The Fortunes of Nigel

rescue him—cannot rescue him save by your means.'

'By my means, maiden?' said the lady—'you are beside yourself!—What means can I possess in this secluded situation, of assisting this unfortunate nobleman?'

'You have means,' said Margaret, eagerly; 'you have those means, unless I mistake greatly, which can do anything—can do everything, in this city, in this world—you have wealth, and the command of a small portion of it will enable me to extricate him from his present danger. He will be enabled and directed how to make his escape—and I—' she paused.

'Will accompany him, doubtless, and reap the fruits of your sage exertions in his behalf?' said the Lady Hermione, ironically.

'May heaven forgive you the unjust thought, lady,' answered Margaret. 'I will never see him more—but I shall have saved him, and the thought will make me happy.'

'A cold conclusion to so bold and warm a flame,' said the lady, with a smile which seemed to intimate incredulity.

'It is, however, the only one which I expect, madam—I could almost say the only one which I wish—I am sure I will use no efforts to bring about any other; if I am bold in his cause, I am timorous enough in my own. During our only interview I was unable to speak a word to him. He knows not the sound of my voice—and all that I have risked, and must yet risk, I am doing for one, who, were he asked the question, would say he has long since forgotten that he ever saw, spoke to, or sat beside, a creature of so little signification as I am.'

'This is a strange and unreasonable indulgence of a passion equally fanciful and dangerous,' said Lady Hermione. 'You will not assist me, then?' said Margaret; 'have good-day, then, madam —my secret, I trust, is safe in such honourable keeping.'

'Tarry yet a little,' said the lady, 'and tell me what resource you have to assist this youth, if you were supplied with money to put it in motion.'

'It is superfluous to ask me the question, madam,' answered Margaret, 'unless you purpose to assist me; and, if you do so purpose, it is still superfluous. You could not understand the means I must use, and time is too brief to explain.'

'But have you in reality such means?' said the lady.

'I have, with the command of a moderate sum,' answered Margaret Ramsay, 'the power of baffling all his enemies—of eluding the passion of the irritated king—the colder but more determined displeasure of the prince— the vindictive spirit of Buckingham, so hastily directed against whomsoever crosses the path of his ambition—the cold concentrated malice of Lord Dalgarno—all, I can baffle them all!'

'But is this to be done without your own personal risk, Margaret?' replied the lady; 'for, be your purpose what it will, you are not to peril your own reputation or person, in the romantic attempt of serving another; and I, maiden, am answerable to your godfather,—to your benefactor, and my own,—not to aid you in any dangerous or unworthy enterprise.'

'Depend upon my word,—my oath,—dearest lady,' replied the supplicant, 'that I will act by the agency of others, and do not myself design to mingle in any enterprise in which my appearance might be either perilous or unwomanly.'

'I know not what to do,' said the Lady Hermione; 'it is perhaps incautious and inconsiderate in me to aid so wild a project; yet the end seems honourable, if the means be sure—what is the penalty if he fall into their power?'

'Alas, alas! the loss of his right hand!' replied Margaret, her voice almost stifled with sobs.

'Are the laws of England so cruel? Then there is mercy in heaven alone,' said the lady, 'since, even in this free land, men are wolves to each other.—Compose yourself, Margaret, and tell me what money is necessary to secure Lord Glenvarloch's escape.'

'Two hundred pieces,' replied Margaret; 'I would speak to you of restoring them—and I must one day have the power—only that I know— that is, I think—your ladyship is indifferent on that score.'

'Not a word more of it,' said the lady; 'call Monna Paula hither.'

CHAPTER XX

Credit me, friend, it hath been ever thus,
Since the ark rested on Mount Ararat.
False man hath sworn, and woman hath believed—
Repented and reproach'd, and then believed once more.

The New World.

By the time that Margaret returned with Monna Paula, the Lady Hermione was rising from the table at which she had been engaged in writing something on a small slip of paper, which she gave to her attendant.

'Monna Paula,' she said, 'carry this paper to Roberts the cash-keeper; let them give you the money mentioned in the note, and bring it hither presently.'

Monna Paula left the room, and her mistress proceeded.

'I do not know,' she said, 'Margaret, if I have done, and am doing, well in this affair. My life has been one of strange seclusion, and I am totally unacquainted with the practical ways of this world—an ignorance which I know cannot be remedied by mere reading.—I fear I am doing wrong to you, and perhaps to the laws of the country which affords me refuge, by thus indulging you; and yet there is something in my heart which cannot resist your entreaties.'

'O, listen to it—listen to it, dear, generous lady!' said Margaret, throwing herself on her knees and grasping those of her benefactress and looking in that attitude like a beautiful mortal in the act of supplicating her tutelary angel; 'the laws of men are but the injunctions of mortality, but what the heart prompts is the echo of the voice from heaven within us.'

'Rise, rise, maiden,' said Hermione; 'you affect me more than I thought I could have been moved by aught that should approach me. Rise and tell me whence it comes, that, in so short a time, your thoughts, your looks, your speech, and even your slightest actions, are changed from those of a capricious and fanciful girl, to all this energy and impassioned eloquence of word and action?'

'I am sure I know not, dearest lady,' said Margaret, looking down; 'but I suppose that, when I was a trifler, I was only thinking of trifles. What I now reflect is deep and serious, and I am thankful if my speech and manner bear reasonable proportion to my thoughts.'

'It must be so,' said the lady; 'yet the change seems a rapid and strange one. It seems to be as if a childish girl had at once shot up into deep-thinking and impassioned woman, ready to make exertions alike, and sacrifices, with all that vain devotion to a favourite object of affection, which is often so basely rewarded.'

The Lady Hermione sighed bitterly, and Monna Paula entered ere the conversation proceeded farther. She spoke to her mistress in the foreign language in which they frequently conversed, but which was unknown to Margaret.

'We must have patience for a time,' said the lady to her visitor; 'the cash-keeper is abroad on some business, but he is expected home in the course of half an hour.'

Margaret wrung her hands in vexation and impatience.

'Minutes are precious,' continued the lady; 'that I am well aware of; and we will at least suffer none of them to escape us. Monna Paula shall remain below and transact our business, the very instant that Roberts returns home.'

She spoke to her attendant accordingly, who again left the room.