Show THE MCI N 5 WHELP A story of cromwell a time BY AMELIA E BARR author of the bow dow of orange ribbon I 1 thou and the other on the maid of maiden malden lane etc copy abt 1901 by dodd mead company all r gats reserved I 1 CHAPTER IX cont nied this is all very fine indeed said mrs swaffham ham bam almost weeping in tier her anger but yo i need not praise this man to me he has slain the sing ring of england and turned out the english par parl ament and pray what next he v mill ill mal e himself king and nd elizabeth cromwell queen shall we ive indeed bow down to thema not for one be at peace martha said gen swaffham ham here are things to consid er of far greater import than the cromwell women how the nation ill take this affair remains to be seen alook I 1 look for measureless wrath and vain babble and threats beard heard f far ar and wide said doctor verity the people have been given what they wanted and twenty to one they will cow now nay say all they have roared for that would be like the rest of their ways once doctor verity was wrong this master stroke of crohw ell s went straight to the heart of london not a dog barked against it said cromwell to his friends and he was to all intents and purposes right those who called it usurpation con fessel that it aas as an usurpation of capability in place of one of incata ability CHAPTER X rupert and cluny when the geverys arrived in parts they went dimmed abely to the beautiful hotel de which sir thomas had rented for their residence while in the city one afternoon matilda stood at a window watching vat ching the crowds passing incessantly to the right was the palace of the great king louis and not tar far away the palace of his emi nence the great cardinal mazarin she was dressed for her lover and waiting his arrival her soul flashing from her watching eyes her whole 10 e 10 in P wll take your life from my hand sweet body at attention when to or binary ears there would have been nothing to give notice matilda matlida heard a step she let janes jane s letter drop to ber her feet and stood facing the door with hands dropped and tightly clasped A moment later the footsteps were very distinct they were ascending th the e stairway quickly peremptorily A per factly ravishing light spread itself over matilda s face then the door flew open and prince rupert entered entered however being too small a word for with ith the opening of the door he was on his knees at matilda s feet his arms were round her waist she had bent her face to his the they y were both near to weeping and knew it not for love must weep when it snatches from some hard fate fates s con arol the hours that years have sighed for or rupert loved matilda all the glory and the orrow of his youth were in that love and as he knelt at her feet in his princely soldierly splendor there was nothing lacking in the picture of romantic devotion adorable ravish ing mata matal he cried at your feet I 1 am paid for my life s misery and matilda leaned towards him till their liand handsome some faces touched and rupert could look love into her eyes soft and languishing with an equal affect tion for a little while their conversation was purely personal but their own interests were wore so blent with public affairs that it was not possible to separate them for any length of time we have sold all our cargoes he lie said triumphantly in spite of old cromwell s remous trances what can cromwell doa will he go to war with france for a merchants bill of lad inga I 1 will tell you something rupert 1 I had a letter to day from my friend mistress jane she says her lover lord cluny neville must be in paris about this time and that be will ca I 1 on me we ahe le is on crom wells business th fhe e is no doubt of it i what is the appearance of Ne neville villel I 1 think I 1 aw him th 8 morning then matilda described the young lord and the particularity of her knowledge regarding his eyes and hair and voice and manner did not please prince rupert A very ha gaty youth said ru pert when the conversation was re fumed he ile was with the cardinal this morning and now I 1 begin to remember his business was such as in a manner concerns us about a merchant ship which that old farmer on king charles throne wants pay ment for my men took it in fair fight and against all usage to give bach back spoils they talked of these things until rupert s engagements called him awa then they rose and deanin leaning g towards each other in all ed slowly down the long asplend d room together she went then to find her uncle a and n d aunt but she qu ekly noticed in ill them an air of anxiety and gloom and it annoyed her Is anything particularly wrong aunt have I 1 been mal ing some trouble sir thomas Is very unhappy niece he has heard news that frightens him and we are longing to be in the peace and safety of our own home you are going to lose a I 1 tile gold and so you are wretched and must go to the city of the miserable I 1 am not go ng to lose a penny well thena there may be trouble because of this very thing and I 1 do not want to be in paris with the two women I 1 loic lov e better than myself if cromwell and mazarin come to blows I 1 might be taken from you I 1 should very likely be sent to the bastile you would not wish that matilda 7 dear uncle shall we not return by the hague no lord neville has promised to d do MY business there it Is only a matter of collecting a thousand thou zand pounds from my merchant but he is going to take charge of your aunt s jewels and you had better trust