'"Poor little maid," she said compassionately, "I would I could send you safe back again to your mother. But, please God, you will see her before very long. So cheer up, child; you have nothing serious to fear—only a little hardship and discomfort for a few days, and then you will go home, and all will be well. They can't do any hurt to children of your age. All they want is a fine from your parents,—a heavy one, doubtless; but yours are wealthy enough to pay it, so you need have no fear. Poor Bessie yonder," continued Mrs. Fortescue, lowering her voice, "has most cause to be affrighted of any of you."
'"Oh madam, why?" I asked, looking up suddenly into her face, which was turned with an anxious, pitying expression towards the bed where Bessie still lay quivering with sobs.
'"She has not rich parents, child, like you and Henrietta: she had only her uncle to care for her, and he is in London under sentence of death, and all his property confiscated. Hush! do not tell her now; she will know it soon enough, poor child. I only learned it myself this morning; and I tell you that you may see how Bessie wants comfort yet more than yourself."
'"Yes indeed, madam," I whispered, and I dried my eyes resolutely, and tried my best to feel fearless and defiant of Judge Jeffreys and all his terrors. "But oh, madam," I could not help saying from the depths of my heart, "if they would but let you come with us."
'And then these words were scarcely out of my mouth when I felt inclined to laugh; for the thought struck me that a few weeks ago I could not have believed it possible that any one should really wish for Mrs. Fortescue's company who had the chance of being without it. Perhaps Mrs. Fortescue was thinking the same thing, for a sudden smile lit up her face for a moment; but the next it was sad and anxious as ever, and she said earnestly: "I would I might go with you, sweetheart, only that perhaps I am as much needed here. We are all prisoners, you know—not so much better off than you, after all. There!"—as another impatient summons from Master Noakes was heard from the staircase—"we must not linger any more now. God be with you, child. Don't be down-hearted; you have naught to blame yourself for in this matter. Say your prayers, and do your duty, and He will deliver you from evil."
'I suppose it was Mrs. Fortescue's manner more than her words that gave her so much influence over us all. We had always looked upon her as a person to be respected and obeyed; but ever since Madame's disappearance, she had been more than this. There was so much more softness and gentleness about her, and yet at the same time so much strength and spirit, that gave one a feeling of having some one to lean upon as long as she was with us. Her words had done me good; and seeing that it was so, she bade me make ready for departure with as much speed as possible, and then left me, to do what she could for poor Bessie's consolation. What she said, I did not know. I only saw her bend over the bed, and whisper for a moment or two; and then, impetuous and sudden as usual, Bessie sprang up and threw her arms round Mrs. Fortescue's neck with no more ceremony than if it had been mine. Just then came another of Master Noakes's resounding shouts, which were beginning to follow one another at shorter and shorter intervals, becoming every time louder and more peremptory. Mrs. Fortescue returned the kiss; and then, quietly unclasping Bessie's arms, began to twist up her pretty fair hair, which was in the wildest state of disorder possible. I think I never saw hair so nearly golden as Bessie's, nor did I ever see any with such a propensity for tumbling down. Ten minutes was the utmost length of time that those golden locks of hers had been known to keep smooth and in their place,—even Pauline's skill had failed in achieving more than this; and as for Mrs. Fortescue's hurried attempts to arrange them, the result would have sent us into fits of laughter at any other time: but just now nothing was a laughing matter.
'All was ready at last, and Mrs. Fortescue was trying to cut the numerous farewells as short as possible, and to impress upon the other girls that they were on no account to follow us down-stairs, when all last words were suddenly and effectually broken off by the tramp of heavy footsteps in the passage, and the sound of Master Noakes's voice actually close to the door.
'"Not a minute more will I tarry, ladies; so, if your baggage is not ready, you must e'en come without it. D'ye hear?"
'Mrs. Fortescue quietly opened the door, and, in her very haughtiest and most coldly polite manner, motioned him towards the staircase, saying that we were all ready to start whenever it might be his pleasure to do so, and suggesting that he should lead the way down-stairs. I hardly know what passed after that. An odd sort of vague, dreamy feeling came over me as if I was walking in my sleep, or as if I was not myself. A most uncomfortable sensation it was, like nothing I had ever felt before; and though I suppose it must have been brought on by fright, yet somehow I was less conscious of fear than at first. I began to fancy that perhaps, after all, it was only a dream, and that I should wake up presently and find that there had never been a rebellion at all, and that everything was going on as usual again. I was still in this curious kind of dreamy state when I left Madame St. Aubert's house, never to enter it again.
'I remember hearing Mrs. Fortescue beg that we might be allowed to wait for some breakfast. It had never entered my head till then that we had eaten nothing that morning—indeed I do not think any of us remembered it; and when Master Noakes refused, I believe the only person who really cared was Mrs. Fortescue. I did not feel hungry at all, only dull and stunned, and almost indifferent. I did not cry now when Mrs. Fortescue kissed me, though Bessie was half choked with her uncontrollable sobs; and for the first time I saw Henrietta's eyes swimming.