"Ah! with Hugh Dalton," said Sir Willmott, thrown off his guard at what
he conceived the Skipper's utter faithlessness; then muttering, "I
thought----"
"No matter what. Methinks this confirms the document you denied,"
observed the Protector, whose rage had somewhat subsided. "No, not with
Hugh Dalton, as you imagine, Sir Willmott, but with a man of the name of
Jeromio, an Italian. The description answers in every respect--the dark
eye, the black hair, the sallow aspect--all."
"Indeed!" said Colonel Jones, who had been present during the
examination, leaning against one of the window-frames, and taking much
note of all that passed. "Indeed! then doth the Lord work marvellously,
and wonderful is his name! for it was to all appearance a foreign woman,
or rather fiend--one with a pale cheek and jetty locks, who interrupted
the bridal at Cecil Place, and slew the fair young maid that waited on
Mistress Cecil!"
"Why told ye not this before?" inquired Cromwell hastily, while the
Rabbi advanced towards the soldier with great eagerness as the Protector
spoke. But there was another whose blood ran icy cold as the words of
Colonel Jones were uttered. He stood for a moment as if suddenly smitten
with some cruel malady, the next touch of which would be death; then he
pushed boldly past Sir Willmott, and grasping the soldier's arm, said
in a broken husky voice, "In God's name, who was slain?"
"A modest-looking maid, whom they called Barbara,--yes, Barbara was the
name."
Robin spoke not again, nor did he move from the Colonel's side, though
his hand relaxed its grasp: he stood and looked like a creature to whom
the grave had refused rest--a being whose breath and blood were frozen
and congealed, at the moment when life and its energies were most
needed; strong passion, powerful feeling were upon his countenance, and
remained there as if the spell of some magician had converted him to
stone. The effect which this scene produced upon the Protector was
evidence that he had a heart where the milk of human kindness flowed,
and must once have flowed abundantly, however circumstances might have
chilled its generous source. Deeply anxious as he was as to the result
of the investigation, running full tilt at the difficulty he
encountered, having the means of overwhelming the Master of Burrell
within his reach, he suffered the Jew to continue a series of questions
to Colonel Jones, while he spoke to Robin--soothing and caressing him as
a father would have soothed and caressed an afflicted child. But this
unbending of his sterner nature was lost upon the unhappy Ranger; he
could not have replied if he would; all his faculties were suspended,
and he remained in silence and without motion, unconscious of the
Protector's condescending kindness.