to her as quickly as possible that she might make inquiries of an important nature which she had forgotten at his departure.
"Take this to Sir John's lodgings,"she said."Let there be no loitering by the way.Deliver into his own hands,and bring back at once his answer."Then she was left alone again,and being so left,paced the room slowly,her gaze upon the floor.
"That was well done,"she said."When he returns and has not found him,I will be angered,and send him again to wait."She stayed her pacing,and passed her hand across her face.
"'Tis like a nightmare,"she said--"as if one dreamed,and choked,and panted,and would scream aloud,but could not.I cannot!Imust not!Would that I might shriek,and dash myself upon the floor,and beat my head upon it until I lay--as HE does."She stood a moment,breathing fast,her eyes widening,that part of her which was weak woman for the moment putting her in parlous danger,realising the which she pressed her sides with hands that were of steel.
"Wait!wait!"she said to herself."This is going mad.This is loosening hold,and being beaten by that One who hates me and laughs to see what I have come to."Naught but that unnatural engine of will could have held her within bounds and restrained the mounting female weakness that beset her;but this engine being stronger than all else,it beat her womanish and swooning terrors down.
"Through this one day I must live,"she said,"and plan,and guard each moment that doth pass.My face must tell no tale,my voice must hint none.He will be still--God knows he will be still enough."Upon the divan itself there had been lying a little dog;'twas a King Charles'spaniel,a delicate pampered thing,which attached itself to her,and was not easily driven away.Once during the last hour the fierce,ill-hushed voices had disturbed it,and it had given vent to a fretted bark,but being a luxurious little beast,it had soon curled up among its cushions and gone to sleep again.But as its mistress walked about muttering low words and ofttimes breathing sharp breaths,it became disturbed again.Perhaps through some instinct of which naught is known by human creatures,it felt the strange presence of a thing which roused it.It stirred,at first drowsily,and lifted its head and sniffed;then it stretched its limbs,and having done so,stood up,turning on its mistress a troubled eye,and this she saw and stopped to meet it.'Twas a strange look she bestowed upon it,a startled and fearful one;her thought drew the blood up to her cheek,but backward again it flowed when the little beast lifted its nose and gave a low but woeful howl.Twice it did this,and then jumped down,and standing before the edge of the couch,stood there sniffing.
There was no mistake,some instinct of which it knew not the meaning had set it on,and it would not be thrust back.In all beasts this strange thing has been remarked--that they know That which ends them all,and so revolt against it that they cannot be at rest so long as it is near them,but must roar,or whinny,or howl until 'tis out of the reach of their scent.And so 'twas plain this little beast knew and was afraid and restless.He would not let it be,but roved about,sniffing and whining,and not daring to thrust his head beneath the falling draperies,but growing more and yet more excited and terrified,until at last he stopped,raised head in air,and gave vent to a longer,louder,and more dolorous howl,and albeit to one with so strange and noticeable a sound that her heart turned over in her breast as she stooped and caught him in her grasp,and shuddered as she stood upright,holding him to her side,her hand over his mouth.But he would not be hushed,and struggled to get down as if indeed he would go mad unless he might get to the thing and rave at it.
"If I send thee from the room thou wilt come back,poor Frisk,"she said."There will be no keeping thee away,and I have never ordered thee away before.Why couldst thou not keep still?Nay,'twas not dog nature."That it was not so was plain by his struggles and the yelps but poorly stifled by her grasp.
She put her hand about his little neck,turning,in sooth,very pale.
"Thou too,poor little beast,"she said."Thou too,who art so small a thing and never harmed me."When the lacquey came back he wore an air more timorous than before.
"Your ladyship,"he faltered,"Sir John had not yet reached his lodgings.His servant knew not when he might expect him.""In an hour go again and wait,"she commanded."He must return ere long if he has not left town."And having said this,pointed to a little silken heap which lay outstretched limp upon the floor."'Tis poor Frisk,who has had some strange spasm,and fell,striking his head.He hath been ailing for days,and howled loudly but an hour ago.Take him away,poor beast."
