"
"Count who?" said Hubert, with a quick start, and a look of
intense curiosity. "What was the name?"
"L'Estrange - a scoundrel of the deepest dye! Perhaps you know
him?"
"No," replied Hubert, with a queer, half musing smile, "no; but I
have a notion I have heard the name. Was he a rival of yours?"
"I should think so! He was to have been married to the lady this
very night!"
"He was, eh! And what prevented the ceremony?"
"She took the plague!" said Sir Norman, strange to say, not at
all offended at the boy's familiarity. "And would have been
thrown into the plague-pit but for me. And when she recovered
she accepted me and cast him off!"
"A quick exchange! The lady's heart must be most flexible, or
unusually large, to be able to hold so many at once."
"It never held him!" said Sir Norman, frowning; "she was forced
into the marriage by her mercenary friends. Oh! if I had him
here, wouldn't I make him wish the highwaymen had shot him
through the head, and done for him, before I would let him go!"
"What is he like - this Count L'Estrange?" said Hubert,
carelessly.
"Like the black-hearted traitor and villain he is!" replied Sir
Norman, with more energy than truth; for he had caught but
passing glimpses of the count's features, and those showed him
they were decidedly prepossessing; "and he slinks along like a
coward and an abductor as he is, in a slouched hat and shadowy
cloak.
Pages:
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282