"Certainly, sir," he began, springing into his seat with alacrity."Where shall I drive the young lady to?""Follow me," said Sir Norman."Come along, Ormiston." And seizing his friend by the arm, he hurried along with a velocity rather uncomfortable, considering they both wore cloaks, and the night was excessively sultry.The gloomy vehicle and its fainting burden followed close behind.
"What do you mean to do with her?" asked Ormiston, as soon as he found breath enough to speak.
"Haven't I told you?" said Sir Norman, impatiently.Take her home, of course.""And after that?"
"Go for a doctor."
"And after that?"
"Take care of her till she gets well."
"And after that?"
"Why - find out her history, and all about her.""And after that?"
"After that! After that! How do I know what after that!"exclaimed Sir Norman, rather fiercely."Ormiston, what do you mean?"Ormiston laughed.
"And after that you'll marry her, I suppose!""Perhaps I may, if she will have me.And what if I do?""Oh, nothing! Only it struck me you may be saving another man's wife.""That's true!" said Sir Norman, in a subdued tone, "and if such should unhappily be the case, nothing will remain but to live in hopes that he may be carried off by the plague.""Pray Heaven that we may not be carried off by it ourselves!"said Ormiston, with a slight shudder."I shall dream of nothing but that horrible plague-pit for a week.If it were not for La Masque, I would not stay another hour in this pest-stricken city.""Here we are," was Sir Norman's rather inapposite answer, as they entered Piccadilly, and stopped before a large and handsome house, whose gloomy portal was faintly illuminated by a large lamp."Here, my man just carry the lady in."He unlocked the door as he spoke, and led the way across a long hall to a sleeping chamber, elegantly fitter up.The man placed the body on the bed and departed while Sir Norman, seizing a handbell, rang a peal that brought a staid-looking housekeeper to the scene directly.Seeing a lady, young and beautiful, in bride robes, lying apparently dead on her young master's bed at that hour of the night, the discreet matron, over whose virtuous head fifty years and a snow-white cap had passed, started back with a slight scream.
"Gracious me, Sir Norman! What on earth is the meaning of this?""My dear Mrs.Preston," began Sir Norman blandly, this young lady is ill of the plague, and - "But all further explanation was cut short by a horrified shriek from the old lady, and a precipitate rush from the room.Down stairs she flew, informing the other servants as she went, between her screams, and when Sir Norman, in a violent rage, went in search of her five minutes after, he found not only the kitchen, but the whole house deserted.
"Well," said Ormiston, as Sir Norman strode back, looking fiery hot and savagely angry.
"Well, they have all fled, every man and woman of them, the - "Sir Norman ground out something not quite proper, behind his moustache."I shall have to go for the doctor, myself.Doctor Forbes is a friend of mine, and lives near; and you," looking at him rather doubtfully, "would you mind staying here, lest she should recover consciousness before I return?""To tell you the truth," said Ormiston, with charming frankness, "I should! The lady is extremely beautiful, I must own; but she looks uncomfortably corpse-like at this present moment.I do not wish to die of the plague, either, until I see La Masque once more; and so if it is all the same to you, my dear friend, I will have the greatest pleasure in stepping round with you to the doctor's."Sir Norman, though he did not much approve of this, could not very well object, and the two sallied forth together.Walking a short distance up Piccadilly, they struck off into a bye street, and soon reached the house they were in search of.Sir Norman knocked loudly at the door, which was opened by the doctor himself.Briefly and rapidly Sir Norman informed him how and where his services were required; and the doctor being always provided with everything necessary for such cases, set out with him immediately.Fifteen minutes after leaving his own house, Sir Norman was back there again, and standing in his own chamber.
But a simultaneous exclamation of amazement and consternation broke from him and Ormiston, as on entering the room they found the bed empty, and the lady gone!
A dead pause followed, during which the three looked blankly at the bed, and then at each other.The scene, no doubt, would have been ludicrous enough to a third party; but neither of our trio could saw anything whatever to laugh at.Ormiston was the first to speak.
"What in Heaven's name has happened!" he wonderingly exclaimed.
"Some one has been here," said Sir Norman, turning very pale, "and carried her off while we were gone.""Let us search the house," said the doctor; "you should have locked your door, Sir Norman; but it may not be too late yet."Acting on the hint, Sir Norman seized the lamp burning on the table, and started on the search.His two friends followed him, and"The highest, the lowest, the loveliest spot,They searched for the lady, and found her not."No, though there was not the slightest trace of robbers or intruders, neither was there the slightest trace of the beautiful plague-patient.Everything in the house was precisely as it always was, but the silver shining vision was gone.
