Juliet was mute; but Harleigh saw that she was sinking, and bent towards her to save her fall; what, then, was his astonishment, to perceive that it was voluntary! and that she cast herself at the feet of her assailant! Thunderstruck, he held back. The man, with an expression of diabolical delight at this posture, cast his eyes now upon her, now upon her appalled defendant; and then, in French, gave orders to the pilot, to see four fresh horses put to the chaise: and, in a tone of somewhat abated rage, bid Juliet arise, and accompany him down stairs. 'Ah, no!—ah, spare—ah, leave me yet!—' in broken accents, and in French, cried the still prostrate Juliet. The man, who was large made, tall, and strong, seized, then, both her arms, with a motion that indicated his intention to drag her along. A piercing shriek forced its way from her at his touch: but she arose, and made no appeal, no remonstrance. 'Si tu peus le conduire toute seule,' said the man, sneeringly, 'soit! Mais vas en avant! Je ne le perdrai plus de vu.'[5] Juliet again hid her face, but stood still. The man roughly gave her a push; seeming to enjoy, with a coarse laugh, the pleasure of driving her on before him. Harleigh, who saw that her face was convulsed with horrour, fiercely planted himself in the midst of the passage, vehemently exclaiming, 'Infernal monster! by what right do you act?' 'De quel droit me le demandez vous?'[6] cried the man; who appeared perfectly to understand English. 'By the rights of humanity!' replied Harleigh; 'and you shall answer me by the rights of justice! One claim alone can annul my interference. Are you her father?' 'Non!' he answered, with a laugh of scorn; 'mais il y a d'autres droits!'[7] 'There are none!' cried Harleigh, 'to which you can pretend; none!' 'Comment cela? n'est-ce pas ma femme? Ne suis-je pas son mari?'[8] 'No!' cried Harleigh, 'no!' with the fury of a man seized with sudden[Pg 699] delirium; 'I deny it!—'tis false! and neither you nor all the fiends of hell shall make me believe it!'
Prev.
Back
Top