PAGE
A CHAPELLE MORTUAIRE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
CHAPTER II.
A NEW USE FOR A BIER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
CHAPTER III.
OFF FROM CORSICA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
CHAPTER IV.
CAPTAIN NORROY APPEARS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
CHAPTER V.
A NEWSPAPER PARAGRAPH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
CHAPTER VI.
NOTICE TO QUIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
CHAPTER VII.
A DOGGY PLACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
CHAPTER VIII.
A DISCOVERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
CHAPTER IX.
THE LAST OF PERKINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
CHAPTER X.
AN ACCIDENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
CHAPTER XI.
IN HOSPITAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
CHAPTER XII.
SISTER HELENA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
CHAPTER XIII.
A CATASTROPHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
CHAPTER XIV.
A CHANGE OF FORTUNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
CHAPTER I.
A CHAPELLE MORTUAIRE.
Immediate preparations were made for our departure from the spot
where we were. A couple of coarse handkerchiefs were tied across the
lower part of our faces, so as to stifle our voices if we should
uplift them on the remote chance of any one being in hearing who
would assist us. Next our feet were untied to enable us to walk. We
were warned that if we attempted to escape or to call out, we should
be instantly stabbed. And in order to convince us that this was no
empty threat, a wicked-looking, dagger-like article, known in Corsica
as a vendetta-knife, was dashed before our eyes, and we were shown
that each of our captors had one of these knives stowed away in a
little inside coat-pocket, where it was ready to hand at a moment's
notice.
Then we moved off in single file. Napoleon went in front, with Kitty
close at his heels; I came third, and César brought up the rear.
The robbers naturally selected to travel through the _maquis_ rather
than along the open road; and we two captives, whose hands were
bound, sorely missed the assistance of those members to push aside
the numerous boughs and twigs by which our progress was impeded. Now
and then the man in front stopped to hold back obstacles in some very
thick place, where we should otherwise have probably altogether stuck
fast; but such an attention was exceptional, and, as a rule, we were
left to make our way unaided as best we could, regardless of the
scratches and bruises which we continually received, and whereby the
discomfort and fatigue of the journey was greatly increased. Napoleon
led us first down to the mouth of the valley; then branched off in a
direction away from that which the carriage and Mrs. Rollin would
take; then climbed a steep hill, and proceeded along the ridge of it
for some distance; then descended abruptly into another valley, and
we were kept trudging over hill and dale alternately in this way
during the whole afternoon. Many of the places we passed were such as
might have roused a lover of fine scenery to enthusiasm; but neither
Kitty nor I were in a humour to appreciate that sort of thing just
then, and the beauties of the landscape were quite wasted upon us, as
we toiled wearily along obscure and seldom-used tracks, through
desolate wild districts, without ever once approaching a human
dwelling.
My having made the men believe that neither of us understood Italian
caused them to converse together in that language as unreservedly as
if they had been alone, and, thanks to this, I was able to discover
what were their intentions for disposing of us for the present. I
learnt that we were being taken to a cave up in the hills, which had
been their headquarters since their escape from prison. Here we were
to be left under care of one of the robbers, whilst the other
descended to the lower lands to seek out Mrs. Rollin, and open
negotiations with her on the important subject of the ransom.
This cave of theirs, wherever it might be, was evidently an
unpleasantly long way off from the scene of our capture. On and on we
went without ever pausing for a moment; and I grew so tired that I
could hardly drag myself along, and began to speculate on the chances
of having to be carried before the appointed resting-place would be
reached. A slackening of speed or a halt would have been a most
welcome relief to me; but of that there was no hope, as our progress
was already too slow to satisfy the robbers, who kept constantly
urging us to hurry on faster, lest we should all be benighted on the
way. As daylight diminished, so did their impatience increase, and
many were the angry oaths they uttered at the distance still to be
traversed before attaining the cave.
Suddenly Napoleon stood still, and looked back at his comrade
joyfully. "César," cried he, "I have a good idea! At the rate we go
now, we shall not get home till midnight; whereas if you and I were
alone, and not hampered by these women, we should arrive in half the
time. Is not that so?"
