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The Scarlet Pimpernel-Part25_Baroness Emmuska Orczy(1865-1947)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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He would help her where she needed help; her coach was ready.

A change of raiment, and a farewell to little Suzanne, and she could



be on her way.

Without haste, but without hesitation, she walked quietly



into the house.

CHAPTER XX THE FRIEND



Less than half an hour later, Marguerite, buried in thoughts,

sat inside her coach, which was bearing her swiftly to London.



She had taken an affectionatefarewell of little Suzanne, and

seen the child safely started with her maid, and in her own coach,



back to town. She had sent one courier with a respectful letter of

excuse to His Royal Highness, begging for a postponement of the august



visit on account of pressing and urgent business, and another on ahead

to bespeak a fresh relay of horses at Faversham.



Then she had changed her muslin frock for a dark traveling

costume and mantle, had provided herself with money--which her



husband's lavishness always placed fully at her disposal--and had

started on her way.



She did not attempt to delude herself with any vain and futile

hopes; the safety of her brother Armand was to have been conditional



on the imminentcapture of the Scarlet Pimpernel. As Chauvelin had

sent her back Armand's compromising letter, there was no doubt that he



was quite satisfied in his own mind that Percy Blakeney was the man

whose death he had sworn to bring about.



No! there was no room for any fond delusions! Percy, the

husband whom she loved with all the ardour which her admiration for



his bravery had kindled, was in immediate, deadly peril, through her

hand. She had betrayed him to his enemy--unwittingly `tis true--but



she HAD betrayed him, and if Chauvelin succeeded in trapping him,

who so far was unaware of his danger, then his death would be at her



door. His death! when with her very heart's blood, she would have

defended him and given willingly her life for his.



She had ordered her coach to drive her to the "Crown" inn;

once there, she told her coachman to give the horses food and rest.



Then she ordered a chair, and had herself carried to the house in Pall

Mall where Sir Andrew Ffoulkes lived.



Among all Percy's friends who were enrolled under his daring

banner, she felt that she would prefer to confide in Sir Andrew



Ffoulkes. He had always been her friend, and now his love for little

Suzanne had brought him closer to her still. Had he been away from



home, gone on the mad errand with Percy, perhaps, then she would have

called on Lord Hastings or Lord Tony--for she wanted the help of one



of these young men, or she would indeed be powerless to save her

husband.



Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, however, was at home, and his servant

introduced her ladyship immediately. She went upstairs to the young



man's comfortable bachelor's chambers, and was shown into a small,

though luxuriously furnished, dining-room. A moment or two later Sir



Andrew himself appeared.

He had evidently been much startled when he heard who his lady



visitor was, for he looked anxiously--even suspiciously--at

Marguerite, whilst performing the elaborate bows before her, which the



rigid etiquette of the time demanded.

Marguerite had laid aside every vestige of nervousness; she



was perfectly calm, and having returned the young man's elaborate

salute, she began very calmly,--



"Sir Andrew, I have no desire to waste valuable time in much

talk. You must take certain things I am going to tell you for



granted. These will be of no importance. What is important is that

your leader and comrade, the Scarlet Pimpernel. . .my husband. . .



Percy Blakeney. . .is in deadly peril."

Had she the remotest doubt of the correctness of her



deductions, she would have had them confirmed now, for Sir Andrew,

completely taken by surprise, had grown very pale, and was quite



incapable of making the slightest attempt at clever parrying.

"No matter how I know this, Sir Andrew," she continued



quietly, "thank God that I do, and that perhaps it is not too late to

save him. Unfortunately, I cannot do this quite alone, and therefore



have come to you for help."

"Lady Blakeney," said the young man, trying to recover himself, "I. . ."






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