CHAPTER XII
OF THE DELIVERY OF THE KING'S WARRANT
The main gateway that gave entrance to the outer bailey wasimpressively wide and lofty. Once inside, postern gates opening uponeither hand admitted into the great halls, rooms of state, and thedonjon-keep. Besides these, and at regular intervals along the vaulted,winding passageway, the walls were pierced by iron-clad doors givingupon the same premises. When the opening of this main artery had beensealed by the drawbridge, which fitted tight against it, nothing ofdaylight filtered in, and it received its only illumination from anumber of huge cressets, two of which were set high overhead at everyturning, and kept constantly filled with glowing coals by the castleattendants.
Before each of the nail-studded doors stood two guards armed at point,their halberds planted firm before them, grim and motionless. In thedim radiation from the iron baskets they assumed the appearance of arank of immovable and awesome statues that might well have been hewnout of the smoke-distained walls before which they were stationed.
When Sir Richard and de Claverlok had ridden past the second turningthey were confronted by a solid line of them, stretching from wall towall across the flagged floor directly in their path. To the right,one of the doors stood wide ajar; a bevy of men and women, sumptuouslygarbed, appeared within the bright rectangle. A fool in motley wasposing against the pillared casement. It was like a painted picture,vivid, touched with brilliant colors, set within an enormous, dark, andgloomy frame.
A train of pages, dressed in liveries of slashed silk and velvet, stoodready to conduct the two travelers before the lord of the castle. Ata sign from one, who, because of his distinctive uniform, one wouldhave taken to be the major domo, they dismounted and relinquished theirhorses into the care of equerries; then, bringing up in the rear ofthe train of pages, they made their way up the steps and through thethronged doorway.
"God's sake! Sir Dick," exclaimed de Claverlok in an agitated whisperas they were traversing the length of the vast hall into which theywere come, "Give not that paper to Douglas. Let me have but a wordwith you in private before adventuring an act so deadly dangerous toyour person, ... eh?" In the extremity of his eagerness to gain hisyoung friend's consent he caught his arm in a viselike grip, as thoughmeaning forcibly to detain him.
"Take your hand from off my arm," warned Sir Richard sullenly. "'Twouldbe most unseemly to have out our quarrel here, de Claverlok."
"Quarrels? What quarrel, ... eh? There's no quarrel between us, my boy."
"Aye--but I tell thee there is," maintained Sir Richard. "Much haththy treachery grieved and amazed me, worthy knight, whom I had come toconsider my stanch friend."
"Treachery, ... eh? What the devil! God wot, my son," de Claverlokhurriedly pursued, "I am not traitor--listen----"
"Have a care, de Claverlok, the guards are looking," whispered theyoung knight warningly. "And not a word with you, I say, till I'vedelivered the King's paper. Think you I have foughten my way here fornaught? No inkling have I of the purpose of your company in stealingthe parchment and in their attempt to hinder me from reaching here. Butthe copy goes to Lord Douglas as fast as----"
"Cannot you but wait an hour, ... eh? Hell and furies! Never can Iforgive me my stupidity in allowing you to come within this house ofdeath," interrupted de Claverlok. "There's death in that paper, Isay--death!"
"Death; what mean you?"
"Aye, death! Death to thyself, an thou must hear the truth. 'Tis awarrant for your own execution, Sir Dick."
"De Claverlok, you lie in your bewhiskered throat," returned SirRichard in a menacing undertone.
"Never before hath man said that word to me and lived," declared thegrizzled warrior gloomily. "But I forgive you, Sir Dick. Aye, I forgiveyou. An you'll but consent to wait an hour, I'll hear you asking myforgiveness. You can do it, my boy,--you can wait. Say to Douglas thatthou art an emissary of Henry, who hath but journeyed here to yield tohim thy sovereign's good wishes. Tell him that I am your companion andsquire. Mayhap 'twill answer for my present safety."
"First dive within the moat and fetch me your dripping lance. 'Twouldbe a most befitting badge of your loyalty to me to lay before him, deClaverlok."
"You would be at this moment in a far better case," observed thegrizzled warrior bitterly, "an it had taken you in the small of theback, where I intended it should land. You know damned well 'twashurled butt foremost, ... eh? By the Rood, boy, answer me."
Sir Richard hesitated; then, measuring his companion's earnest look,nodded in the affirmative.
"I'll do it," said he, "though a plague take me, an I think you deserveit. But whereof be the good, an your act were seen from barbacan orshot-hole?"
"I'll take my solemn oath 'twas driven at the door," observed deClaverlok, smiling in open gratification at having achieved his point."You'll delay the blessed paper, too, ... eh?"
"Nay--that I dare not do," whispered Sir Richard decisively. "Evennow unmeasured harm may have resulted from my egregious blunder inpermitting the original to be stolen. An ill messenger have I been, deClaverlok--an ill messenger."
"You'll persist in delivering the paper, ... eh?"
"Upon my soul. Yea."
By now they had reached to the foot of a broad flight of steps leadingto a gallery that completely girdled the hall. Already the pages werestrung halfway up the stairway, awaiting for the two men to follow.
"Await me here, de Claverlok," added Sir Richard in a tone indicatinghis determination to finish his errand as he started up the stairs.
"By the gods, you'll not go!" roared the grizzled knight in a transportof infuriated rage, whereupon he made a sudden leap at Sir Richard,catching him with a bearlike hug around the middle and dragging him tothe floor of the hall. "Give me that paper," he whispered in the youngknight's ear. "Give it to me, Sir Dick!"
