The Strong Arm | Page 8

Beatrix lifted one frightened glance to the young man's face and saw
standing on his brow great drops of sweat. His right hand grasped the
upper portion of the velvet cross, partly detached from his doublet, and
he looked loweringly upon her. Swiftly she smote the door twice with
her hand and instantly the portal opened as far as the chain would allow
it. Count Herbert noticed that in the interval, three other chains had

been added to the one that formerly had baffled his sword. The girl, like
a woodland pigeon, darted underneath the lower chain, and although
the prisoner took a rapid step forward, the door, with greater speed,
closed and was bolted.
The Count had requested the girl to be gone, and surely should have
been contented now that she had withdrawn herself, yet so shifty a
thing is human nature, that no sooner were his commands obeyed than
he began to bewail their fulfilment. He accused himself of being a
double fool, first, for not holding her when he had her; and secondly,
having allowed her to depart, he bemoaned the fact that he had acted
rudely to her, and thus had probably made her return impossible. His
prison seemed inexpressibly dreary lacking her presence. Once or twice
he called out her name, but the echoing empty walls alone replied.
For the first time in his life the heavy sleep of the camp deserted him,
and in his dreams he pursued a phantom woman, who continually
dissolved in his grasp, now laughingly, now in anger.
The morning found him deeply depressed, and he thought the
unaccustomed restraints of a prison were having their effect on the
spirits of a man heretofore free. He sat silently on the bench watching
the door.
At last, to his great joy, he heard the rattle of bolts being withdrawn.
The door opened slowly to the small extent allowed by the chains, but
no one entered and the Count sat still, concealed from the view of
whoever stood without.
"My Lord Count," came the sweet tones of the girl and the listener with
joy, fancied he detected in it a suggestion of apprehension, doubtless
caused by the fact that the room seemed deserted. "My Lord Count, I
have brought your breakfast; will you not come and receive it?"
Herbert rose slowly and came within range of his jailer's vision. The
girl stood in the hall, a repast that would have tempted an epicure
arrayed on the wooden trencher she held in her hands.

"Beatrix, come in," he said.
"I fear that in stooping, some portion of this burden may fall. Will you
not take the trencher?"
The young man stepped to the opening and, taking the tray from her,
placed it on the bench as he had previously done; then repeated his
invitation.
"You were displeased with my company before, my Lord, and I am
loath again to offend."
"Beatrix, I beg you to enter. I have something to say to you."
"Stout chains bar not words, my Lord. Speak and I shall listen."
"What I have to say, is for your ear alone."
"Then are the conditions perfect for such converse, my Lord. No guard
stands within this hall."
The Count sighed deeply, turned and sat again on the bench, burying
his face in his hands. The maiden having given excellent reasons why
she should not enter, thus satisfying her sense of logic, now set logic at
defiance, slipped under the lowest chain and stood within the room, and,
so that there might be no accusation that she did things by halves,
closed the door leaning her back against it. The knight looked up at her
and saw that she too had rested but indifferently. Her lovely eyes half
veiled, showed traces of weeping, and there was a wistful expression in
her face that touched him tenderly, and made him long for her;
nevertheless he kept a rigid government upon himself, and sat there
regarding her, she flushing, slightly under his scrutiny, not daring to
return his ardent gaze.
"Beatrix," he said slowly, "I have acted towards you like a boor and a
ruffian, as indeed I am; but let this plead for me, that I have ever been
used to the roughness of the camp, bereft of gentler influences. I ask
your forgiveness."

"There is nothing to forgive. You are a noble of the Empire, and I but a
lowly serving-maid."
"Nay, that cuts me to the heart, and is my bitterest condemnation. A
true man were courteous to high and low alike. Now, indeed, you
overwhelm me with shame, maiden of the woodlands."
"Such was not my intention, my Lord. I hold you truly noble in nature
as well as in rank, otherwise I stood not here."
"Beatrix, does any woodlander