by M. M. Blake
CHAPTER IV.
HORSE, HAWK, AND HOUND.
On the morrow, a goodly company rode forth over the drawbridges ofHereford Castle, with clatter of prancing horses and barking of dogsand jingle of hawks' jesses; falconers carrying the birds, and huntsmenleading the well-trained dogs, spaniels, cockers, and here and there awolf or boar hound, in case larger game should be started; a party ofmen-at-arms to protect them from wild beasts, outlaws, and Welsh, witha few knights in harness to head them, and the ladies and gentlemen ofthe hunt themselves.
In the place of honour amongst these rode the Earl of East Anglia,mounted on his splendid Spanish barb Oliver, whose fine points haddrawn forth praise from that lover of good horse-flesh, William theConqueror himself, when De Guader had ridden the steed in his presence;a bright red-roan with fox-coloured mane and tail, fine of limb, but ofgreater strength and endurance than the heavier Norman warhorse, andfull of spirit and docility.
By his side ambled Emma Fitzosbern, on a white palfrey, bearing on herwrist a noble 'tassel-gentle,' whose broad shoulders and large naresand long black spurs proclaimed him of the bluest blood of hawkaristocracy.
'Certes, he is a glorious tierce,' said Emma, looking with admirationat the hawk, 'and seemeth well re-claimed, though, knowing me not, heis by nature shy.'
'I hope well he may sustain the reputation accorded him by those fromwhom I had him,' said the earl, 'and prove his worth by deeds when wereach the waters. He comes straight from Denmark, and is accountedequal to any King Sweyn at present hath in his mews. He will bind amallard with his beak, nor needeth he any lure save the voice of thefalconer. None exceed the Danes for skill in training a hawk.'
The Earl of Hereford, who had been riding ahead with his countess, fellback and reined his horse beside his sister's palfrey, that he mightexamine and criticise this much-extolled bird. But his criticism alsotook the form of admiration.
'If he performs as well as he looks,' quoth he, 'I would think himcheap at a hundred marks.'
When they reached the marshy ground to north-west the castle, at whichthey had been aiming, the spaniels soon put up a heronshaw, and Emma,who had no mean skill at falconry, slipped off the hood from the Danishhawk, and cast him deftly from her little fist into the air at what wascalled the _jette serre_, that is to say, as quickly after the quarryhad taken flight as possible.
The heron soared into the air on his strong wings, with his slenderlegs stretched straight behind him, till he was almost lost in theclouds, but the tassel-gentle pursued him swiftly, scaling the air bysmall circles ascending higher and higher like the steps of a spiralstaircase.
Emma clapped her hands in delight.
'By the mass! a magnificent mount!' exclaimed Hereford, and his praisewas echoed amongst the ladies and gentlemen round, nor did thefalconers refuse their meed of honour to the foreign bird, jealousthough they might be for the fame of their own particular pets, whomthey had tended since they took them from the eyrie at the stage ofeyass-down, and lured and re-claimed with daily care and patient skill.
'The tassel-gentle hath the uppermost,' cried Emma, after a few secondsof eager watching.
'Thine eyes are as keen as the hawk's!' cried De Guader. 'At thatheight I could not tell one from the other.'
But Emma saw truly. In a moment more the tassel-gentle stooped upon hisquarry, and the struggling birds came tumbling from the sky together,leaving a long trail of fluttering feathers to mark the course of theirpassage through the air.
Hereford pressed forward to the spot at which they promised to touchearth, and was ready to despatch the heron ere he could do mischiefwith his long wings, measuring upwards of five feet from tip to tip. Heshook the hawk's hood, and the well-trained bird flew at once upon hiswrist. Bravely had he maintained his reputation by deeds.
Other hawks were then flown at various game, mallard and crane andbittern. Sometimes the quarry escaped; on one occasion a falcon failedto win the upper hand, and the heron at which she was cast transfixedher on his long beak and killed her, at which misfortune there was muchado. Others acquitted themselves well, but none rivalled the prowess ofthe Danish hawk, and when the gay company had turned their horses'heads homewards, and had leisure to discuss the matter, he wasacclaimed by all the hero of the day in falcon-world.
'Since thou hast a good opinion of the tassel-gentle,' said De Guader,who had reined his horse again to the side of Emma's palfrey, 'and artpleased to say that I gave no overdrawn picture of his high qualities,I pray thee, noble demoiselle, to pleasure me by taking him for thineown from this day forward; for, in sooth, I obtained him from Denmarkfor no other purpose, having heard of the death of thy favouritefalcon. See, he takes to thee by instinct, and sits thy slender wristas if he knew it as that of his own lady.'
