On the same evening of which we have been speaking Marguerite was
sitting just outside the door, employed as she generally was in her
leisure time at lace work, of the style which had been so fashionable
during the reign of the late murdered King. How Marguerite had first
learnt this "unedifying work," we know not but as she used to work for
the family of one of the King's officers, and had seen the ladies do it,
she soon with very little instruction learnt to do it well. Very pretty
Marguerite looked bending over her "lace pillow," weaving sweet
thoughts into her work, if we may judge from the expression of her face
which was one of those that "made one feel good to look at," as Charlie
often said, and indeed it was a good thing for him to take the
remembrance of such a face through his Barrack life, which at least was
a rough one.
Marguerite had not long been enjoying the quiet of her own society when
she heard her Father call her. She immediately obeyed his summons with
that strange feeling at her heart--that strange foreshadowing of
evil--to which we have all been subject at some time in our lives.
"Again at that silly work, girl; better for thee to get something to do
about the house than waste thy time over that useless finery; I'll
warrant me when thou art Jacques Gaultier's wife he will find thee other
work--mending his nets, mayhap!"
"My dear Father, I will never be Jacques Gaultier'a wife. I have told
him so oft: I doubt if he will ever speak to me on the subject again; he
will not risk hearing rude words from me, I fancy."
"I tell thee thou _shalt_ be Jacques Gaultier's wife, and that before
long; he is coming here to-night, and I will tell him he can have thee
with my full consent. Spite of thy love for red coats, thou wilt settle
down here as a fisher's wife."
"Father, I have promised to marry Charlie and no other, and I will do
so; you used to like him ere 'my Lord Protector Cromwell' turned the
heads, if not gained the hearts, of nearly all but the loyal soldiery!
And now I will never marry any one but Charlie. You have made me speak
thus to you Father; I don't think you ought to try to make me marry one
whom in my heart I despise; and who you know well is not a good man."
"Ah! that is thy spirit, is it? Well, we'll see; I doubt if thou wilt
find that fine soldier of thine alive much longer; it would be a good
and commendable deed to sweep all such from the face of the earth."
"Yes, surely, commendable, but only in the eyes of those who murdered
our poor King, Father; but we will speak no more of these things. You
are tired with your day's work, and are not like yourself to-night. I
hear Hirzel's voice, so I will go and meet him; we are to have a walk
this evening, and you can talk quietly with Jacques, but not a word
about me; you know what my thoughts are now, Father."
Having thus spoken, Marguerite left the house, and after going through
the garden gate, she entered a pretty lane which was abundantly blessed
by Nature with a quantity of ferns and wild flowers. It was just
beginning to grow dusk, and she saw not far off Jacques Gaultier and her
brother. The latter was singing in his native _patois_ a gay song, much
to the horror of Jacques, who thought it was dreadful to do such a
thing. Dropping his usual air of hypocritical stiffness (adopted by so
many to fall in with the custom of the times), he hastened forward to
meet Marguerite, and with a show of politeness, wonderful for the rough
Jacques, raised his hat and said, "Good evening, Marguerite; it is my
fault that thy brother is late; I kept him while I was getting ready
some bobbins which I have made in the hope that thou wilt take them from
me."
"I thank thee, Jacques Gaultier, but I do not want thy bobbins; keep
them for some other girl: I am teaching many this same work, and no
doubt you will find some one glad to get them. I am going to-night where
I shall get a set made by some one whom I like better than Jacques
Gaultier. My father is waiting, so go to him; come Hirzel, don't delay
me longer."
Jacques moved off muttering to himself, and with a most murderous look
on his dark face. Poor Charlie would have fared badly had he been in
this man's power just now!