Page 239 - A Jacobite Exile

"I must apologize for keeping you waiting, countess," Charlie said as he ran
up. "I had to explain to my friends, in a few words, how this had all come

about."

"We are also longing to know," the count said. "But I have not yet
introduced you to my wife, nor have I learned the name of the gentleman to
whom I owe so much."

"Ah, sir," the young countess said, holding out her hand after Charlie had

given his name, "what do we not owe you? I shall never forget it all,
never."

"We will talk when we have started, Feodora. Let us get out of this forest as
soon as we can."

He took his place beside his wife, and set the child on his knees; his brother
and Charlie sitting opposite to him. The servants spread a bearskin rug over

their knees, and then jumped into their places, as the driver cracked his
whip, and the horses started.

"You must think us almost mad to be driving through the forest, at this time
of the year," the count said to Charlie. "But the countess is a Russian. We

have been staying two months at her father's place, a hundred miles to the
east. My two youngest children are at home, and two days since a message

arrived, saying that one of them was dangerously ill. We had heard, of
course, many tales of the numbers and fierceness of the wolves, but we
hoped that, by travelling only by day and with excellent horses, there was

not much to fear, especially as we were five armed men.

"We fell in with a few wolves yesterday, but beat them off easily enough.
Last night, we stopped at a little village in the forest. They certainly made
me feel uneasy there, with their tales about the wolves, but there was no

help for it. We started as soon as day broke, and had driven some fifteen
miles, before we came up to you. We had not gone five when the wolves

began to show themselves.