'Thou art too generous, Sir Earl,' replied Emma, the quick bloodflushing cheek and forehead,--partly through delight, for she was akeen huntress, and appreciated fully the joys of possessing such abird; but more through confusion, for she felt that she could notaccept such a gift from a suitor whom she intended to reject, and thatvirtually to take the beautiful creature would be to answer Ralph'sweighty question of the night before--for in those days a good hawk wasof more value than diamonds. To make matters worse, her brother waswatching her pitilessly, with a quizzical smile in his eyes, andevident curiosity as to what she would say.
But fortune was kinder than her friends. The company was riding at themoment through a belt of woodland, and, just as Emma was casting aboutin her mind for an answer to Ralph's speech that might postpone herdifficulty, and toying somewhat lovingly with the bird, a lank greybeast trotted silently across the pathway a few yards ahead of theforemost horseman.
The dogs gave tongue and the men also.
'Wolf! wolf!' cried the huntsmen, and half-a-dozen knights of the_meinie_ who carried hauberk and lance dashed forward in pursuit.
All was excitement and commotion. Steeds chafed and curveted, and kepttheir riders from requiring answers to inconvenient questions, and EmmaFitzosbern felt grateful exceedingly to the fiery Oliver for thetrouble he gave his master, and the excuse which his antics affordedher to slip behind to the side of her bower-maiden, Eadgyth of Norwich,who was following on a sober-minded brown palfrey, being but anindifferent horsewoman, and always desirous of a quiet mount.
De Guader gave Oliver the rein and galloped forward.
'I am in sore distress, Emma,' said Eadgyth, as she joined her, 'for myfoolish Freya has rushed off after the rest of them, as if a gazehoundcould pull down a wolf, forsooth! I much fear me she will be hurt.'
Almost as she spoke, the knights returned, one holding aloft the wolfshead as a trophy; but another, a young Norman in De Guader's following,Sir Aimand de Sourdeval by name, carried a wounded hound in his arms.
'It is Freya!' exclaimed Eadgyth, and, riding forward towards theknight, she asked if her favourite was much wounded.
'Nothing dangerously, sweet donzelle,' replied Sir Aimand, looking upwith a bright smile, and evidently pleased to have so cheerful ananswer to give, both for the hound's sake and the lady's. 'A bite inthe forearm, nothing worse, though it lames her. I will bind it, withyour permission, when we reach the castle; I have a salve reckoned mosthealing for the wounds of hounds, and I hope it may prove its worth inthe healing of thine.'
Eadgyth thanked the young knight for his courtesy with much sincerity,for she had brought up the greyhound to her own hand, and the creaturewas full of gentle ways and pretty tricks, which her mistress hadtaught her, besides being exceptionally beautiful, with a satin skin aswhite as milk and a body as lithe as any eel's.
It was a great relief to Eadgyth also to note how tenderly Sir Aimandhandled her favourite, so that the hound lay quite passive in his hold,and she felt content to leave her to the knight's tender mercies.
When they reached the castle, Emma Fitzosbern found herself stillcarrying the tassel-gentle on her wrist, and thought with a half sighthat it would be hard to relinquish him, even if she
were quiteprepared to renounce all that she must take with him. Nor did De Guadergive her opportunity to restore the bird to his keeping.
Later in the day, when the May sun was drawing nigh to the summits ofthe Welsh hills, Emma, her riding garb exchanged for a silken robe ofpale blue, embroidered with pearls and silver and edged with vair, verybrave to look upon, swept down the long alleys that led from theladies' bower to the orchard, in company with her young sister-in-law,the Countess of Hereford, and Dame Amicia de Reviers, a venerable lady,who had been Emma's 'guide, philosopher, and governante' since thedaughter of Fitzosbern had first opened her grey-blue eyes upon thiswicked world, and who now found her aged infirmity soothed by the loveand trust of her whilom pupil.
Hereford is, and was, a famous apple country, and in those days it wascelebrated for both cider and grape wine. Just then, in the sweetspring weather, the orchard was a pleasant place in which to while awayan hour. The insecurity of life making the protection of stone wallsimperative, prevented any extensive cultivation of garden flowers, andgardens within castle precincts were necessarily circumscribed. But theorchard was somewhat more free, though lofty walls surrounded it, overwhich the trained branches of the vines spread in orderly growth, andwere putting forth tufts of tender bronze-green leaves at every spur.Gillyflowers bloomed between their roots, and their wild yellowbrothers found space for their impudent needs on the crown of thewalls. Across the centre of the orchard ran a chattering brook, alongthe banks of which kingcups made a golden line, and over which a littlebridge with toy battlements was built. The pear trees were covered withsnow-white flowers and the apples with rosy buds, and under the nettedshadows of their straggling boughs the rich green turf was gemmed withprimroses and daisies and buttercups; while merles and mavises satamongst the blossoms, striving which should sing the sweetest songs.From the meadows and pastures beyond the walls came the lowing of cowsand the mellow voice of the cuckoo.
