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"Do you know Mrs. Darke's?" repeated Sir Amyas. "Aye, do I? Mayhap I know more about the place than you do." There was that about his face that moved Betty and the young man to look at one another, and the former said, "She has had to do with evil doings?" "You may say that, ma'am." "Then," they cried in one breath, "you will help us!"
The boat stopped at a landing-place to a little garden, with a sanded path, between herbs and flowers. "This is Mistress Darke's," said Loveday, and as a little dwarfish lad came to the gate, she said, "We would speak with your mistress." "On your own part? "From the great lady in Hanover Square."
Darke's hoarse and menacing voice echoed the cry; but he did not release the body; with superhuman strength he raised it aloft, and bounded down the steps. As he reached the bottom, a man rushed upon him, and drove his bayonet through his breast. It was withdrawn, streaming with blood.
Darke's hand unconsciously drew the rein, and man and horse both seemed to stagger back before the furious old soldier. "General Davenant!" muttered Darke, turning pale. "Yes, General Davenant! a gentleman, an honest man; not a traitor and a murderer!" "Good God!" muttered Darke, "it is my father, truly and my little brother!
From the black eyes shot a glare of defiance, and advancing upon Mohun, he delivered a blow at him which nearly shattered his opponent's sword. Mohun struck in turn, aiming a furious cut at Darke; but as he did so, he stumbled over the dead orderly, and nearly fell. For the moment he was at Darke's mercy.
Among the numerous men whom Wilkinson had complained of was Harmar, who, he said, was not only addicted to drink, but was also a bad disciplinarian. He condemned the quartermaster also, although less severely than most of the other officers. Darke's letter is worth quoting in full. Its spelling and punctuation are extraordinary; and some of the words can not be deciphered. Letter from Col.
Then, when one day the devil tempted me, I committed a crime and that crime was committed by you! for you cultivated in me the vile habits which led me on to murder!" Darke's eyes were gloomy, and full of a strange fire. As he uttered the last words, he spurred close to his father, tore open his uniform until his bare breast was visible, and added in accents full of vehement and sullen passion:
In another moment he had dashed up stairs, and saying, "Sister, read that!" put into Betty's hand a slip of paper on which was written in pencil "If Sir A. B. would not have his true love kidnapped to the plantations, he had best keep watch on the river gate of Mistress Darke's garden at Greenwich. No time to lose." "Who brought you this?" demanded Betty, as well as she could speak for horror.
He started as if it were a new and sudden thought, and turning to the steersman demanded whether he knew Mrs. Darke's garden. The old man gave a kind of grunt, and eyed the trio interrogatively, the young officer with his fresh, innocent, boyish face and brilliant undisguised uniform, the handsome child, the lady neither young, gay, nor beautiful, but unmistakeably a decorous gentlewoman.
Darke had scarcely re-entered the apartment, when I discerned the hoof-strokes of horses beyond the front gate then the animals were heard leaping the low fence a moment afterward two figures came on at full gallop, threw themselves from the saddle, and rapidly approached the house. The rattle of a sabre which one of them wore attracted Darke's attention.
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