She had seen Garrick in the part, and had been thrilled by his awful delivery of the words. Even now, in spite of her terror, she did not fail to be struck with the marvellous accuracy of Garrick's art. She was now face to face with the real thing--with the man in the clutch of an overwhelming passion; and yet she was not more terrified than she had been when Garrick's voice had become hoarse while uttering those words of murder that had been put into the mouth of Othello by Shakespeare.
"What is this madness that has come to you?" she cried. "Oh, you must be quite mad! If you cared ever so little for me you would not overwhelm me with terror."
"I don't know which would be the sweeter--killing you or wedding you," he said. He kept his eyes fixed upon hers for some seconds, and then he added in a lower tone that chilled her: "By heavens! I do know now--now!"
She gave a little cry. She had done her best to restrain it, for the dread of a quarrel taking place between the men was upon her, and in an instant Mr. Long had turned to her. Another instant and he had thrust himself between her and Mathews and had taken her hand. He was not looking at her, but straight into the face of Mathews.
"We must not be late, Miss Linley," he said quietly, "and unless we hasten onward we shall not be in time to meet our friends at Bath-Easton. Stand aside, sir, if you please."
Mathews instinctively took a couple of steps back, while Long, still holding Betsy's hand, bent his head before the ladies and young Captain Horneck, of the Guards, who had just appeared by the side of his _fiancée_, Lord Albemarle's daughter.
There was a pause in the conversation passing round that little group--an electric pause, it seemed; every one appeared to be waiting for a thunderbolt to fall, for Mathews had a reputation for being an element of the lurid in the atmosphere of Bath. For a few moments after Long and Betsy had gone, he seemed uncertain what course to adopt; but suddenly he appeared to have light granted to him. He bent his malacca cane until he made both ends meet; then, with an oath, he hurried after Long and Betsy.
He overtook them before they had gone twenty yards, but while he was still some way behind them he called out: