‘And you will send me word how she goes on—I shall not retire till I hear she has recovered her composure, and is in a fair way to sleep.’
‘I will send Jessica to you in half an hour. By that time, I hope we shall both have somewhat overcome this terrible shock. I shall stay with her all night, and you had better go and tell Sir Russell so.’
And Mrs Courtney, who had been carrying on this colloquy just inside the bedroom door, opened it, and gently pushing her husband into the passage, reclosed and locked it, with a sigh of relief.
‘Thank Heaven!’ she said to old Jessica, ‘we are safe! I trembled for what she might say next.’
‘Allays dat cussed oberseer,’ observed the old negress, who stood by Quita’s head.
The girl herself was still sitting up on the couch when her mother returned to her, staring into vacancy, and repeating the word ‘Henri’ in a low voice.
‘Maraquita!’ said Mrs Courtney firmly, as she shook the girl to rouse her to a sense of her position, ‘who are you talking to? There is no one here! You are quite alone with Jessica and me. You are perfectly safe. All the danger is over, and Government House is guarded by the soldiery on every side. Come to bed now, like a good child, and try to sleep.’
‘But he—where is he?’ asked Maraquita wildly. ‘Did they fire on him? Is he hurt?’
‘Sir Russell, my darling? Well, nothing to signify! The brutes slashed at him with their knives, and caught him on the wrist, but the doctor says it will be all right again in a few days, and he will come and see you by-and-by, dear.’
‘Not him! I don’t want him!’ returned Maraquita fretfully, ‘but Henri—where is my Henri? He jumped out of the window, and Sir Russell ordered them to kill him. Oh, tell me, in Heaven’s name, is he dead?’