so that the fine, sober picture of a carriage and escort, that we had presented but a moment back, was transformed in the twinkling of an eye into the image of a noisy fox-chase.The two postillions and my own saucy rogue were, of course, disinterested actors in the comedy; they rode for the mere sport, keeping in a body, their mouths full of laughter, waving their hats as they came on, and crying (as the fancy struck them) Tally-ho!' 'Stop, thief!' 'Ahighwayman! A highwayman!' It was otherguess work with Bellamy.
That gentleman no sooner observed our change of direction than he turned his horse with so much violence that the poor animal was almost cast upon its side, and launched her in immediate and desperate pursuit.As he approached I saw that his face was deadly white and that he carried a drawn pistol in his hand.I turned at once to the poor little bride that was to have been, and now was not to be; she, upon her side, deserting the other window, turned as if to meet me.
'O, O, don't let him kill me!' she screamed.
'Never fear,' I replied.
Her face was distorted with terror.Her hands took hold upon me with the instinctive clutch of an infant.The chaise gave a flying lurch, which took the feet from under me and tumbled us anyhow upon the seat.And almost in the same moment the head of Bellamy appeared in the window which Missy had left free for him.
Conceive the situation! The little lady and I were falling - or had just fallen - backward on the seat, and offered to the eye a somewhat ambiguous picture.The chaise was speeding at a furious pace, and with the most violent leaps and lurches, along the highway.Into this bounding receptacle Bellamy interjected his head, his pistol arm, and his pistol; and since his own horse was travelling still faster than the chaise, he must withdraw all of them again in the inside of the fraction of a minute.He did so, but he left the charge of the pistol behind him - whether by design or accident I shall never know, and I dare say he has forgotten!
Probably he had only meant to threaten, in hopes of causing us to arrest our flight.In the same moment came the explosion and a pitiful cry from Missy; and my gentleman, making certain he had struck her, went down the road pursued by the furies, turned at the first corner, took a flying leap over the thorn hedge, and disappeared across country in the least possible time.
Rowley was ready and eager to pursue; but I withheld him, thinking we were excellently quit of Mr.Bellamy, at no more cost than a scratch on the forearm and a bullet-hole in the left-hand claret-
coloured panel.And accordingly, but now at a more decent pace, we proceeded on our way to Archdeacon Clitheroe's, Missy's gratitude and admiration were aroused to a high pitch by this dramatic scene, and what she was pleased to call my wound.She must dress it for me with her handkerchief, a service which she rendered me even with tears.I could well have spared them, not loving on the whole to be made ridiculous, and the injury being in the nature of a cat's scratch.Indeed, I would have suggested for her kind care rather the cure of my coat-sleeve, which had suffered worse in the encounter; but I was too wise to risk the anti-climax.That she had been rescued by a hero, that the hero should have been wounded in the affray, and his wound bandaged with her handkerchief (which it could not even bloody), ministered incredibly to the recovery of her self-respect; and I could hear her relate the incident to 'the young ladies, my school-companions,' in the most approved manner of Mrs.Radcliffe! To have insisted on the torn coat-sleeve would have been unmannerly, if not inhuman.
Presently the residence of the archdeacon began to heave in sight.
A chaise and four smoking horses stood by the steps, and made way for us on our approach; and even as we alighted there appeared from the interior of the house a tall ecclesiastic, and beside him a little, headstrong, ruddy man, in a towering passion, and brandishing over his head a roll of paper.At sight of him Miss Dorothy flung herself on her knees with the most moving adjurations, calling him father, assuring him she was wholly cured and entirely repentant of her disobedience, and entreating forgiveness; and I soon saw that she need fear no great severity from Mr.Greensleeves, who showed himself extraordinarily fond, loud, greedy of caresses and prodigal of tears.