The Buccaneer - A Tale

"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.