"Obviously," grumbled César; "but what's the use of stopping to tell
me what I know already?"
"Why this," returned the other; "that I propose we should disembarrass
ourselves of them at once."
"Stupid!" rejoined César, irritably; "don't you see that the only
way of doing that is to kill them, or else to let them go; and that
in either of those cases we should be throwing away all chance of
deriving further gain from them?"
"Ah, but I have thought of another method of getting rid of them,"
answered Napoleon--"a method which will enable us to keep them alive,
and in our power too. I did a good deal of business in this part of
the country formerly, and learnt to know it well; thus I came to know
of a place near here, which I have only just recollected, and which
will be most convenient to us at this moment. It is not exactly such
a place as I would myself care to stay at, but it will do admirably
for shutting up these two women in, and when we have disposed of them
there, you and I can travel home as fast as we please. A famous safe
prison it is, where there will be no need for one of us to stay and
keep guard over them, as there would be if they were housed in the
cave. Thus we shall be free to go together and see about the business
with the ransom--which will, of course, be a great advantage, since
two heads are better than one, you know."
César seemed still incredulous. "I believe you are talking nonsense,"
said he; "I cannot think of any possible prison about here to answer
to your description."
"Nonsense, indeed!" retorted his companion; "no, in truth! A short
distance from here, on the side of a hill, far from any inhabited
house or public road, I remember that there is an old mortuary
chapel. Years ago the family to whom it belonged left their
country-house and went to live in Ajaccio, and since then it has
never been used. This is the place in which I propose to imprison our
captives. There will be no chance of their being heard, however much
noise they may make; for the walls are thick, and there is nothing to
bring any one into the vicinity. And as they will certainly not be
able to get out unaided, we shall have no need to trouble ourselves
more about them, except to supply them with food."
"A deserted mortuary chapel!" said César, reflectively; "'tis a good
idea, no doubt. Only--it is getting late; and--well, to say the
truth, I am not at any time over-fond of the company of the dead, and
like it least of all by night. Still--it would be very convenient to
do what you propose--the light is not gone yet--the chapel is close
by, you say. Yes! there will be time to shut up the women, and remove
ourselves to a pleasanter neighbourhood before dark. Go on, then, and
let us get the job over as soon as possible."
Our course was resumed accordingly. The thought of the grim kind
of hotel that Napoleon had found for us reminded me forcibly of
Schubert's song _Das Wirthshaus_, and I seemed to hear its wild
plaintive melody sounding in my ears as we hurried over the broken
ground through the fast-increasing dusk. Horrible as was the idea of
being immured alive in a tomb, yet I shrank from it less then than I
should have done ordinarily. And for these two reasons: First,
because the long march had reduced me to such a state of exhaustion
that the prospect of rest was welcome anywhere--even in a _chapelle
mortuaire_. Secondly, because it seemed safer and in every way
preferable to be with the dead than with the two ruffians who had us
in their power, and whom I regarded with the most profound distrust.
The chapel being near at hand, we reached it while there was still
sufficient light to show something of the exterior of our prison.
We came first to a high wall, with no other opening in it than an
iron gate, which was wide enough to admit a carriage. The bolt by
which the gate was fastened was forced back without difficulty, and
then a short straight bit of road brought us to the door of the
chapel itself. This door was situated exactly opposite to the gate in
the outer wall, and was secured by a great iron bar across the
outside, and also by a chain and rusty padlock. With the help of a
stone the men easily broke open the padlock, and then they lifted
the ponderous external bar off its supports. There was now no
further obstacle to opening the door before which we stood, but
our captors--being not insensible to superstitious fears--did not
wish to keep the entrance to the charnel-house open longer than was
absolutely necessary, and therefore postponed unclosing it till the
last moment.
They set our hands at liberty, and delivered to us such provisions as
they had with them--consisting of a morsel of sausage, a slice of
rye-bread, a good-sized piece of extremely strong-smelling cheese,
a couple of onions and apples, and a gourd half-full of wine.
