As he reached the first floor, he heard the sound of swift ascending steps, and the next moment was face to face with Forgue. The youth started back, and for a moment stood staring. His enemy had found him! But rage restored to him his self-possession.
"Put her down, you scoundrel!" he said.
"She can't stand," Donal answered.
"You've killed her, you damned spy!"
"Then I have been more kind than you!"
"What are you going to do with her?"
"Take her home to her dying grandfather."
"You've hurt her, you devil! I know you have!"
"She is only frightened. She is coming to herself. I feel her waking!"
"You shall feel me presently!" cried Forgue. "Put her down, I say."
Neither of them spoke loud, for dread of neighbours.
Eppy began to writhe in Donal's arms. Forgue laid hold of her, and Donal was compelled to put her down. She threw herself into the arms of her lover, and was on the point of fainting again.
"Get out of the house!" said Forgue to Donal.
"I am here on your father's business!" returned Donal.
"A spy and informer!"
"He sent me to fetch him some papers."
"It is a lie!" said Forgue; "I see it in your face!"
"So long as I speak the truth," rejoined Donal, "it matters little that you should think me a liar. But, my lord, you must allow me to take Eppy home."
"A likely thing!" answered Forgue, drawing Eppy closer, and looking at him with contempt.
"Give up the girl," said Donal sternly, "or I will raise the town, and have a crowd about the house in three minutes."
"You are the devil!" cried Forgue. "There! take her--with the consequences! If you had let us alone, I would have done my part.--Leave us now, and I'll promise to marry her. If you don't, you will have the blame of what may happen--not I."
"But you will, dearest?" said Eppy in a tone terrified and beseeching.
Gladly she would have had Donal hear him say he would.
Forgue pushed her from him. She burst into tears. He took her in his arms again, and soothed her like a child, assuring her he meant nothing by what he had said.
"You are my own!" he went on; "you know you are, whatever our enemies may drive us to! Nothing can part us. Go with him, my darling, for the present. The time will come when we shall laugh at them all. If it were not for your sake, and the scandal of the thing, I would send the rascal to the bottom of the stair. But it is better to be patient."
Sobbing bitterly, Eppy went with Donal. Forgue stood shaking with impotent rage.
When they reached the street, Donal turned to lock the door. Eppy darted from him, and ran down the close, thinking to go in again by the side door. But it was locked, and Donal was with her in a moment.
"You go home alone, Eppy," he said; "it will be just as well I should not go with you. I must see lord Forgue out of the house."
"Eh, ye winna hurt him!" pleaded Eppy.
"Not if I can help it. I don't want to hurt him. You go home. It will be better for him as well as you."
She went slowly away, weeping, but trying to keep what show of calm she could. Donal waited a minute or two, went back to the front door, entered, and hastening to the side door took the key from the lock. Then returning to the hall, he cried from the bottom of the stair, "My lord, I have both the keys; the side door is locked; I am about to lock the front door, and I do not want to shut you in. Pray, come down."
Forgue came leaping down the stair, and threw himself upon Donal in a fierce attempt after the key in his hand. The sudden assault staggered him, and he fell on the floor with Forgue above him, who sought to wrest the key from him. But Donal was much the stronger; he threw his assailant off him; and for a moment was tempted to give him a good thrashing. From this the thought of Eppy helped to restrain him, and he contented himself with holding him down till he yielded. When at last he lay quiet, "Will you promise to walk out if I let you up?" said Donal. "If you will not, I will drag you into the street by the legs."
"I will," said Forgue; and getting up, he walked out and away without a word.
Donal locked the door, forgetting all about the papers, and went back to Andrew's. There was Eppy, safe for the moment! She was busy in the outer room, and kept her back to him. With a word or two to the grandmother, he left them, and went home, revolving all the way what he ought to do. Should he tell the earl, or should he not? Had he been a man of rectitude, he would not have hesitated a moment; but knowing he did not care what became of Eppy, so long as his son did not marry her, he felt under no obligation to carry him the evil report. The father might have a right to know, but had he a right to know from him?
A noble nature finds it almost impossible to deal with questions on other than the highest grounds: where those grounds are unrecognized, the relations of responsibility may be difficult indeed to determine. All Donal was able to conclude on his way home, and he did not hurry, was, that, if he were asked any questions, he would speak out what he knew--be absolutely open. If that should put a weapon in the hand of the enemy, a weapon was not the victory.
