CHAPTER VII
GALORS ABJURES
Dom Galors knew a woman in East Morgraunt whose name was Maulfry. Shelived in Tortsentier, a lonely tower hidden deep in the woods, and hadan unwholesome reputation. She was held to be a courtesan. Manygentlemen adventurous in the forest, it was said, had founddishonourable ease and shameful death at her hands. She would make themgreat cheer at first with hunting parties, dancing in the grass-rides,and love everywhere: so much had been seen, the rest was surmise. Itwas supposed that, being tired, or changing for caprice, she had themdrugged, rifled them at leisure, slew them one way or another, and sether nets for the next newcomer. This, I say, was surmise, and so itremained. Tortsentier was hard to come at, Morgraunt wide, death aseasy as lying. Men in it had other uses for their eyes than to spy attheir neighbours, and found their weapons too often needed in their ownquarrels to spare them for others. To see a man once did not set youlooking for him to come again. You might wander for a month inMorgraunt before you got out. True, the odds were against your doingeither; but whose business was that?
Galors probably knew the truth of it, for he was very often atTortsentier. He knew, for instance, of Maulfry's taste for armour. Theplace was full of it, and had a frieze of shields, which Maulfryherself polished every day, as brave with blazonry as on the day theyfirst went out before their masters. Maulfry was very fond of heraldry.It was a great delight of hers to go through her collection with such aman as Galors, who thoroughly understood the science, conning over thequarterings, the legends, the badges and differences, and capping eachwith its appropriate story, its little touch of romance, its personalreference to each owner in turn. There was no harm in all this, and forGalors' part he would be able to testify that there was no luxuriouscompany there when he came, and no dark hints of violence, treachery,or mischief for the most suspicious eye to catch at. Tortsentier wasnot so far from the Abbey liberties that one might not fetch at it in asix hours' ride, provided one knew the road. Galors was a great riderand knew the road by heart. He was a frequent visitor of Maulfry's,therefore, and would have seen what there was to see. If the cavillershad known that it would have quieted many a whisper over the fire. Theymight have been told, further, that Maulfry and he were very oldfriends, and from a time long before his entry into religion at HolyThorn. If there had been love between them, it had left no scar. Lovewith Galors was a pastime: he might make a woman his mistress, but hecould never allow her to be his master. And whatever there had been inthis sort, any love now left in Maulfry for the monk was largelytempered with respect. They were excellent friends.
It was to Tortsentier and to Maulfry that Dom Galors rode through therain when he had finished biting his nails in the quarry. Very latethat night he knocked at her door. Maulfry, who slept by day, opened atonce, and when she saw who it was made him very welcome. She sent herpage up with dry clothes, heaped logs on the fire, and set a tableagainst his return, with venison, and white bread, and sweet wine.Galors, who was ravenous by now, needed no pressing: he sat down andate without speaking, nor did she urge him for a message or for news,but kept her place by the fire, smiling into it until he had done. Shewas a tall, dark woman, very handsome and finely shaped, having theneck, arms, and bosom of Juno, or of that lady whom Nicholas the Pisansculptor fashioned on her model to be Queen of Heaven and Earth. AndMaulfry suffered no one to be in doubt as to the abundance and glory ofher treasure.
When Galors was well fed she beckoned him with a nod to his place onthe settle. He came and sat by the side of her, blinking into the firefor some minutes without a word.
"Well, friend," said Maulfry at last, "and what do you want with yourservant at such an hour? For though I am not unused to have guests, itis seldom that you are of the party in these days."
Galors, who never made prefaces, told her everything, except the realrank and condition of Isoult. As to that, he said that the lady inquestion was undoubtedly an heiress, as she was undeniably a beauty,but he was careful to make it plain that her inheritance, and not herperson, tempted him. This I believe to have been the truth by now. Hethen related what had passed in the quarry, and what he intended to donext. He added--
"Whether I succeed or not--and as to that much depends upon you--I amresolved to abjure my frock and my vows, and to aim henceforward for atemporal crown."
"I think the frock is all that need concern you," said Maulfry.
"You are right, pretty lady," he replied "and that shall concern me nomore. You shall furnish me with a suit of mail out of your store, witha shield, a good spear and a sword. I have already a horse, which I oweto the vicarious bounty of the Lord Abbot, exercised through me, hisright-hand man. This then will be all I shall ask of you on my account,so far as I can see at present. With what I know to back them they maywin me an earldom and a pretty partner. At least they will enable me topay Master Red-Feather my little score."
The pupils of Maulfry's eyes narrowed to a pair of pin points.
"What is this?" she said quickly. "Red feathers? A surcoat white andgreen? A gold baldrick? Did he bear a _fesse dancettee_ upon hisshield, a hooded falcon for his crest?" Her questions chimed with herpanting.
"By baldrick and shield I know him for a Gai of Starning," said Galors."So much is certain, but which of them in particular I cannot tellcertainly. There were half-a-dozen at one time. Not Malise, I think. Heis too thin-lipped for such work as that. He can do sums in his head,is a ready reckoner. This lad was quick enough to act, but not quickenough to refrain from acting. Malise would not have acted. He can seetoo far ahead. Nor is it Osric. He would have made speeches and letvapours. This lad was quiet."
"Quiet as God," said Maulfry with a stare.
"But," Galors went on, "you need not think for him, who or what he was.I shall meet him to-morrow, and if things go as they should you shallsee me again very soon. You shall come to a wedding. A wedding inTortsentier will not be amiss, dame. Moreover, it will be new. If Ifail--well, then also you shall see me, and serve me other ways. Willyou do this?"
Maulfry frowned a little as she thought. Then she laughed.
"You know very well I will do more for you than this. And how much willyou do for me, Galors?"
"Ask and see," said Galors.
"I too may have accounts to settle."
"You will find me a good bailiff, Maulfry. Punctual at the audit."
Maulfry laughed again as she looked up at her armour. Galors' lookfollowed hers.
"Choose, Galors," she said; "choose, my champion. Choose, Sir Galors deBorn!"
Galors took a long and deliberate survey.
"I will go in black," said he, "and for the rest, since I am no man ofrace, the coat is indifferent to me." So he began to read and commentupon his texts. "_Je tiendray_--why, so I shall, but it savours offorecast, brags a little."
"None the worse for my knight," said Maulfry.
"No, no," he laughed, "but let me get something of which to brag first.Hum. _Dieu m'en garde_--we will leave God out of the reckoning, Ithink. _Designando_--I will do more than point out, by the Rood!_Jesus, Amor, Ma Dame_--I know none of these. _Entra per me_--Oh brave,brave! 'Tis your latest, dame?"
Maulfry's eyes grew hard and bright. "Choose it, choose, my Galors!"she cried. "And if with that you beat down the red feather, and blindthe hooded hawk, you will serve me more than you dream. Oh, choose,choose!"
"_Entra per me_ pleases me, I confess. But what are the arms? Wickets?"
"Three white wicket-gates on a sable field. It was the coat of Salomonde Montguichet."
"Salomon?" said Galors all in a whisper. "Never Salomon? Do you notremember?"
Maulfry laughed. "I should remember, I think. But there is no monopoly.What we choose others can choose. The name is free to the world, and agreat name."
Galors, visibly uneasy; thought hard about it. Then he swore. "And I gofor great deeds, by Heaven! Give it me, Dame. I will have it. _Entraper me_! And shut the wickets when I am in!"
He kissed Maulfry then and
there, and they went to bed.
The Forest Lovers Page 7
