Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road — page 327: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

' " ‘ ye" << « : F vhipe chee rte ie rath - 2 a) hes es > . ied Me v4 Rang Can * Py ee Ne Ee pes Y v ae = a Bn 2d ae ey a eer la SU - oe o “> gad | > ge Snare, = ef v4 i A -#* are _s. = >> Pat fre 2S " % “4 ; ia: Se : ~~. At length sho raised her voice, but there came no Set last, with a fresh burst of grief, she exclaimed: _ -=snd I am indeed forlorn | qs Had and for theirs I know not ” calm in a slight degree her agitated feelings. roe e* 7 “ . ~* “5 “Y “¢ = * . re ~ * i ete _ quickened into a run, nor did she = "— see - 3 —_ oe her ae ar a 7 1 vas aa te = ms any better opinion of her locality. by the inky aspect of the _ probability that it would *, ~ ~ “ Alas—a!as! there can be no doubt that he has perivmed What to do now fcr my own _ It was a long while before sas could arouse herself aod But the necessity there was for immediate acticu pressed itself most strongly apon her. With a resolute effort she dashed the tear-drops from her eyes and gazed about her. ; She was standing either in a lane or cross-country road, and that was the sum total of the knowledge she was enabled to gather. Hesitatingly she advanced with the air ot one ignorant of where their steps may lead. But the remembrance of her husband’s danger and the reflection that her husband’s life rested in her hands were burnt into her brain and served to animate her. Her hesitating steps became decisive ones, her walk pause until compelled to do so by sheer breathlessness. During this time she had done nothing but follow the winding of the road, which bent about in a mosi dis- heartening fashion. Again Maud looked about her, but was unable to form he thunder and lightning had altogether ceased, but the rain continued to fall with unabated steadiness, and sky above there seemed every continue to do so fex a consider- able length of time. Her impatience would not suffer her to pause and re- cover possession of her breath and strength, but she struggled on, though her pace was exceedingly slow, yet she was comforted by the knowledge that she was ad- vancing. — At the same time, however, the utter hopelessness of her undertaking pressed more and more heavily upon She was conscious—fully conscious that success was all but an impossibility. Could she but have seen before her the prospect of siti _ mate succeras it would have urged her onward with en flagging spirit, As it was, her bodily strength decreased as hor epirits ~ sank lower and lower. More than once, overcome by fatigue, she felt as though she must sink down upon the damp earth in the road, but with a sudden effort she would start and struggle on her lonely way. No sounds of human life—no prospect of a human habitation, however humble, gratified her view. All around was a darkness and the condition of her own mind. Never before in the whole course of her life tau sne experienced so much utter wretchedi@ss. She wag drenched to the akin now with the rain, and her soaked garments clinging tightly to her materially increased the difficulty of motion. At last, after a weary interval, she saw betore hera dark-looking mass of something, but what she knew not. aan | = closer approach showed it to be a dwelling of seme kind. She was now so entirely overcome, that it was only by the greatest effort that she could place one foot before the other. - When nearly opposite the building she was com a¥ed use, for all strength seemed to forsake her, ad she not clung tightly to the massive @7-dew -sat which supported the swinging sign she must have fallen. As it was, i seemed as though the earth and eli thiags else were slipping away from beneath her feet gloom that well typified to SHAPTER MXI¥. WITH A STRANGE ACQUAINTANCE AT THE MAUD MEETS :: SAILOR INN. | = JOLLY _ $§svexaL moments elapsed before Maud became conscious ¢ nature of the support to which she clung, but. es F = a Oe meee Ss / see et zea ‘ 7? hat Sa a ae ate Pe = —— = - My thy So et oo i fe > . .* “ sr of >? - es ~ Ce ote “ ” ee ; F 4a. << Po. Pot j= =. oe? re. a - ‘ a eee iP ee cae KNIGHT OF THS ROAD. eS any is . 1698 having ascertained it, she knew at once that by groat good fortune she had halted before an inn, Hither her eyes had become miore acsusiomed to the darkness, or else the obscurity was not so great as it had been, for she was now able to make oni that the struc- | ture was a very old-fashioned, picturesque one From thé manner in whick it was built, it wes clear that at least a couple of centuries had elapsed since its erection. The exterior, however, was plunged in utter dark- ness. Not even from one of the upper windows did a gleam of light appear, so that Maud very justly concluded that the whole of the inmates had retired to rest. Just as she made this reflection, such an accession of — the fainting feeling came over her that she feared this time consciousness would entirely abandon her. As before, a vigorous effort of the will saved her. She then determined that at all hazards she would knock at the door of this inn, and endeavour to arouse its inhabitants. She would implore them to allow her brief rest and shelter, for she was now so fatigued that it was impus- sible for her to proceed any further. Another reflection only served to confirm her in this resolution. This was that it might be that at this inn she should be fortunate enough to find a horse which she could hire. urchase, uckily, she carried with her a considerable sum of money, so that all was well upon this score. The prospect of obtaining a horse seemed in a wonder- ful degree to reanimate her drooping spirits. She fancied that witha good steed beneath her all those difficulties which now appeared so gigantic would shrink in‘ comparative insignificance. She would be able to take so much wider a range with so little fatigue to herself, that the chances of her success were at least doubled. It was these considerations that lent her the requisite or strength to quit her sustaining grasp upon the sign-post and totter to the front door of the inn. She knocked loudly and boldly at it, the sound echo- ing strangely in the intense silence which prevailed. For a long time she knocked in vain. At length, however, @ crashing sound was heard above. This was followed by a volley of oaths. Looking »p to ascertain the cause of this, Maud found that a gusé of wind bad torn the latticed casement from the grasp of the man who opened it, and dashed it with such violence against the wall that several panes were totally demolished. “ Hilloa!” cried a rough voice.“ Billoa ! is there—what is the matter?” “7 want shelter from the storm,” answered Mand, in a faltering voice, for her heart sunk within her at such a reception as this. ‘Fear not that 1am unable to pay for the accommodation,” she added—* rest assured that I will reward you well.” These words were not without their due effect. In a considerably mollified voice the man above said: ‘Wait where you are a moment, miss, and you shall be attended to. We are all a-bed.” “T will wait,” said Maud—“ wait patiently.” A brief space of time elapsed, and then her ears canght the welcome sound caused by the remova! of bars and bolts. The next moment the door waa opened. Such a blaze of light seemed to stream ecross the i say, who threshold that fora moment or two Maud’s vision wae quite confused. But this was only the effect of the darkness, When it wore away, she perceived that the ilumiga-~ tion proceeded only from a candle, behind which stood a man of sinister aspect ; Ho was regarding Maud suspiciously Her drenched and bedraggled appearance hy ao means prepossessed him in her favour Maud by one glance inte bis face could read his thoughts with as much ease and readiness as she could have read a book. “[ don’t know whether I caa accommodate you,” & said, at last, in gruff, surly tones. / (E(6) JOO mite he Su ae . : Pe Sa hy” we Bg? A Tap hy \