|On quitting the dining-room before the scene of revelry commenced,
the ladies left the mansion to its noisy occupants, and repaired to the
castle--gaining admittance in the same manner as the prince. They found
his highness in the guardroom alone, pacing to and fro. He questioned
them eagerly as to how all was going on.
“The scheme has completely succeeded,” said Lady Webb. “In two hours'
time--if they go on as they are now doing--the sheriff and his party
will be quite incapable of offering any opposition to your majesty's
departure. As to their attacking the castle, that is quite out of the
question.”
“Your majesty may depend that my brother will take good care of your
chief enemy,” said Dorothy. “The others will be entertained in the
servants' hall--so well entertained that they are not likely to stir
till your majesty is safe on board the _Saint Abbs._”
“Excellent!” cried the prince. “Good wine has never been turned to
better account than on the present occasion. I own I doubted the success
of the scheme, but I did not know the habits of my Northumbrian lieges
so well as Mr. Forster. The sheriff appears to have fallen very easily
into the snare.”
“He was skilfully dealt with,” laughed Anna; “caught before he knew what
he was about.”
After a little further discourse, they came forth into the court,
where they continued till such time as it began to grow dark, when they
mounted the outer walls, and gazed at the dusky, yet glimmering expanse
spread out before them.
The tide was coming in, and they could distinguish the white line formed
by the waves, and hear their sound as they broke upon the shore.
As had been anticipated, the night was fine, and the wind favourable
for the prince's voyage. Already, the beacon had been lighted on Prior
Castell's Tower, so that the position of the rocky islands could be
discerned. As far as could be made out, there were no ships or smaller
craft in the Fairway.
The boat destined for the prince was lying upon the beach, but could be
easily pushed into sea, and two men were standing near it.
Having made these observations, the prince and the ladies with him
returned to the basement court where they found Lord Derwentwater and
Lord Widdrington.
The tidings brought by the two nobles were highly satisfactory. No fear
now of any interruption from the sheriff. He was discussing a second
bowl of punch with Mr. Forster, and when that was finished, a third
would be brought in. His followers were equally well employed. So
much boisterous merriment was going on in the house, Lord Derwentwater
declared, that he was right glad to escape from it.
Under these circumstances, and since no interference could be expected,
the prince determined to repair at once to the beach and there await the
signal from the ship.
All his slight preparations for the voyage being conflicted he had only
to bid adieu to his fair companions; for the two nobles, of course,
would not quit him till the last moment. But the ladies were equally
desirous to attend him, and he could not refuse their request.
So the whole party quitted the castle by the private entrance, and
followed by the gate-porter carrying the prince's valise proceeded
towards the shore.
The night was dark, as already stated, but the windows of the mansion
were lighted up, and the din of merriment resounded from within. The
noise was welcome to the prince, as it convinced him that his enemies
were occupied.
Lord Widdrington guided the party through the heaps of sand collected
at the foot of the lofty rock on which stood the fortress, until they
gained the beach.
It was now nearly high water, and only a strip of sand intervened
between the sea and the rock. But the boat was still lying where the
prince had descried it from above, and the men were close beside it
awaiting orders.
It was then that the prince addressed a few parting words to Lord
Derwentwater and his betrothed.
“When I come back, and I mean to come back soon,” he said, “I trust I
shall find that the contract which I witnessed has been followed by
a yet more binding ceremony, and that two persons in whom I take the
deepest interest have been for ever united in the silken bonds of
matrimony by our Holy Church. Do not delay. When a matter like this has
been settled, the sooner it is carried out the better.”
“There shall be no delay on my part--that I promise your majesty,” said
Lord Derwentwater.
“And none on yours, I trust, fair lady?”
“None,” she replied, but in accents so low that they were scarce heard
above the sound of the waves as they flowed within a few yards of them.
“All then will go well,” said the prince. “May our next merry meeting be
at Dilston! where the lovely bride, as well as her noble consort, will,
I am certain, give me a hearty welcome.”
“That I will, my gracious liege, most assuredly, if I am there,” she
rejoined.
“If you are not there, I won't enter the castle,” said the prince. “But
find you I shall--or there is no truth in man or woman.”
“Nay, my liege, I only meant that you may perchance return before the
marriage has been solemnised.”
“Have I not said that it must not be delayed?” rejoined the prince. “I
now lay my command upon you both to that effect, and I trust I shall not
be disobeyed.”
“I will take care that your majesty's injunctions are fulfilled,” said
Lady Webb.
“With that assurance I shall depart in better humour with myself than
I should have done otherwise,” said the prince. “My voyage has not been
altogether fruitless. If I have not succeeded in my own design I have
helped a dear friend to a charming wife--and that is something.”
Just then, a flash of light was seen in the Fairway, and next moment
the sound of a gun was heard; the loud report being echoed by the rocks
behind the party.