Having thus provided us against famine, César made us a profound
bow of mocking deference, and said in French: "Adieu for the
present, ladies. You see our desire to treat you with distinguished
consideration induces us to place you here, with a good roof and
strong walls to shelter you, rather than to take you to the rough
cave which serves _us_ for a habitation. We do not intend remaining
to share this splendid dwelling with you, lest we should intrude on
your privacy; therefore we shall now, however unwillingly, tear
ourselves away, but first thing to-morrow morning we will return with
a supply of food, before departing to seek out and communicate with
the other lady." Then, addressing himself to his comrade, he said:
"Look sharp, Napoleon; open a bit of the door, and in with them!"
The door, which only opened outwards, was pulled just far enough
apart to admit a human body. The men, without adventuring their own
persons an inch within the building, thrust Kitty and me roughly in,
and at once closed the entrance behind us again. Then came a
scraping, grating noise, which told that the great iron bar was
being replaced on its supports outside, and immediately afterwards we
heard the steps of César and Napoleon hurrying away at full speed
from the uncanny neighbourhood of the tomb to which they had
consigned us.
At first we stood without moving from the spot to which we had been
pushed, just inside the door, waiting to see if we should be able to
distinguish anything when our eyes had become accustomed to the
darkness; for the interior of the building was perfectly dark.
Meanwhile we profited by the liberty that had been restored to our
hands to remove the handkerchiefs across our mouths, which had
hitherto prevented us from speaking.
Kitty's knowledge of Italian being limited, she had not comprehended
what the men had been saying to one another; consequently she did not
now know the nature of our abode, as I discovered from the first
words she uttered when her mouth was free of its gag:
"I wonder what sort of place this is," she said; "don't you? It's a
bore to have no light; however, I'm going on a bit further, to
explore without it, as we can't possibly have it."
I laid my hand upon her arm, and checked her as she was about to
advance.
"You had better be careful how you move," I said; "we are shut up in
a _chapelle mortuaire_."
"A _chapelle mortuaire_" she echoed, interrogatively; "let me
see--what is that? Oh I remember! Wasn't that the name of those
buildings which you told me you had seen near Ajaccio, and which you
called 'villa residences for the dead?'"
"Yes," I replied, doing my best to speak unconcernedly and carelessly,
and to conceal from her the feeling of disgust and aversion with
which the place inspired me, and which was growing stronger every
moment; "rather an appropriate place for me too, I think, seeing that
I'm nearly dead with fatigue. I haven't the least wish to move about,
and intend to sit down just where I am now. The door will make a
capital back to lean against."
I was not sure but what the knowledge of where she was might
perhaps prove a shock to Kitty's nerves. But there was no trace of
discomposure to be detected in her voice or manner as she answered
me. "So it will," she said, "and I vote that we have dinner at once.
Those wretches never offered us any five o'clock tea; and what with
that and the long walk, I'm quite ravenous! You've no idea what a
relief to my mind it was to find that they didn't intend to leave us
all night without food."
Of course we both wanted to seem as happy and as much at our ease as
possible, in order thus to help to keep up each other's spirits. I,
however, was not very successful in the effort; for though I was
perfectly free from any dread of the supernatural, yet there were
material horrors attached to the position which I could not forget. I
thought of the sights that would be revealed if there were light; of
the grinning skulls, mouldering bodies, crumbling coffins, and
ghastly relics of mortality, which might be expected in a tomb; and I
remembered that these things must be so close to me that I might
perhaps at any moment strike my hand against them. There was a
gruesomeness and eeriness about the place, to which my state of
bodily exhaustion rendered me unwontedly susceptible, and I felt more
nervous and creepy than I had ever done in my life before.
"I don't think that I _can_ eat in this terrible place," I said, with
an involuntary shiver, in response to Kitty's suggestion of dinner.
