The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 380: what you’re looking at

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THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. eee ee—eee 879 . “Y will go into the midst of my people,” ex- elaimed the Count de Toledo, once more with that tone and look of exultation which his countenance had already worn during this discourse ;—" and rest assured, they will not suffer me to be captured ao long as life remains in them !” “ But is not this a desperate mode of existence upon which we are about to enter?” asked Ju- liana: “ will it not be a far more troubled and un- settled one, than our life would be if we were to remain in France, even though subjected to extor- tions and threats of exposure ?”’ “Juliana, it is useless to reason against my re- solve,” replied the Count. “ We go into Spain. To-morrow I will dispose of the carriages: what- soever little debts are outstanding, shall be paid. The horses we will keep for our own purposes; and on the following day will we cross the fron- tier.’ Juliana could not urge any farther remonstrance : ashe saw that her husband was resolute; and she endeavoured to tranquillize herself with the reflec- tion that his position perbaps would not be so very perilous, after all, in the midst of his own de- | de pendants,—or else he would scarcely be so out- rageously rash as to carry his project into execu- tion. At all eventa, she felt that no danger could be incurred by herself; and if the worst ensued, she would be left a widow with an honourable title, though her husband perished on the political acaf- fold. She now cared too little for him to be par- ticularly afflicted at the contemplation of this even- tuality: while, on the other hand, if he should really be enabled to maintain himself in the re- possession of his estates, she might yet play the part of the feudal baroness, as she had so much longed to do. She was well aware that Spain was in an unsettled condition—that the authority of the central government at Madrid was but indif- ferently maintained over the spirited population of Catalonia: and the longer she reflected on the course about to be entered upon, the more did she deem it probable that her husband’s views might be carried out, and that the warnings of her brother-in-law would prove to have been stretched and overstrained. It was a little after ten o’clock in the evening of ‘this same day, that the Count and Juliana retired to their chamber. But scarcely had they ascended thither, when a trampling of horses’ feet, and sounds as if of the clatter of weapons, coming from the main road, met their ears. In an instant the Count threw open the window: the moonlight flooded the atmosphere—and the figures of several mounted gendarmes were distinctly visible to him- self and Juliana. They had already sprung from their steeds; and it was the din of their steel- sheathed swords clattering against their sides, which had reached their cars. A wild but vague terror suddenly seized on Juliana: nor was her alarm dissipated, when the Count, abruptly closing the window, said, “ We must fly !” “Fly! Wherefore? whither?” demanded his wife in an agony of apprehension. ‘ What have you done? why come the officers of justice here ?” “We must fly, Juliana!” ejaculated the Count: “there is not a moment to lose! I will explain everything presently! Fasten on your riding-skirt —quick! quick! Follow me!” Bhe obeyed mechanically, and with all the haste of wild and nervous alarm ;—indeed, she was too much bewildered for deliberate reflection. Her husband filled his pockets with all the coin that remained in the casket: they descended the stairs precipitately, and passed out by a back door to the stable. Two horses were saddled and bridled in almost the twinkling of an eye,—Juliana thus caparisoning her own steed for herself, which she well knew how to do; and ashe had all the ready activity of fortitude at this moment, notwithstand- ing the wild vague terrors which filled her soul. “ Now courage, Juliana!” said the Count, as he lifted her on her horse: and the next moment he sprang upon his own. “ Away !”’ As he uttered this last word, the loud knocking of the gendarmes at the cottage-door reached their ears; and it should be observed that all these pro- ceedings on their part, conducted with such light- ning rapidity, had been unobserved by the officers of justice,—inasmuch as they took place entirely in the rear of the dwelling, while the gendarmes had approached the cottage from the front. “ Away !"—that word was the signal for their parture. They dashed through the back-garden: the low fence separating it from the orchard, was cleared by the two steeds: but in the orchard itself a couple of gendarmes, on foot, at once sprang to- wards them. It was evident that the precincts of the cottage were surrounded by the officers: but a word of encouragement burst from the Count’s lipe—with the speed of a hurricane the two animals dashed through the orchard—a carbine was fired by one of the gendarmes—the next moment the report of his companion’s weapon likewise rang through the air—and the bullets whistled past the ears of the fugitives. The hedge at the extremity of the orchard, was cleared: the stéeds, stretching forth like greyhounds, sped over the meadows— until, in a few minutes, the road to Perpignan was reached, after the short but rapid circuit thus made. Meantime the cry of an escape had rung from the lips of the gendarmes : their horses were remounted—and a chase was quickly instituted. It was however ineffectual: the Count and Juliana rode on as if upon the wings of the wind; and when they presently halted to listen, as well as to breathe their panting coursers, no sounds of pur- suit reached their ears from behind. “You have borne yourself bravely, Juliana!” cried the Count, in thrilling tones of exultation. * But what means all this?” inquired his wife. “In the name of heaven, tell nte—wherefore came those officers? what have you done ?” “ Away, away, Juliana!” exclaimed her hus- band: “this is no moment for explanations!” Once more did the steeds career along, although there were still no sounds of pursuit: the gen- durmes were evidently either distanced or at fault. Kver and anon, when the swiftness of the fugitives’ pace was relaxed, Juliana wildly, vehemently, and passionately demanded what her husband had done that he should fly from the officers P—but on cach occasion he compelled her to urge on her courser again; and thus they proceeded for a couple of hours, until Perpignan was in sight,—ite buildings upreared, like dark crags, against the horizon of the-sky that was flooded with the moonlight. “This way!” exclaimed the Count: and they swept into a by-road which enabled them ww ieare (COL (C DOO CS (COL