“Papa!” she began, breathlessly. “There! I heard it again!”
“Heard it? What?” cried the Baron, his eyes starting.
“It waked me up-stairs, and I ran to get you in your room, and you——”
“It—it? What’s it? What waked you?” broke in Sir Godfrey, his voice rising to a shriek.
“There it is again!” exclaimed Elaine, clasping her hands. “He’s coming! I hear him. The Dragon! Oh!”
With this, she pretended to rush for the passage, where the squeaks of Mistletoe could be heard already growing distant in the house. Away bolted Sir Godfrey after her, shouting to Elaine in terror undisguised, “Lock your door! Lock your door!” as he fled up-stairs.
So there stood Miss Elaine alone, with the coast clear, and no danger from these two courageous guardians. Then came a knock from outside, and her heart bounded as she ran through the cellar and undid the door.
“You darling!” said Geoffrey, jumping in with legs all covered with snow. He left the door open wide, and had taken four or five kisses at the least before she could stop him. “The moon was out for a while,” he continued, “and the snow stopped. So I came a long way round-about, that my tracks should not be seen. That’s good strategy.”
But this strange young lady said no word, and looked at him as if she were going to cry.
“Why, what’s the matter, dear?” he asked.
“Oh, Geoffrey! I have been deceiving papa so.”
“Pooh! It’s not to be thought of.”
“But I can’t help thinking. I never supposed I could do so. And it comes so terribly easy. And I’m not a bit clever when I’m good. And—oh!” She covered her face and turned away from him.
“Stuff and nonsense!” Geoffrey broke out. “Do be reasonable. Here is a dragon. Isn’t there?”
“Yes.”
“And everybody wants to get rid of him?”
“Yes.”
“And he’s robbing your father?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re acting for your father’s good?”
“Y—yes.”
“Then——”
“Now, Geoffrey, all your talking doesn’t hide the badness in the least bit.”
She was silent again; then suddenly seemed greatly relieved. “I don’t care,” she declared. “Papa locked me up for a whole week, when all I wanted was to help him and everybody get rid of the Dragon. And I am too old to be treated so. And now I am just going to pretend there’s a dragon when there’s not. Oh, what’s that?”
This time it was no sham. Faint and far from the direction of Oyster-le-Main came the roar of the Dragon of Wantley over fields and farms.
UN instantly into the house,” said Geoffrey to Elaine, and he dragged out his sword.
But she stared at him, and nothing further.
“Or no. Stay here and see me kill him,” the boy added, pridefully.
“Kill him!” said she, in amazement. “Do you suppose that papa, with all his experience, couldn’t tell it was an imitation dragon? And you talk of strategy! I have thought much about to-night,—and, Geoffrey, you must do just the thing that I bid you, and nothing else. Promise.”
“I think we’ll hear first what your wisdom is,” said he, shaking his head like the sage youth that he was.
“Promise!” she repeated, “else I go away at once, and leave you. Now! One—two—thrrr——”
“I promise!” he shouted.
“’Sh! Papa’s window is just round the tower. Now, sir, you must go over yonder within those trees.”
“Where?”
“There where the snow has dipped the branches low down. And leave me alone in the cellar with the Dragon.”
“With the Dragon? Alone? I did not know you counted me a lunatic,” replied Geoffrey. Then, after a look over the fields where the storm was swirling, he gave attention to the point of his sword.
“Where’s your promise?” said she. “Will you break your word so soon?”
A big gust of wind flung the snow sharp against their faces.
“Did you expect——” began the young knight, and then said some words that I suppose gentlemen in those old times were more prone to use before ladies than they are to-day. Which shows the optimists are right.
Then, still distant, but not so distant, came another roar.
“Geoffrey!” Elaine said, laying a hand upon his arm; “indeed, you must hear me now, and make no delay with contrary notions. There is no danger for me. Look. He will first be by himself to clear the way of watchers. No one peeps out of windows when the Dragon’s howling. Next, the rest will come and all go into papa’s cellar for the wine. But we must get these others away, and that’s for you.” She paused.
“Well? Well?” he said.
“It will go thus: the passage shall hide me, and the door of it be shut. You’ll watch over by the trees, and when you see all have come inside here, make some sort of noise at the edge of the wood.”
“What sort of noise?”
“Oh,—not as if you suspected. Seem to be passing by. Play you are a villager going home late. When they hear that, they’ll run away for fear of their secret. The Dragon will surely stay behind.”
“Why will he stay behind? Why will they run away?”
“Dear Geoffrey, don’t you see that if these men were to be seen in company with the Dragon by one who till now knew them as monks, where would their living be gone to? Of course, they will get themselves out of sight, and the Dragon will remain as a sort of human scarecrow. Then I’ll come out from the passage-door.”
“One would almost think you desired that villain to kill you,” said Geoffrey. “No, indeed. I’ll not consent to that part.”
“How shall he kill me here?” Elaine replied. “Do you not see the Dragon of Wantley would have to carry a maiden away? He would not dare to put me to the sword. When I come, I shall speak three words to him. Before there is time for him to think what to do, you will hear me say (for you must have now run up from the wood) ‘the legend has come true!’ Then, when I tell him that, do you walk in ready with your sword to keep him polite. Oh, indeed,” said the lady, with her eyes sparkling on Geoffrey, “we must keep his manners good for him. For I think he’s one of those persons who might turn out very rude in a trying situation.”
All this was far from pleasing to young Geoffrey. But Elaine showed him how no other way was to be found by which Sir Francis could be trapped red-handed and distant from help. While the knight was bending his brows down with trying to set his thoughts into some order that should work out a better device, a glare shone over the next hill against the falling flakes.
“Quick!” said Elaine.
She withdrew into the cellar on the instant, and the great door closed between them. Geoffrey stood looking at it very anxiously, and then walked backwards, keeping close to the walls, and so round the tower and into the court, whence he turned and ploughed as fast as he could through the deep drifts till he was inside the trees. “If they spy my steps,” he thought, “it will seem as though some one of the house had gone in