Involuntarily L'Estrange stepped back; he knew Ellen's character too well to suppose it was only a threat; he knew that the moment he touched her she would fall a lifeless corpse; he loved her; however base his passion had grown he still loved that girl too much to tempt such a catastrophe; for a moment he stood in suspense, and then said—
"I must, then, call others who have less mercy in them than I have. I own I am yet too young in crime; once more,—will you yield to fair measures?"
"Never!"
"Then, by G—!—for you would drive the veriest Job out of patience—you shall to foul!"
With these words he struck the ground with his foot heavily. The stamp seemed as if it struck Ellen's heart; she saw all her hopes fade in that sound; she had rightly judged L'Estrange would not proceed to violence; and the longer she could temporize with him, the better chance of her life being saved, and succour coming; but she knew the Captain would at once compel her to proceed to her last bitter resource,—death! She was fully determined she would die, if matters came to extremity; and now, in a few more minutes, those desperate men would drive her to it. Oh! it was cruel! Perhaps, even now, her lover was nigh, and friends and rescue near! And then she thought, perhaps he had told her true, and she was no longer an object of solicitude. She prayed in an agony; she listened every moment to hear his footsteps approach. L'Estrange, too, listened in suspense. What! had they played him false? He stamped again.
"You escape not thus, maiden; if no one will come, thank God, I can overcome you without their aid!"
Like a tiger he sprung on the despairing girl; she struck wildly for her heart, uttering a shriek as she did so,—the first that was wrung from her bosom by her awful situation. The blow never reached: caught by the quick arm of L'Estrange, he had seized the dagger, and flung it to the other end of the room; at the same moment a loud shock almost shattered the door. He sprang back as if a viper had bitten him.
"They are come, thank God! Oh, He never failed me yet!"
"Who?" asked L'Estrange, in a hollow voice.
Again the crash came; once more the door stood the shock! An interval of awful silence reigned; he heard confused sounds, among which he distinguished the Earl's voice, and then he heard the Captain cry—