FOUND AT LAST.
In a few moments Girasole came back and entered Minnie's room. He was
followed by a woman who was dressed in the garb of an Italian peasant
girl. Over her head she wore a hood to protect her from the night air,
the limp folds of which hung over her face. Minnie looked carelessly
at this woman and then at Girasole.
"Charming mees," said Girasole, "I haf brought you a maid for dis
night. When we leaf dis you sall haf what maid you wis."
"That horrid old fright!" said Minnie. "I don't want her."
"You sall only haf her for dis night," said Girasole. "You will be
taken care for."
"I suppose nobody cares for what _I_ want," said Minnie, "and I may as
well speak to the wall, for all the good it does."
[Illustration: "ONE ARM WENT AROUND HER NECK."]
Girasole smiled and bowed, and put his hand on his heart, and then
called down the stairs:
"Padre Patricio!"
A solid, firm step now sounded on the stairs, and in a few moments the
priest came up. Girasole led the way into Hawbury's room. The prisoner
lay on his side. He was in a deep sleep. Girasole looked in wonder at
the sleeper who was spending in this way the last hours of his life,
and then pointed to the coffin.
"Here," said he, in Italian, "is the body. When the grave is dug they
will tell you. You must stay here. You will not be afraid to be with
the dead."
The priest smiled.
Girasole now retreated and went down stairs.
Soon all was still.
The Italian woman had been standing where she had stopped ever since
she first came into the room. Minnie had not paid any attention to
her, but at last she noticed this.
"I _wish_ you wouldn't stand there in that way. You really make me
feel quite nervous. And what with the dark, and not having any light,
and losing poor dear Kitty, and not having any chair to sit upon,
really one's life is scarce worth having. But all this is thrown away,
as you can't speak English--and how horrid it is to have no one to
talk to."
The woman made no reply, but with a quiet, stealthy step she drew near
to Minnie.
"What do you want? You horrid creature, keep away," said Minnie,
drawing back in some alarm.
"Minnie dear!" said the woman. "H-s-s-s-h!" she added, in a low
whisper.
Minnie started.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
One arm went around her neck, and another hand went over her mouth,
and the woman drew nearer to her.
"Not a word. H-s-s-s-h! I've risked my life. The priest brought me."
"Why, my darling, darling love of an Ethel!" said Minnie, who was
overwhelmed with surprise.
"H-s-s-s-h!"
"But how can I h-s-s-s-h when I'm so perfectly frantic with delight?
Oh, you darling pet!"
"H-s-s-s-h! Not another word. I'll be discovered and lost."
"Well, dear, I'll speak very, very low. But how did you come here?"
"The priest brought me."
"The priest?"
"Yes. He was sent for, you know; and I thought I could help you, and
he is going to save you."
"He! Who?"
"The priest, you know."
"The priest! Is he a Roman Catholic priest, Ethel darling?"
"Yes, dear."
"And _he_ is going to save me this time, is he?"
"I hope so, dear."
"Oh, how perfectly lovely that is! and it was so kind and thoughtful
in you! Now this is really quite nice, for you know I've _longed_ so
to be saved by a priest. These horrid men, you know, all go and
propose the moment they save one's life; but a priest _can't_, you
know--no, not if he saved one a thousand times over. Can he now, Ethel
darling?"
"Oh no!" said Ethel, in a little surprise. "But stop, darling. You
really must _not_ say another word--no, not so much as a whisper--for
we certainly _will_ be heard; and don't notice what I do, or the
priest either, for it's very, very important, dear. But you keep as
still as a little mouse, and wait till we are all ready."
"Well, Ethel dear, I will; but it's awfully funny to see you here--and
oh, _such_ a funny figure as you are!"
"H-s-s-s-h!"
Minnie relapsed into silence now, and Ethel withdrew near to the door,
where she stood and listened. All was still. Down stairs there was no
light and no sound. In the hall above she could see nothing, and could
not tell whether any guards were there or not.
