“Ha!” exclaimed the Comte, “you sigh! You pity me, and pity is—Well, well. What more can I expect at present? I have been rash. I have alarmed you, I fear; but henceforth I will be calm,” and he got up and gave himself a violent slap on the forehead to prove his intention.
“Ah!” thought Jaqueline, “you may knock, but there’s nobody at home, I guess. Bless my heart! what a pity, so handsome as you are!”
“I will believe that by time and opportunity, and the most devoted attentions, I may at length hope to excite an interest in your heart?” said the Comte inquiringly, and again taking her hand.
“The best way is to humour him, I suppose,” thought Jaqueline, as she replied, “Very likely you may, for I can’t say but I’m sorry for you. Howsomever, you must mind and behave yourself.”
This encouragement exhilarated the Comte so powerfully, that, after uttering sundry brief rhapsodies, his lips approached so near her sunburnt cheeks, that he seemed on the point of forgetting her injunctions concerning his behaviour, when she called him to order by the ejaculation of “Paws off!” on hearing which he bowed low, and retired to give certain instructions to his followers. These were executed with wonderful rapidity; for Jaqueline had barely time to tuck up and adjust her clothes for running, or, as she called it, “make a bolt,” when she found herself surrounded by the horsemen, one of whom, the ugliest of the lot, was mounted before a pillion, upon which the Comte begged he might have the honour of placing her. To this, after some demur, she submitted, because escape on foot now seemed impossible; but no sooner had she taken her seat, than she whispered in the ear of the man before her, “Your master’s mad, that’s clear. So contrive, if you can, to let us get away from him; and if you take me safe to the Cock and Bottle, I’ll not stand upon trifles, but make it worth your while. What d’ye say?”
“What do I say?” replied the man, in the same low tone, and looking round with a most hideous leer. “I say that I wouldn’t mind going all over the world for you, without fee or reward, except, perhaps”—(and he smacked his thick wide lips too significantly)—“for I’m blessed if you ain’t just about the nicest girl I ever clapped my eyes on.” And again he leered so frightfully, that Jaqueline would have jumped down had she not been strapped to the pillion.
“The holy Virgin protect me,” she murmured; “what sort of folks have I got among?” and she looked round timidly, but could discern no cause for alarm, unless it were that the eyes of all the party seemed fixed upon her, and every countenance was expressive of deep admiration. This was certainly a sort of homage to which she had been unused, and probably, on that account, acted more strongly on her feelings; for she immediately decided that such handsome, agreeable faces could belong only to men utterly devoid of evil intentions. Having thus made up her mind, she rather enjoyed the first part of her ride, as they bounded along merrily across the country, and the Comte rode by her side, ever and anon making observations and complimentary speeches, to which she usually replied by hoping that they were in the right road to the Cock and Bottle.
“Soyez tranquille!” was his invariable answer to that question; and so they held on their way, till they arrived at a large house, into the courtyard of which he led the cavalcade, and then, dismounting from his horse, he informed her that she was at her journey’s end, and assisted her to alight at the principal entrance, which seemed to her more fit for a palace than an inn.
“You will please to take every care of this young lady, for my sake, my good Madame Rigaud,” said the Comte to an elderly female, who stood, with several livery servants, in the hall.
“This way, Mademoiselle,” said the said housekeeper, with a curtsy, and she led Jaqueline through divers passages and elegant apartments, at which she marvelled exceedingly, although she had heard strange stories of the magnificence of certain large hotels in Paris and elsewhere. But the splendour of the chamber into which she was at last ushered was quite overpowering, and she stood gazing at the profusion of rich velvet and silk surrounding her, till roused by Madame Rigaud’s request to be favoured with her commands.