Whether or not she was at all inclined to be affected by our dismal
surroundings, as I was, I do not know; at all events she did not show
it, and redoubled her efforts to raise my spirits when she perceived
how much disposed I was to break down.
"Oh yes--you'll not think of where you are in a few minutes more,
when you've got used to it," she returned, seating herself beside me,
and proceeding to distribute the food. "What a funny idea to have a
picnic in the dark--quite novel, too; I daresay no one ever did it
before. Where is the bread? Oh you've got it. As for the cheese,
there's no need to ask where _that_ is, because one's nose may safely
be trusted to supply the requisite information. I must say a knife
would be rather handy; but I'm afraid we must do the best we can
without, for I left my pocket-knife where I was sketching, and
Messieurs César and Napoleon have omitted to provide for our wants in
that respect. How lucky that my aunt is not with us, and obliged to
dine in this primitive fashion, without any proper appurtenances! If
she were, I verily believe she'd be unhappy lest any acquaintance
should behold her in the act of committing such an enormity--even
though the fact of the spectator would involve light to see by, and a
chance of assistance; both of which _I_ should consider to be most
desirable things at this moment."
Thus she ran on, joking, laughing, making light of every discomfort,
and chatting to me as if she had thought me her equal, as if the tomb
had been a leveller of ranks to the living as well as to the dead,
and as if in entering it all social differences between her and me
had been annihilated. She could have devised nothing better adapted
to accomplish her object, and help me to shake off the gloomy
influences that oppressed me. Her example of bright good humour and
courage was irresistible, and before our unilluminated repast had
progressed far I became myself again, and eager to show a spirit as
brave as her own. To this desirable result, too, the creature
comforts of which I partook tended not a little to contribute.
Though the victuals were hardly to be called choice, and the wine had
acquired a nasty flavour from the gourd in which it was contained,
nevertheless they revived me as well as the most sumptuous cates
could have done; and when dinner was at an end I was a different
creature from what I had been before. Kitty made no comment on the
change in me, but I have little doubt that she perceived it, all the
same, as she now, for the first time, turned the conversation
seriously to the predicament in which we found ourselves.
"It seems to me, Jill," she said, "that you and I are having
to do penance, with a vengeance, for our disbelief in escaped
_penitenciers_! We must give our minds now to what we are to do next;
but before entering on that subject I want to tell you how _very_
sorry I am to have been the means of bringing you into this scrape.
I can't help feeling that it is all my doing, and that if I had not
gone on to sketch, or had not taken you with me, you, at all events,
would be in safety at this moment."
Proud as she might be, pride had not yet taken enough hold of her to
crush the naturally generous disposition which was more distressed at
being the cause of another person's sufferings than at having to
suffer itself. I was touched at the thoughtfulness on my account
evinced by her last speech; and as I did not wish her to blame
herself unfairly, I assured her that I had accompanied her quite as
much for my own pleasure as hers. And in order to prove that we
should not in any case have got off scot-free, I repeated to her the
conversation I had overheard before we were captured, from which it
appeared that the carriage would have been attacked if she and I had
not separated from it and walked on alone.
"Thank you," she said, when I had completed my tale. "I can't tell
you what a comfort it is to me to know all that, and to think that I
am not the sole cause of this bother! And now to consider our next
proceedings. The two things chiefly borne in upon my mind at this
moment are--first, that it's no use blinking the fact of our being in
an extremely awkward position; and second, that it won't do to be
afraid, because fear, as Solomon says, 'is nothing else but a
betraying of the succours which reason offereth.'"
This was no doubt true. But, unluckily, no amount of calmness and
courage would show us any reasonable prospect of escape--look at the
situation in what way we would.
