University of Virginia Library

27. CHAPTER XXVII.
RALEIGH'S REVOLT.

At this sound Towner half raised himself from
the arm-chair, where he sat, cowering. “Don't
let him in! Don't let anybody in!” he breathed,
in an alarmed whisper.

The knock was repeated urgently. I stepped
to the door and opened it a crack. Raleigh was
without, — the man about town, of noble instincts
and unworthy courses, who has already passed
across these pages.

“Pray, drop in again, Raleigh,” said I; “I
have some people here on business.”

“I must see you now. It may be life and
death.”

“To whom?” I asked, eagerly. He too had
been a friend of Densdeth's. He might have
knowledge of these mysteries.

“To one worth saving.”

I observed him more particularly. All his
usual nonchalance had departed. He was pale
and anxious; but withal, his face expressed his
better self, the nobler man I had always recognized
in him.

“What is it?” said I, stepping out into the
corridor.

“Not here!” said Raleigh in a whisper. And
he pointed to the door of Densdeth's dark room.

“What?” I also whispered, with an irrepressible
dread stealing over me, “Densdeth again!”

“Come in then,” I continued; “we are already
trying and condemning him.”

“Who are these?” said Raleigh, bowing slightly
to Churm, and pointing to Locksley and Towner.
The latter sat with his face covered by his hands.

“Foes of Densdeth, both! Sufferers by him!”

“Mr. Churm,” said Raleigh, “I know you do
not trust me much. But I came here to find
you and Byng. Meeting you saves precious time.
I have wasted hours already, struggling in my
heart to throw off the base empire of Densdeth.
I have done it. I am free of him forever. I
can speak. I have seen your ward, Clara Denman!”

“Speak! speak!” cried Churm, seizing his
arm.

“Alive, and in danger! I was riding home
this morning before dawn, from Bushley, — never
mind on what unworthy errand I had been.
Going down a hill, my horse slipped on the ice,
and fell badly. I was getting him on his legs
again, when a carriage came slowly climbing up
the slope beside me. You know what a night it

was, — stormy, with bursts of moonlight. There
was light enough to give me a view of the people
in the carriage. Two women, one a hag I well
know, the other veiled. Two men, Densdeth
and that black rascal, his servant. I knew them.
They could not recognize me kneeling behind
my horse. `Mischief!' I thought. It was none
of my business, but I got my horse up, and followed.
Do you know Huffmire's Asylum?”

“Locksley!” said Churm, “quick! Run to
my stable, and have the bays put to the double
wagon! Quick, now! Have them here in five
minutes!”

Locksley hurried off.

“Right!” said Raleigh, “you understand me.
Yes, Densdeth had Clara Denman in that carriage.”

“My poor child!” said Churm. “Her innocent
life bears all the burden of others' sins.”

“I rode after the carriage until I saw it stop
at Huffmire's gate. Then I dismounted, let my
horse go, and ran up in the shelter of some cedars
by the road-side. I knew that Huffmire's Insane
Asylum is no better than a private prison for
whoever dares to use it. No one was stirring at
that early hour, and it was some time before the
bell was answered. At last, Huffmire himself
came to the gate. Densdeth got out to parley
with him. While they talked, the veiled lady

managed, by a rapid movement with her tied
hands, to strike aside her veil and look out. I
saw her. I cannot be deceived. It was Clara
Denman!”

“Is Locksley never coming with those horses?”
muttered Churm.

“It was she, strangely dressed, altered, and
pale, but firm and resolute as ever. I had but
a glimpse. The hag and Densdeth's servant
dragged her back. Huffmire undid the gate.
They drove in. I caught my horse and rode
off.”

“Why did you not tear her away from that
villain?” said Churm, fiercely.

“Mr. Churm, hear me through! I said to
myself, `This is none of my business. Clara
Denman, whom the world thought dead, has
come to light, mad, and Densdeth, the friend of
the family, her betrothed, has very naturally
been selected to put her into a madhouse.'”

“But the hour, the place! And Densdeth!”

“Yes; these excited my suspicions. I remembered
the impression that Miss Denman had
committed suicide rather than be forced into a
marriage with Densdeth. Intimate as I have
been with him, I can comprehend how to a
nature like hers he would be a horror.”

“But,” said I, “this seems almost incredible,
this audacious abduction of a young lady.”

“Densdeth knew that she had no friends,” said
Churm, bitterly. “He knew that the manner
and place of her hiding would favor his charge.”

“It is audacious,” said Raleigh, “and so is
Densdeth. Success has made the man overweening.
If it is true that Clara Denman baffled him
for a time, I believe she is the only one, woman
or man, who has done so, when he had fairly
tried to conquer. Who knows but he feels that,
once beaten, his prestige to himself is gone? He
no doubt considers himself safe against Denman,
and supposes, too, that the lady's flight and concealment
have put her out of the pale of society.”

“But what does he intend?” said I, looking at
them both by turns.

“Will Locksley never come?” said Churm,
striding to the window. “Towner has told us
what he intends.”

“Basely, I fear,” replied Raleigh. “At least
to compel her to a hateful marriage, if no worse.
At least to have her where he can insult and
scoff at her, and beat down her resistance. He
means to master her, soul and body, and take
some cruel revenge, such as only a fiend could
devise.”

“Your eyes seem to be opened, Mr. Raleigh,”
said Churm, “to the character of your bosom
friend.”

“They are opened, thank God! It has cost

me a great and bitter struggle, this day, to tear
that man out of my heart, to overcome my pride
and inertia, and come and tell you, Mr. Churm,
that I miserably despise myself; yes, and to say
that I need the help and countenance of men
like you to aid me to be a true man again, — to
abandon Densdeth, and set myself forever against
him and all his kind.”

“Is that your purpose? My poor help you
shall have,” said Churm.

“Yes; I have been all day resisting my impulse
to come and betray the man, — if this is
treachery. But the remembrance of Miss Denman's
pale face, as she looked friendlessly out of
the carriage, has been shaming me all day, commanding
me to break my fealty to sin, and obey
my manly nature, — what there is left of it. I
have obeyed at last.”

“You have done well and honorably, Mr.
Raleigh,” said Churm, grasping his hand.

“Yes,” said I, “Raleigh, I knew it was in
you, and would come out.”

“Thank you, Byng. Thank you, Mr. Churm,”
said he, gravely. “And now to help the lady!
What are you going to do?”

“I am going to drive straight to Huffmire's,
and demand her.”

“Will he give her up without legal proceedings?”

“Probably not. I must take them, in time.
I am convinced that Denman does not know of
this. He still believes his daughter dead. But
he would act with Densdeth. I mean to-day to
let Huffmire know that the lady has friends, who
are not to be trifled with, and that he is held
responsible for her safety. Perhaps I shall set
Byng sentinel over the house, to see that she is
not spirited away again.”

“Are we to be rough or smooth?” said I.
“Do we want arms?”

And I glanced toward the table, where, at
Towner's elbow, lay a long, keen, antique dagger,
out of Stillfleet's collection. Its present
peaceful use was to cut the leaves of novels, or
the paper edges of a cigar-box.

“No arms!” said Churm, following my eye.
“We might meet a wrong-doer, and be tempted
to anticipate the vengeance of God.”

I had forgotten, and did forget, in this excitement,
to ask Towner what use Densdeth made
of his dark room.