Although Regulus had vowed that he was the only man of his regiment or of the allied army, almost, who had escaped being cut to pieces by Ney, it appeared that his statement was incorrect, and that a good number more of the supposed victims had survived the massacre.
Many scores of Regulus's comrades had found their way back to Brussels, and all agreeing that they had run away--filled the whole town with an idea of the defeat of the allies.The arrival of the French was expected hourly; the panic continued, and preparations for flight went on everywhere.No horses! thought Jos, in terror.
He made Isidor inquire of scores of persons, whether they had any to lend or sell, and his heart sank within him, at the negative answers returned everywhere.Should he take the journey on foot? Even fear could not render that ponderous body so active.
Almost all the hotels occupied by the English in Brussels face the Parc, and Jos wandered irresolutely about in this quarter, with crowds of other people, oppressed as he was by fear and curiosity.Some families he saw more happy than himself, having discovered a team of horses, and rattling through the streets in retreat; others again there were whose case was like his own, and who could not for any bribes or entreaties procure the necessary means of flight.Amongst these would-be fugitives, Jos remarked the Lady Bareacres and her daughter, who sate in their carriage in the porte-cochere of their hotel, all their imperials packed, and the only drawback to whose flight was the same want of motive power which kept Jos stationary.
Rebecca Crawley occupied apartments in this hotel;and had before this period had sundry hostile meetings with the ladies of the Bareacres family.My Lady Bareacres cut Mrs.Crawley on the stairs when they met by chance; and in all places where the latter's name was mentioned, spoke perseveringly ill of her neighbour.The Countess was shocked at the familiarity of General Tufto with the aide-de-camp's wife.The Lady Blanche avoided her as if she had been an infectious disease.Only the Earl himself kept up a sly occasional acquaintance with her, when out of the jurisdiction of his ladies.
Rebecca had her revenge now upon these insolent enemies.If became known in the hotel that Captain Crawley's horses had been left behind, and when the panic began, Lady Bareacres condescended to send her maid to the Captain's wife with her Ladyship's compliments, and a desire to know the price of Mrs.Crawley's horses.Mrs.Crawley returned a note with her compliments, and an intimation that it was not her custom to transact bargains with ladies' maids.
This curt reply brought the Earl in person to Becky's apartment; but he could get no more success than the first ambassador."Send a lady's maid to ME!" Mrs.
Crawley cried in great anger; "why didn't my Lady Bareacres tell me to go and saddle the horses! Is it her Ladyship that wants to escape, or her Ladyship's femme de chambre?" And this was all the answer that the Earl bore back to his Countess.
What will not necessity do? The Countess herself actually came to wait upon Mrs.Crawley on the failure of her second envoy.She entreated her to name her own price; she even offered to invite Becky to Bareacres House, if the latter would but give her the means of returning to that residence.Mrs.Crawley sneered at her.
"I don't want to be waited on by bailiffs in livery," she said; "you will never get back though most probably--at least not you and your diamonds together.The French will have those They will be here in two hours, and Ishall be half way to Ghent by that time.I would not sell you my horses, no, not for the two largest diamonds that your Ladyship wore at the ball." Lady Bareacres trembled with rage and terror.The diamonds were sewed into her habit, and secreted in my Lord's padding and boots.
"Woman, the diamonds are at the banker's, and I WILLhave the horses," she said.Rebecca laughed in her face.
The infuriate Countess went below, and sate in her carriage; her maid, her courier, and her husband were sent once more through the town, each to look for cattle; and woe betide those who came last! Her Ladyship was resolved on departing the very instant the horses arrived from any quarter--with her husband or without him.
Rebecca had the pleasure of seeing her Ladyship in the horseless carriage, and keeping her eyes fixed upon her, and bewailing, in the loudest tone of voice, the Countess's perplexities."Not to be able to get horses!"she said, "and to have all those diamonds sewed into the carriage cushions! What a prize it will be for the French when they come!--the carriage and the diamonds, I mean;not the lady!" She gave this information to the landlord, to the servants, to the guests, and the innumerable stragglers about the courtyard.Lady Bareacres could have shot her from the carriage window.
It was while enjoying the humiliation of her enemy that Rebecca caught sight of Jos, who made towards her directly he perceived her.
That altered, frightened, fat face, told his secret well enough.He too wanted to fly, and was on the look-out for the means of escape."HE shall buy my horses,"thought Rebecca, "and I'll ride the mare."Jos walked up to his friend, and put the question for the hundredth time during the past hour, "Did she know where horses were to be had?""What, YOU fly?" said Rebecca, with a laugh."Ithought you were the champion of all the ladies, Mr.
Sedley."
"I--I'm not a military man," gasped he.
"And Amelia?--Who is to protect that poor little sister of yours?" asked Rebecca."You surely would not desert her?""What good can I do her, suppose--suppose the enemy arrive?" Jos answered."They'll spare the women; but my man tells me that they have taken an oath to give no quarter to the men--the dastardly cowards.""Horrid!" cried Rebecca, enjoying his perplexity.
"Besides, I don't want to desert her," cried the brother.