It was no use to hope that our friends would rescue us, since it was
manifestly impossible for them to have an idea where we were. When
Mrs. Rollin continued her journey from the place where we had left
her, she would, we knew, have reckoned on my remaining on the road,
whether Kitty did or not. Consequently she would have gone on driving
contentedly towards St. Lucie di Tallano without the least fear of
leaving us behind; and there was no saying how long it might have
been before either she or the driver became uneasy at not overtaking
us. Then, when they _did_ take alarm--as they must have done, sooner
or later--there was nothing to make them suspect what had really
happened. They would probably suppose we had simultaneously expired,
tumbled over cliffs, sprained our ankles, or fallen victims to some
other likely or unlikely catastrophe; and then they would have begun
hunting about vaguely for us, without the slightest clue to where we
were. Thus it was in vain to trust to external aid reaching us, and
the question was, Could we anyhow manage to escape by our own
unassisted exertions? Alas! the prospect was no better in that
direction either. The door through which we had entered was the only
outlet apparent, and that was, as we knew, fastened on the outside
by a great heavy bar, which rendered exit in that way impossible.
Shouting was of no avail, because the place was so solitary that we
might have screamed till we were hoarse without a chance of producing
any other effect.
Altogether, therefore, we saw no possible means of getting away from
our prison, and came reluctantly to the conclusion that we had no
alternative but to resign ourselves to stay where we were, and await
the course of events patiently. This was by no means a satisfactory
termination of our deliberations, and, having arrived at it, we sat
in melancholy silence for a minute. The silence was broken by Kitty
who said cheerily: "I'm sure we shall both be the better for some
rest, so let us lie down and go to sleep."
"Lie down!" repeated I; "surely that won't be safe, will it? It's too
dark to see, and there might be--well--things that one wouldn't care
to touch, knocking about in a place of this kind, you know. I should
think we'd best try and go to sleep without changing our present
position."
"No; we shouldn't rest nearly as well sitting upright, as we should
lying down," answered Kitty; "and it won't do for us to play tricks
with our strength in any way, or to risk losing an atom of it that is
to be had. Very likely there may be nothing disagreeable up the
middle of the floor, or, at all events, nothing that we cannot easily
clear away. Let us stoop down and feel our way straight before us
till we have a space to lie down in."
There seemed a tacit agreement between us that the ghastly objects
by which we knew we must surely be surrounded were not to be defined
in words, but to be kept strictly to ourselves, lest the imagination
of one should supply some additional detail which had not occurred
to that of the other, by which means the horrors of the situation
might have been considerably increased. I am sure this was a wise
precaution. As it was, I know I found my imagination vivid enough to
picture a good deal more than was at all agreeable to think of; and
it would, no doubt, have been still more troublesome if supplemented
by that of Kitty also.
I did not by any means relish her proposal that we should clear
sufficient space to lie down on; for I could not help shuddering at
the thought of the things one might expect to come in contact with
when groping about without light in a _chapelle mortuaire_. Still, I
was not going to have her despise me as a fool or a coward, so I made
no objection, and set to work heroically to perform my share of the
unpleasant task.
The only suspicious thing which I met with in the course of my
explorations was some small-sized object, whose substance was cold
and clammy, and whose identity I could not at all determine by touch.
An exclamation of disgust rose to my lips when my fingers came
against this unknown horror; but I managed to restrain any outward
manifestation of emotion, and merely pushed the obstruction aside
quietly, without letting Kitty know that I had found anything
unpleasant.
As I made this effort to spare her feelings, I was struck by the
quaint probability of her being at the same instant engaged in a
similar endeavour to spare mine, and I realised that the common
danger to which we were exposed was a link which united us so firmly
that our separate identities were, for the time being, well-nigh
merged into one. Whatever affected the condition of one of us must
necessarily affect that of the other also; whence it followed that
the bodily and mental welfare of both was a matter of mutually vital
consequence, and that each was as anxious to shield the other as
herself from any annoyance or shock that could possibly be avoided.
Truly a queer sort of selfish unselfishness!
It did not take us long to make sure that we had room to lie down
without fear of coming against any repulsive relics of mortality;
then we extended ourselves upon the ground, pressing closely together
for warmth, as the night was cold. Hard and rough as was the couch,
and perilous as was our situation, we were too tired to be kept
waking by either discomfort or anxiety, and were speedily asleep.