第29章
"Back !" cried the girl."Stand back, old hag, or thou shalt feel the length of thine own blade."The woman hesitated and then fell to cursing and blaspheming in a most horrible manner, at the same time calling for help.
Bertrade backed to the door, commanding the old woman to remain where she was, on pain of death, and quickly dropped the mighty bars into place.
Scarcely had the last great bolt been slipped than Peter of Colfax, with a dozen servants and men-at-arms, were pounding loudly upon the outside.
"What's wrong within, Coll," cried the Baron.
"The wench has wrested my dagger from me and is murdering me," shrieked the old woman.
"An' that I will truly do, Peter of Colfax," spoke Bertrade, "if you do not immediately send for my friends to conduct me from thy castle, for I will not step my foot from this room until I know that mine own people stand without."Peter of Colfax pled and threatened, commanded and coaxed, but all in vain.So passed the afternoon, and as darkness settled upon the castle the Baron desisted from his attempts, intending to starve his prisoner out.
Within the little room, Bertrade de Montfort sat upon a bench guarding her prisoner, from whom she did not dare move her eyes for a single second.
All that long night she sat thus, and when morning dawned, it found her position unchanged, her tired eyes still fixed upon the hag.
Early in the morning, Peter of Colfax resumed his endeavors to persuade her to come out; he even admitted defeat and promised her safe conduct to her father's castle, but Bertrade de Montfort was not one to be fooled by his lying tongue.
"Then will I starve you out," he cried at length.
"Gladly will I starve in preference to falling into thy foul hands,"replied the girl."But thy old servant here will starve first, for she be very old and not so strong as I.Therefore, how will it profit you to kill two and still be robbed of thy prey ?"Peter of Colfax entertained no doubt but that his fair prisoner would carry out her threat and so he set his men to work with cold chisels, axes and saws upon the huge door.
For hours, they labored upon that mighty work of defence, and it was late at night ere they made a little opening large enough to admit a hand and arm, but the first one intruded within the room to raise the bars was drawn quickly back with a howl of pain from its owner.Thus the keen dagger in the girl's hand put an end to all hopes of entering without completely demolishing the door.
To this work, the men without then set themselves diligently while Peter of Colfax renewed his entreaties, through the small opening they had made.
Bertrade replied but once.
"Seest thou this poniard ?" she asked."When that door falls, this point enters my heart.There is nothing beyond that door, with thou, poltroon, to which death in this little chamber would not be preferable."As she spoke, she turned toward the man she was addressing, for the first time during all those weary, hideous hours removing her glance from the old hag.It was enough.Silently, but with the quickness of a tigress the old woman was upon her back, one claw-like paw grasping the wrist which held the dagger.
"Quick, My Lord !" she shrieked, "the bolts, quick."Instantly Peter of Colfax ran his arm through the tiny opening in the door and a second later four of his men rushed to the aid of the old woman.
Easily they wrested the dagger from Bertrade's fingers, and at the Baron's bidding, they dragged her to the great hall below.
As his retainers left the room at his command, Peter of Colfax strode back and forth upon the rushes which strewed the floor.Finally he stopped before the girl standing rigid in the center of the room.
"Hast come to thy senses yet, Bertrade de Montfort ?" he asked angrily."Ihave offered you your choice; to be the honored wife of Peter of Colfax, or, by force, his mistress.The good priest waits without, what be your answer now ?""The same as it has been these past two days," she replied with haughty scorn."The same that it shall always be.I will be neither wife nor mistress to a coward; a hideous, abhorrent pig of a man.I would die, it seems, if I felt the touch of your hand upon me.You do not dare to touch me, you craven.I, the daughter of an earl, the niece of a king, wed to the warty toad, Peter of Colfax !""Hold, chit !" cried the Baron, livid with rage."You have gone too far.
Enough of this; and you love me not now, I shall learn you to love ere the sun rises." And with a vile oath he grasped the girl roughly by the arm, and dragged her toward the little doorway at the side of the room.