yours also with him awill I 1 will not trust anything I 1 possess to lord neville nothing it Is enough answered lady jev ery matilda capiot wish to put in danger your liberty or life my happiness ness Is of less consequence aunt certainly it Is and there was such an air hir of finality in lady jev ery s voice that matilda rose and went to her own apartments to continue her complaints this she did with passionate feeling in a letter to prince rupert in which she expressed w u out stint her hatred of lord neville and her desire tor for his Puni punishment rupert was well inclined to honor her wish he had seen the young corn com inon mon wealth messenger and his hand ome person and patrician manner I 1 ad given him a moment moments s envious look back to the days when he alo I 1 ad been young and hopeful and full of faith in fn his own great future he had not long to wait for an opportunity to meet neville wh ie le he was playing billiards the following afternoon with the duke of york his equerry arrived at the palais royale with his horse neville had taken the northern road out of the city and it was presumably the homeward road rupert followed quickly but neville was a swift steady rider and he was not obertal en till twenty miles had been covered and the daylight was nearly lost in the radiance of the full moon rupert put spurs to his horse passed neville nevill e at a swift gall gallop op then suddenly wheeling came at a rush towards him catching his bridle as they met you will I 1 have a quarrel to settle with you on anat ground say it is on the ground of your mistress I 1 am earl de hicl s friend I 1 will not fight oh such pre terse my mistress would deny me if it I 1 did fight tor for your honor then neville laughed I 1 know better and before what yott call honor I 1 p it duty then fight for the papers aidi and a idi money la ta your possession I 1 want them ha at I 1 thought ao 0 o you are a rob ber it veins ems but I 1 v arn ou on that I 1 am a good sword min m heaven and hell N what hat do I 1 care carea 9 it if you do not alight at once I 1 will slay your horse ou shall fight me here and now with or without pretense then neville flang ii h myself from his horse and tied the animal to a tree cupert did likewise and the two men rap adly removed such of their gar ments as would interfere inter feie with then their bloody play they fliey were ere in a lonely road partially shadd with great trees not a human habitation was visible and there were v ere no second to see jus tice done in the fight or secure help after it it if help was needed but at this time the lack of recognized for magities mali ties was no impediment to the duel repert quickly found that he had met his match neville left him not a moment s breathing space but never followed up his attacks until at last kupert hupert called out insolently when are you going to kill me the angry impatience of the inquiry probably induced a moment s careless ness and rupart bupt rupt rt d d not notice that in the struggle the tile r ground had insen ably changed and neville now stood directly in front of a large tree inot not heeding the impediment rupert made a fierce thrust with the point of his sword which 1 eville evaded by a vault to one side so that R rupert u pert a 3 sword striking the tree sprang fro from in his hand at the impact As it fell to the ground neville reached it first and placed his foot upon it rupert stood still and bowed gravely he was at nevi e s mercy and he indi bated his knowledge of this fact by the groua stillness of his attitude it was an abeld accident nt said neville and an accident is god s part in any affair take your life from my hand I 1 have no will to wish your death he ile offered his band as he spoke ke and rupe rupert rt took it frani franl ly answering no disgrace to take life from one so gallant and generous and I 1 am glad that I 1 can repay tae favor of 0 3 our clemency then he almost whis in cluny sear s ear three words and the young man started visibly and with great haste untied his horse we would better change horses said rupert mine is a B irb swift as the wind but cluny could not make the C change hange proposed withof some delay his papers and jewels being bestowed wish the two men parted and a there was no anger between them admira tion and good will had taken its place neville hastened forward as he had been advised and rupert returned to pans paris he knew matilda was expect ing him and he pictured to himself her disappointment and anxiety at his non appearance yet he was physically exhausted and as soon as he threw himself upon a couch he forgot all hia his weariness and all his anxieties in a deep sleep f early next morning he went to ma tilda how could you so cruelly disappoint mea she cried you see now that our time is nearly gone in a few hours we must part perhaps for ever my dearest loveliest mata I 1 was about your our pleasure I 1 was following lord neivlle and he took me further than I 1 expected lord neville again the man Is an incubus why did you follow him you wished me to give him a les son he N was as going homeward I 1 had to ride last night or let him escape by my troth I 1 had only your pleasure in mind oh but the price paid was too great I 1 had to give up your society for hours that is a loss I 1 shall mourn to the end of my life I 1 hope then that you killed him nothing less will suffice tor for it I 1 was out of fortune as I 1 always am I 1 had an accident and was at his mercy he gave me my life I 1 to be continued |