One word-yes or no! and it means
Death or life! Speak, are you his wife?
--Anon.
Heedless as the mad, of night, of storm, and danger, Nora hurried
desperately on. She was blinded by the darkness and smothered by the
thickly-falling snow, and torn by the thorns and briars of the
brushwood; but not for these impediments would the frantic girl abate
her speed. She slipped often, hurt herself sometimes, and once she fell
and rolled down the steep hill-side until stopped by a clump of cedars.
But she scrambled up, wet, wounded, and bleeding, and tore on, through
the depths of the valley and up the opposite heights. Panting,
breathless, dying almost, she reached Brudenell Hall.
The house was closely shut up to exclude the storm, and outside the
strongly barred window-shutters there was a barricade of drifted snow.
The roofs were all deeply covered with snow, and it was only by its
faint white glare in the darkness that Nora found her way to the house.
Her feet sank half a leg deep in the drifts as she toiled on towards the
servants' door. All was darkness there! if there was any light, it was
too closely shut in to gleam abroad.
For a moment Nora leaned against the wall to recover a little strength,
and then she knocked. But she had to repeat the summons again and again
before the door was opened. Then old Jovial appeared--his mouth and eyes
wide open with astonishment at seeing the visitor.
"Name o' de law, Miss Nora, dis you? What de matter? Is you clean tuk
leave of your senses to be a-comin' up here, dis hour of de night in
snowstorm?" he cried.
"Let me in, Jovial! Is Mr. Herman Brudenell at home?" gasped Nora, as
without waiting for an answer she pushed past him and sunk into the
nearest chair.
"Marser Bredinell home? No, miss! Nor likewise been home since late last
night. He went away' mediately arter interdoocing de young madam to de
ole one; which she tumbled in upon us with a whole raft of waiting
maids, and men, and dogs, and birds, and gold fishes, and debil knows
what all besides, long arter midnight last night--and so he hasn't been
hearn on since, and de fambly is in de greatest 'stress and anxiety.
Particular she, poor thing, as comed so far to see him! And we no more
s'picioning as he had a wife, nor anything at all, 'til she tumbled
right in on top of us! Law, Miss Nora, somefin werry particular must
have fetch you out in de snow to-night, and 'deed you do look like you
had heard bad news! Has you hearn anything 'bout him, honey?"