Emma carried the tassel-gentle on her wrist, and a page followed herwith a lure and dainty morsels wherewith to tempt the proud bird'sappetite; and when the countess and Dame Amicia sat down upon a benchin a small arbour near the stream, she went forward to the bridge, andbade the page set down his burden upon the wall. Then, leaning on theparapet, she amused herself by casting off the bird for short flights,and luring him back, teaching him to recognise the sound of her voice.The other ladies, who were in view of the performance, applauded whenhe obeyed her quickly.
Yet Emma had not fully accepted the gift of the bird, or decided whather course should be. She was in great perplexity. In the morning,jubilant with exercise, the glow and excitement of the chase upon her,all difficulties had seemed light save that of renunciation, and thequalified permission which Father Theodred had given her, to follow herown heart in the matter, seemed to move all obstacles from her path.Now, in cooler mood, her anxious spirit conjured up visions ofdistress.
To defy the king was both sinful and dangerous. If she dwelt more onthe danger than the sin, she must not be judged by the standard oflater days. The idea of kingly divinity had scarcely blossomed intoflower in the chaos of those dark ages. Every powerful noble was asovereign on his own estate, and his followers fought his battles withlittle scruple whether against king or peer. The feudal king-lord wasbut first among peers, and very few noble houses could display ascutcheon free from the blot of treason.
Vows of fealty and the sanctity of knightly honour notwithstanding, theturbulent barons thought less of it than a modern politician ofchanging his party. Indeed, they watched all kingly encroachments onthe power of their order with jealous eyes, and deemed it a duty tostand by each other. Not till Warwick, 'the Kingmaker,' was laid low onBarnet field, did the kingly ideal become paramount.
So Emma thought more of the blood that would flow if William weredefied, than of the heinousness of the defiance. Earl Ralph and herbrother would both be involved in trouble and sorrow. And all for herfoolish face! Oh, why had she not been born some plain, poor damsel,over whose fate none would concern themselves?
She would not be a centre of strife and confusion! No, she would retireinto a convent and lead a life of penitence and prayer; and Ralph wouldfind another bride whom William would not grudge him.
But this pious resolution was accompanied by a deep sigh, and a look ofwistful longing at the hawk, as he came fluttering his strong,sharp-pointed wings to her call. Perhaps he typified worldly joys toher at the moment.
Just then two goodly gentlemen came striding across the greensward tothe arbour by the bridge, and Emma's heart gave a great leap, for shefelt that the time had come when, for weal or woe, she must make herchoice.
And the Earl of Hereford went into the arbour and sat down by his wife,but the Earl of East Anglia came straight on to the bridge where Emmastood. 'The tassel-gentle acknowledges the authority of his own liegelady,' Ralph said, with a meaning smile, as he stopped beside her andleaned his arm on the low parapet of the little bridge.
'I fear he learned not his loyalty from his master,' Emma replied,looking in his face with earnest eyes.
'Nay, flout me not, dear lady,' pleaded De Guader. 'Give me an answerto my question of yesternight. It is not like thee to prolong mytorture.'
Emma FitzOsbern accepts the Tassel-gentle.]
'Indeed, I know not what to answer thee,' said Emma in sad seriousness.'My heart is torn with doubt. I cannot bear,' she said, laying her handupon his arm, as if to restrain his eagerness for combat, 'to be thecause of strife. And strife it must mean, if thou shouldst marry meagainst the king's will. William is not the man to take such defiancesmoothly.'
'Nor am I, nor is Hereford, the man to take his insult smoothly,'answered Ralph, with blazing eyes. 'See'st thou not, the strife mustbe? The insult is given, and can only be wiped out with blood!'
'Ah!'
'See'st thou not, my dove,' asked De Guader, taking the hand she hadlaid upon his arm in both his own, 'thy decision has nought to do withthe strife? Indeed, thy refusal to have me now would but make mineanger against William the more bitter, as I shall in that case owe himthe loss of my happiness as well as the affront to mine honour. No, thepoint is this: I cannot urge thee to share strife and sorrow with me,though,' and his eyes flashed fresh fires, 'the saints might favour methat I won thee but higher honours in the end. If thy heart fails thee,Hereford will send thee over-sea to thy brother in Normandy, where thoucanst dwell in peace and safety, while we fight our quarrel out. Fightit out we must! 'Tis not William's first insult, but it shall be hislast.'
'Nay, if I cannot stay the strife, I will share it!' cried Emma,touched to the quick. 'Thou dost me wrong to deem, even for an instant,that I shrink for my own welfare's sake! 'Tis not in the nature of aFitzosbern!' Then, turning to the hawk, she said, 'Thou may'st know mefor thy liege lady, my brave tassel-gentle! I take thee, and thy masterwith thee, but I fear he is by far less well reclaimed than thee!'
