Obeying the impulse of the moment, Frank snatched the remaining pistol
from the table, and drew his sword, seeing his father nod approval, as
he stretched out his hand to extinguish the light; but before he had
dashed it out, the knocking was repeated, and they heard a well-known
voice.
"Robert--Robert! Open quickly, dearest. It is I."
"Ah!" cried Frank, with his heart giving a tremendous bound, while Sir
Robert unlocked and flung open the door, and clasped his wife to his
breast.
Lady Gowan was half swooning and speechless from excitement; but, making
a brave effort, she recovered herself, and panted out as she struggled
to free herself from her husband's firm arms:
"Quick! Not a moment to lose. Escape for your life."
"What! They know?"
"Yes. The Princess came to my room to warn me. The spies have traced
you here; information has been given at the Palace. The King has been
told, and the Princess bade me try to save your life before the guard
came to arrest you."
"Hah! Sharp work for us, Frank lad. Well, I have seen and kissed you,
darling. Now I must try and save your husband's life."
As he spoke he buckled on his sword belt, thrust his pistols in his
pockets, Frank handing him the second, and took up his hat and the heavy
cloak from where they lay.
"Good-bye, darling. Frank knows how I can get a letter to you through
him."
"Yes, yes; but you are killing me, Robert; for pity's sake, fly!"
"My own! Yes," he whispered, as he folded Lady Gowan in his arms again.
"Ah!" cried Frank wildly, for a heavy series of blows from the
front-door knocker resounded through the house.
"Too late!" cried Lady Gowan wildly, as Frank dashed out of the door to
the front room to peer through the window.
He was back in a few moments, to find his mother clinging to his father,
ghastly with the horrible dread which had attacked her.
"Soldiers--a dozen at least in front!" panted Frank.
There was another loud knocking at the street door.
"Quick, father, out by that window. You can drop from the balcony."
"Yes, my boy, easily."
"Then get over the railing and cross the Park. Go straight through by
the Palace. No one would think you likely to take that way."
"Good advice, boy. Out with the candle. That's right."
Lady Gowan blew out the light, and Frank quickly drew the heavy curtain
aside, and uttered a groan, for the garden was full of armed men, dimly
seen in the gloom amid the shrubs.
"Trapped, Frank," said Sir Robert quietly, the danger having made the
soldier cool.
Lady Gowan uttered a faint, despairing cry.
"Hush, dear!" said Sir Robert firmly. "Be a woman--my wife. I may
escape yet. See Berry, and keep her from opening the door, no matter
what they say or do."
"Yes, yes," said Lady Gowan excitedly; "but, Robert, what will you do?"
"Escape, if you help me. Now be calm. Let them break in, and when they
do face them. You were alarmed, and did not know what evil was abroad.
You need no excuse for refusing to have your house--and it is your
house--opened to a riotous party of drunken soldiers for aught you know.
Now go down. Do anything you can to gain time for me. Heaven bless
you, darling, till we meet again!"
Lady Gowan's answer was to hurry out on the staircase, where the place
was echoing to the resounding knocks and orders to open in the King's
name. She was just in time to seize the old housekeeper by the arm,
while a hysterical crying came from the maid below.
"Oh, my lady, my lady! They're going to break in. I was about to
unfasten the door."
"Silence! Touch it at your peril," cried Lady Gowan imperatively. "Let
them break in if they dare. Go below to that foolish, sobbing girl, and
stay there keeping her quiet."
"But they'll break down the door, my lady."
"Let them," said Lady Gowan coolly.
But she started as one of the narrow side windows was shivered by the
butt of a musket, and the fragments of glass fell inside with a tinkling
sound.
"That's right; now reach in and shoot back the bolts."
A hand and arm were thrust in through the hammered iron scroll work
which covered the glass in the place of iron bars across the narrow
window for protection, rendering it impossible for a man to creep past.
But the arm came freely right up to its owner's shoulder, and in the
gloom could be seen feeling about, the hand strained here and there to
reach bolt, bar, or lock. Vainly enough, for they were far out of
reach; and at last, after several more angry orders, it was withdrawn.
"Try the other window!" cried the voice of the officer in command.
"Quick, men; don't shilly-shally. Use your butts."
_Crash_, _crash_ and _tinkle_, _tinkle_ went the broken glass as it fell
upon the marble floor beyond the mat; but the hole made was not in the
best place, and there was another crash as the butt of a musket was
driven through higher up, and simultaneously there was the loud report
of the piece used as a battering-ram.
"What are you doing?" roared the officer.
"Went off, sir."
"Went off, idiot! You must have touched the trigger."
"No, sir. Both hands hold of the barrel."
"Silence, sir! How dare you!" roared the officer--"how dare you! Any
one hurt, sergeant?"
"No, sir; bullet went too high; but it's gone through a window
opposite."
Proof came of the truth of the man's word, for a window on the other
side of the street was thrown open, and a voice shouted angrily:
"Hallo there! What are you doing? Want to shoot people?"
"Go in, and shut your window!" cried the officer, in an authoritative
tone.
"Yes, that's all very well," cried the voice; "but you've no right to--"
"Silence, sir! in the King's name!" roared the officer. "Here, four
rear rank face about, make ready, present!"
There was a shuffling sound, and the ring of muskets being brought up to
the shoulder; but before the command _Fire_! could be uttered, even if
it had been intended, the window opposite was banged down, and a laugh
arose.
"Now then there," said the officer to the man who had thrust in his arm
on the other side of the door, "can you reach?"
There was no reply for a time, while the man strained and reached out up
and down, his hand making a peculiar whispering sound as it passed over
the panelled woodwork between the door and window.
"Can't reach, sir."
"Here, let me try."
A faint light appeared at the window for a few moments, and then there
was a chinking sound as it was darkened again, and Lady Gowan, as she
stood panting there, dimly made out that a sword was thrust through, an
arm followed, and she could hear the blade ring and scrape as it was
used to feel for the fastenings, clicking loudly against the ironwork
and the chain which hung at the side ready for hanging across the door,
to pass over a spiral hook on the other side.
This went on for a few minutes, when, as with an angry exclamation the
officer who had thrust his arm through paused to rest, Lady Gowan
stepped forward out of the darkness, went close to the door, bent down,
and caught the ring at the end of the hanging chain, and raised it to
hook it across and fasten it to secure the door.
She hardly made a sound with foot or dress; but as she drew the chain
tight it chinked against the hook, and the officer heard her.
"Ha!" he shouted, with his face to the broken glass. "I see you there.
Open this door, or--"
_Click_, _click_ went the chain into its place, and, raising the blade
of his sword, the officer made a sweeping blow at the brave woman, which
struck her on the shoulder as she drew back.
"Now," he roared, "will you open?"
The answer was a faint rustling, as Lady Gowan drew back into the dark
part of the hall, fortunately unhurt, for the arm which wielded the
sword was the left, and thoroughly crippled by its owner's position.
"Lucky for you I didn't give point," he muttered.