"Dolly," said Emma, in a hurried manner, "my dear girl, this is ourlast hope. If we part now, it is only that we may meet again inhappiness and honour. I will trust to this gentleman."
"No no-no!" cried Dolly, clinging to her. "Pray, pray, do not!"
"You hear," said Emma, "that to-night--only to-night--within a fewhours--think of that!--you will be among those who would die of grief to lose you, and who are now plunged in the deepest miseryfor your sake. Pray for me, dear girl, as I will for you; andnever forget the many quiet hours we have passed together. Sayone "God bless you!" Say that at parting!"
But Dolly could say nothing; no, not when Emma kissed her cheek ahundred times, and covered it with tears, could she do more thanhang upon her neck, and sob, and clasp, and hold her tight.
"We have time for no more of this," cried the man, unclenching herhands, and pushing her roughly off, as he drew Emma Haredaletowards the door: "Now! Quick, outside there! are you ready?"
"Ay!" cried a loud voice, which made him start. "Quite ready!
Stand back here, for your lives!"
And in an instant he was felled like an ox in the butcher"sshambles--struck down as though a block of marble had fallen fromthe roof and crushed him--and cheerful light, and beaming facescame pouring in--and Emma was clasped in her uncle"s embrace, andDolly, with a shriek that pierced the air, fell into the arms ofher father and mother.
What fainting there was, what laughing, what crying, what sobbing,what smiling, how much questioning, no answering, all talkingtogether, all beside themselves with joy; what kissing,congratulating, embracing, shaking of hands, and falling into allthese raptures, over and over and over again; no language candescribe.
At length, and after a long time, the old locksmith went up andfairly hugged two strangers, who had stood apart and left them tothemselves; and then they saw--whom? Yes, Edward Chester andJoseph Willet.
"See here!" cried the locksmith. "See here! where would any of ushave been without these two? Oh, Mr Edward, Mr Edward--oh, Joe,Joe, how light, and yet how full, you have made my old heart tonight!"
"It was Mr Edward that knocked him down, sir," said Joe: "I longedto do it, but I gave it up to him. Come, you brave and honestgentleman! Get your senses together, for you haven"t long to liehere."
He had his foot upon the breast of their sham deliverer, in the absence of a spare arm; and gave him a gentle roll as he spoke.
Gashford, for it was no other, crouching yet malignant, raised hisscowling face, like sin subdued, and pleaded to be gently used.
"I have access to all my lord"s papers, Mr Haredale," he said, in asubmissive voice: Mr Haredale keeping his back towards him, and notonce looking round: "there are very important documents among them.
There are a great many in secret drawers, and distributed invarious places, known only to my lord and me. I can give some veryvaluable information, and render important assistance to anyinquiry. You will have to answer it, if I receive ill usage.
"Pah!" cried Joe, in deep disgust. "Get up, man; you"re waitedfor, outside. Get up, do you hear?"
Gashford slowly rose; and picking up his hat, and looking with abaffled malevolence, yet with an air of despicable humility, allround the room, crawled out.
"And now, gentlemen," said Joe, who seemed to be the spokesman ofthe party, for all the rest were silent; "the sooner we get backto the Black Lion, the better, perhaps."
Mr Haredale nodded assent, and drawing his niece"s arm through his,and taking one of her hands between his own, passed outstraightway; followed by the locksmith, Mrs Varden, and Dolly--whowould scarcely have presented a sufficient surface for all the hugsand caresses they bestowed upon her though she had been a dozenDollys. Edward Chester and Joe followed.
And did Dolly never once look behind--not once? Was there not onelittle fleeting glimpse of the dark eyelash, almost resting on herflushed cheek, and of the downcast sparkling eye it shaded? Joethought there was--and he is not likely to have been mistaken; forthere were not many eyes like Dolly"s, that"s the truth.
The outer room through which they had to pass, was full of men;among them, Mr Dennis in safe keeping; and there, had been sinceyesterday, lying in hiding behind a wooden screen which was nowthrown down, Simon Tappertit, the recreant "prentice, burnt andbruised, and with a gun-shot wound in his body; and his legs--hisperfect legs, the pride and glory of his life, the comfort of hisexistence--crushed into shapeless ugliness. Wondering no longer atthe moans they had heard, Dolly kept closer to her father, andshuddered at the sight; but neither bruises, burns, nor gun-shotwound, nor all the torture of his shattered limbs, sent half so keen a pang to Simon"s breast, as Dolly passing out, with Joe forher preserver.
A coach was ready at the door, and Dolly found herself safe andwhole inside, between her father and mother, with Emma Haredale andher uncle, quite real, sitting opposite. But there was no Joe, noEdward; and they had said nothing. They had only bowed once, andkept at a distance. Dear heart! what a long way it was to theBlack Lion!