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Sibylla stood at the window, and Lionel bent forward, nodded his adieu, and raised his hat. The footman ascended to his place, and the carriage went on. All in silence for some minutes. A silence which Lady Verner suddenly broke. "What have you been doing to your cheeks, Lucy? You look as if you had caught a fever." Lucy laughed. "Do I, Lady Verner?
And here the pair were somewhat startlingly reminded that there is no Eden without its serpent, for as Sibylla stooped over a shrub loaded with magnificent white azalea-like blooms, one or two of which she desired for the completion of her bouquet, a sharp hissing sound was heard, and she started back with a cry, just in time to avoid a vicious stroke from a small heart-shaped head which suddenly upreared itself from among the leaves of the plant.
The King and the grand master of the Templars were taken prisoners; the holy relic which had spurred them on to desperate exertion fell into the hands of the infidels. The victory of Saladin was rich in its fruits. Tiberias was taken. Berytos, Acre, Cæsarea, Jaffa opened their gates; Tyre alone was saved by the heroism of Conrad of Montferrat, brother of the first husband of Queen Sibylla.
What other guest would be likely to enter in that unceremonious fashion? Strictly speaking, Jan was not a guest at any rate, not an invited one. "I had got a minute to spare this evening, so thought I'd come up and have a look at you," proclaimed unfashionable Jan to the room, but principally addressing Lionel and Sibylla.
That he had not been unmindful of possible dangers was evidenced by the fact that that he had recommended Sibylla to take with her both her revolvers and a goodly supply of ammunition, whilst, as for himself, he was a perfect walking battery, a pair of revolvers and a small hatchet being stuck into his ammunition belt, whilst a ship's carbine reposed peacefully in the bows on the coiled-up painter of the boat.
"I say, what made you go and marry Sibylla?" Lionel lifted his eyes. But John Massingbird resumed, before he had time to speak. "She's not worth a button. Now you need not fly out, old chap. I am not passing my opinion on your wife; wouldn't presume to do such a thing; but on my cousin. Surely I may find fault with my cousin, if I like! Why did you marry her?"
You have borne with me bravely, Lucy. God bless you, my dear child." She neither went away, nor drew her hand away. She stood there as he had phrased it patiently, until he should release it. He soon did so, with a weary movement: all he did was wearisome to him then, save the thinking and talking of the theme which ought to have been a barred one Sibylla.
It is not a pleasing thing to tell a lady that she must quit your house, in which, like a stray lamb, she has taken refuge. Even though it be, for her own fair sake, expedient that she should go. "I am here alone," said Lionel, after a pause. "Your temporary home had better be with your sisters." "No, that it never shall," returned Sibylla, in a hasty tone of fear.
"May I ask whence you derived your information, Jan?" returned Lionel, who was marvelling where Jan could have heard this. "At Deerham Court. I have been calling in, as I passed it, to see Miss Lucy. The mother is going wild, I think. Lionel, if it is as she says, that Sibylla drew you into it against your will, don't you carry it out. I'd not. Nobody should hook me into anything."
If Fred thought he was taking out a wife who would make shift, and put up pleasantly with annoyances, he was mistaken. Sibylla in Canvas Town! Poor girl! I wonder she married him. Don't you?" "Rather so," answered Lionel, his scarlet blush deepening. "I do; especially to go to that place.
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