Hawbury's room was at the back of the house, as has been said, and the
door was just at the top of the stairs. The door where Ethel was
standing was there too, and was close by the other, so that she could
listen and hear the deep breathing of the sleeper. One or two
indistinct sounds escaped him from time to time, and this was all that
broke the deep stillness.
She waited thus for nearly an hour, during which all was still, and
Minnie said not a word. Then a shadowy figure appeared near her at
Hawbury's door, and a hand touched her shoulder.
Not a word was said.
Ethel stole softly and noiselessly into Hawbury's room, where the
priest was. She could see the two windows, and the priest indicated to
her the position of the sleeper.
Slowly and cautiously she stole over toward him.
She reached the place.
She knelt by his side, and bent low over him. Her lips touched his
forehead.
The sleeper moved slightly, and murmured some words.
"All fire," he murmured; "fire--and flame. It is a furnace before us.
She must not die."
Then he sighed.
Ethel's heart beat wildly. The words that he spoke told her where his
thoughts were wandering. She bent lower; tears fell from her eyes and
upon his face.
"My darling," murmured the sleeper, "we will land here. I will cook
the fish. How pale! Don't cry, dearest."
The house was all still. Not a sound arose. Ethel still bent down and
listened for more of these words which were so sweet to her.
"Ethel!" murmured the sleeper, "where are you? Lost! lost!"
A heavy sigh escaped him, which found an echo in the heart of the
listener. She touched his forehead gently with one hand, and
whispered,
"My lord!"
Hawbury started.
"What's this?" he murmured.
"A friend," said Ethel.
At this Hawbury became wide awake.
"Who are you?" he whispered, in a trembling voice. "For God's
sake--oh, for God's sake, speak again! tell me!"
"Harry," said Ethel.
Hawbury recognized the voice at once.
A slight cry escaped him, which was instantly suppressed, and then a
torrent of whispered words followed.
"Oh, my darling! my darling! my darling! What is this? How is this? Is
it a dream? Oh, am I awake? Is it you? Oh, my darling! my darling! Oh,
if my arms were but free!"
Ethel bent over him, and passed her arm around him till she felt the
cords that bound him. She had a sharp knife ready, and with this she
cut the cords. Hawbury raised himself, without waiting for his feet to
be freed, and caught Ethel in his freed arms in a silent embrace, and
pressed her over and over again to his heart.
Ethel with difficulty extricated herself.
"There's no time to lose," said she. "I came to save you. Don't waste
another moment; it will be too late. Oh, do not! Oh, wait!" she added,
as Hawbury made another effort to clasp her in his arms. "Oh, do what
I say, for my sake!"
She felt for his feet, and cut the rest of his bonds.
"What am I to do?" asked Hawbury, clasping her close, as though he was
afraid that he would lose her again.
"Escape."
"Well, come! I'll leap with you from the window."
"You can't. The house and all around swarms with brigands. They watch
us all closely."
"I'll fight my way through them."
"Then you'll be killed, and I'll die."
"Well, I'll do whatever you say."
"Listen, then. You must escape alone."
"What! and leave you? Never!"
"I'm safe. I'm disguised, and a priest is with me as my protector."
"How can you be safe in such a place as this?"
"I am safe. Do not argue. There is no time to lose. The priest brought
me here, and will take me away."
"But there are others here. I can't leave them. Isn't Miss Fay a
prisoner? and another lady?"
"Yes; but the priest and I will be able, I hope, to liberate them. We
have a plan."
"But can't I go with you and help you?"
"Oh no! it's impossible. You could not. We are going to take them away
in disguise. We have a dress. You couldn't be disguised."
"And _must_ I go alone?"
"You must."
"I'll do it, then. Tell me what it is. But oh, my darling! how can I
leave you, and in such a place as this?"
"I assure you I am not in the slightest danger."
"I shall feel terribly anxious."
"H-s-s-s-h! no more of this. Listen now."
"Well?"
Ethel bent lower, and whispered in his ear, in even lower tones than
ever, the plan which she had contrived.