Legend of Moulin Huet | Page 8

blown up in a more
sanguinary, if not more decisive manner, than these airy fabrications
generally have to yield to!
Hirzel had been detained on various pretexts by his Father; in

consequence he was rather late in starting for this important business
on which he was to be despatched. From the time he managed to get off,
it was not at all likely that he could be back before 10 o'clock.
Marguerite's heart quite misgave her when she heard this, but as time
moved on, and it came to half-past 7, she was re-assured to find that
Jacques Gaultier was putting away his tools, and finally left the house,
saying that he had "work for himself at home, but would return the
following morning to finish repairing those rafters that had so suddenly
got out of repair."
Matters seemed better still when her Father said he did not feel at all
himself that night, and that he thought he would go off to bed.
Marguerite wished him "Good night;" and at 8 o'clock found herself
alone and mistress of her own actions. She might now have brought
Charlie into the house, but that she remembered her Father's prohibition
of such a thing; and at least she thought it best and fittest to leave him
master in his own house, at the same time reserving to herself liberty to
control her own actions. This was fair enough.
At about 8 o'clock, as agreed on, Marguerite took her little lantern, and
going round the path to where they had been standing two evenings
before, she flashed the light three times trusting that Charlie would be
able to see it. Meanwhile Jacques had come out from one of the mill
sheds, where he had been concealed, and went quickly up to the room
behind the granary, only pausing on his way to tell old Pierre that he
was there.
We will leave him waiting for his prey, with a dark sardonic smile on
his ill-favoured countenance, and return to Marguerite, who is waiting
in the granary for her lover, confident that "all is well," and having no
thoughts but pleasant ones concerning the coming meeting. Even the
remembrance of Hirzel's absence brings no disquietude with it. Her
thoughts shape themselves into a blessing when her brother's bright
manly face comes before her, and then she bends all her attention to
listen for Charlie's approach.
She had been waiting for rather more than an hour, when she heard her
name called softly; then up Charlie scrambled, and when standing on

the wheel his head comes just half way up the window.
"Well, here I am, Marguerite; I hope you were not alarmed at the time I
have taken, but I was on duty when I saw your signal, and it was some
little time before I could get away."
"I was getting a little anxious, Charlie, but 'all is well' now that you
have come."
"Ah, that is right! but how are you to-night, little woman--all the
fancies fled?"
"Almost Charlie, but still not quite; you will think me very foolish, I
know, but everything was so beautifully arranged for my seeing you
easily to-night that I can't help thinking that some one else has been
arranging too for some purpose of his own."
"Come, come, you little croaker, try and put such thoughts out of your
pretty head, and remember I 'deserve the fair' after having been so
'brave' as to mount this rickety wheel, but I wish you would take this
parcel from me; the bobbins are in it, which I have perilled my life to
bring! I hope you see my devotion clearly, eh?"
"I do, indeed, Charlie, and now I shall work all the better and be more
in earnest; I don't mean you to have all the work on your shoulders
when we marry; I know I shall be able to get sale for my lace amongst
the beautiful ladies you tell me of in England."
"Ah, Marguerite, that is just what I wanted to speak to you about; I
suppose your Father still wishes you to marry that rascal Gaultier? By
the way, I believe he or some one very like him was sneaking round the
cliffs on Monday night. After I left you, I fancied I saw him; it might
be only fancy. Did you see anything of him?
"I wish--."
* * * * *

Alas! poor Charlie! Will you speak again to finish that sentence and tell
what you wish? For suddenly the mill wheel has turned round with a
tremendous crash, and the brave young soldier has been hurled down!
And Marguerite, what of her? With one agonized cry she rushed to the
door intending to run outside to see if anything could be done for
Charlie,