The Midnight Queen - Page 50/177

"Madame, you are too grateful; and I don't know as we have done anything

much to deserve it."

"You have saved my life; and though you may think that a valueless

trifle, not worth speaking of, I assure you I view it in a very

different light," she said, with a half smile.

"Lady, your life is invaluable; but as to our saving it, why, you would

not have us throw you alive into the plague-pit, would you?"

"It would have been rather barbarous, I confess, but there are few who

would risk infection for the sake of a mere stranger. Instead of doing

as you did, you might have sent me to the pest-house, you know."

"Oh, as to that, all your gratitude is due to Sir Norman. He managed the

whole affair, and what is more, fell--but I will leave that for himself

to disclose. Meantime, may I ask the name of the lady I have been so

fortunate as to serve!"

"Undoubtedly, sir--my name is Leoline."

"Leoline is only half a name."

"Then I am so unfortunate an only to possess half a name, for I never

had any other."

Ormiston opened his eyes very wide indeed.

"No other! you must have had a father some time in your life; most

people have," said the young gentleman, reflectively.

She shook her head a little sadly.

"I never had, that I know of, either father or mother, or any one but

Prudence. And by the way," she said, half starting up, "the first thing

to be done is, to see about this same Prudence. She must be somewhere in

the house."

"Prudence is nowhere in the house," said Ormiston, quietly; "and will

not be, she says, far a month to come. She is afraid of the plague."

"Is she?" said Leoline, fixing her eyes on him with a powerful glance.

"How do you know that?"

"I heard her say so not half an hour ago, to a lady a few doors distant.

Perhaps you know her--La Masque."

"That singular being! I don't know her; but I have seen her often. Why

was Prudence talking of me to her, I wonder?"

"That I do not know; but talking of you the was, and she said she

was coming back here no more. Perhaps you will be afraid to stay here

alone?"

"Oh no, I am used to being alone," she said, with a little sigh, "but

where"--hesitating and blushing vividly, "where is--I mean, I should

like to thank sir Norman Kingsley."

Ormiston saw the blush and the eyes that dropped, and it puzzled him

again beyond measure.

"Do you know Sir Norman Kingsley?" he suspiciously asked.

"By sight I know many of the nobles of the court," she answered

evasively, and without looking up: "they pass here often, and Prudence

knows them all; and so I have learned to distinguish them by name and

sight, your friend among the rest."