When she was placed in safety at the lodge, it was Fitzosborne's
intention to have prevailed upon his sisters to visit, and take her under
their protection; but he found them absent from Diggswell, having gone to
attend an aged relation who lay dangerously ill in a distant county. They
did not return until the day before the May-games; and the other events
followed too rapidly to permit Fitzosborne to lay any plan for
introducing them to Lady Emma Darcy. On the day of the chase he resolved
to preserve his romantic disguise and attend the Lady Emma as a forester,
partly to have the pleasure of being near her, and partly to judge
whether, according to an idle report in the country, she favoured his
friend and comrade Fitzallen of Marden. This last motive, it may easily
be believed, he did not declare to the company. After the skirmish with
the ruffians, he waited till the baron and the hunters arrived, and then,
still doubting the further designs of Gaston, hastened to his castle to
arm the band which had escorted them to Queen-Hoo Hall.
Fitzosborne's story being finished, he received the thanks of all the
company, particularly of St.
Pages:
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92