"What meaneth this?" shouted a stern voice from above that rang to thevaulted dome of the chamber. "Separate me those brawlers, guards!"
In the wink of an eye a cloud of the Douglas retainers had swooped downand torn the fiercely struggling men apart. There followed a momentarylull during which the two stood glaring into each other's eyes.
"Which of thee hath an errand with Douglas, and what, pray, may it be?"resumed the voice from the gallery.
Ranging along the balcony behind him, Sir Richard's eyes fell upon aburly, broad-shouldered man standing with arms folded on the thresholdof an open door.
"I am bearer of a message from King Henry, my lord," answered SirRichard.
"And who is thy combative friend?" queried Douglas. "Why this rowwithin my very hall, sir knight?"
"'Twas but a slight misunderstanding, my lord," Sir Richard instantlyreplied. "May I now bring to thee the paper?"
"Aye, that may you. But who is thy friend? Thou hast not answered me."
"My companion and squire, Lord Douglas. I bespeak for him thy pardon.Though he meaneth right well, he is ever thoughtless and rude."
"So it would seem. Bring me King Henry's message. Keep me yonderbelligerent in leash, my men," Douglas added, pointing toward deClaverlok, who was still tossing the guards about in a vain endeavor tofree himself from their smothering grasp.
Sir Richard strode past the struggling, heaving mass of humanity,and then, on up the stairway. Upon reaching the landing he turned tohis right to where Lord Douglas stood within the door leading offthe jutting balcony. The young knight paused for a moment to glancedownward above the railing toward de Claverlok. The grizzled warriorhad evidently signified his intention of remaining quiescent, forthe guards had loosened their hold of him and he was standing mutelyagainst one of the columns that shot from floor to ceiling at regularintervals around the entire length and breadth of the hall. His armswere folded, and he was gazing straight up into the face of hisyoung friend. The beribboned courtiers and brightly dressed womenwere standing at a discreet distance, gaping at him. It remindedSir Richard of an eagle that had dropped its pinions in the midst ofa swarm of brilliant-winged, fluttering
moths. He noted as well theexpression of sad reproach with which the veteran was regarding him.If ever sincerity was stamped in the features of man it was surelydisplayed in the rugged countenance of de Claverlok, and from thatinstant the young knight divined his erstwhile companion to be asstanch and true as the steel of the Damascus blade at his side.
"Thou'lt find me here, Sir Richard," de Claverlok called up as theyoung knight turned to enter the door through which Lord Douglas hadbut just preceded him. When he came into his cabinet, after traversinga number of curtained passageways, Sir Richard found the bluff Scotsmanpacing impatiently back and forth across the floor. He paused when theyoung knight entered, greeting him formally from his station in thecenter of the room.
"From King Henry," said he, when the document, fresh from its hidingplace, had been surrendered into his hands.
Signing Sir Richard to be seated near a massive, carved oak desk,Douglas dropped into a high-backed chair before it, broke the greatred seal and addressed himself to the business of reading. When he hadfinished perusing the document he laid it face downward upon the deskand leaned back in his chair, tugging at his wiry, black beard, andknitting his fierce brows deeply. During an interval of several minuteshe remained in this attitude, stealing occasional glances of searchinginquiry in Sir Richard's direction and muttering inaudible sentences tohimself.
"That this paper hath reached within the walls of Castle Yewe, sirknight," he at length said, speaking with a cold deliberation, asthough carefully weighing each word, "is certes an indisputable proofof thy absolute integrity as a messenger."
"Nay--but----"
"Tut, tut! Say not a word till I have digested this matter within mymind," interrupted Douglas. Whereupon he took up the parchment and readit through carefully a second time. Then, getting up from his seat,he resumed his impatient march across the floor. As Sir Richard satstudying the Scotsman's movements, he fancied that he had never seena combination of features more suggestive of unfaltering determinationand grim pugnacity. Douglas's head was not over large; and his cheek,chin, and crown were covered with a thick mop of jet black beard andhair. He moved his burly figure awkwardly, like one who was moreaccustomed to riding than walking.
"By the mass!" he suddenly ejaculated. "'Tis, in truth, a riddle fartoo deep for me to unravel. Why hast thou delivered me this message,sir knight?" he queried sharply, halting before the bench whereupon SirRichard was sitting.
"Why?" returned the surprised young knight. "Does it not speak foritself, my lord? At the behest of my sovereign liege have I brought ithere; and much doth it shame me to confess that ill have I requited mybeloved and noble master's trust----"
"Ill requited? What's this the young knight's saying?" Douglas burstforth. "Beshrew me, young sir, an I wot how!"
"Well--'tis but the duplicate I have rendered unto thee, LordDouglas. The original I carelessly allowed to be stolen by a bandof free-lances from whom I did escape but yester eve. Tell me," headded anxiously, "will harm result because of my unpardonable lack ofcaution?"
Douglas, with arms akimbo, was standing directly in front of SirRichard and looking straight down into his eyes.
"Save to thyself," he replied slowly, apparently having satisfiedhimself as to the truth of the young knight's statement, "no harmcan possibly befall. Mayhap, an thou hadst not lost the original, Ishould have adopted another course than the one now forced upon me.But--wherefore, Sir Richard, didst thou not join issues with Tyrrellwithal?"
"Tyrrell?" the young knight replied in a thoroughly puzzled way; "i'faith, my lord, I know not the man--though I did hear that name calledby the outlaw band by which I was held captive."
"Well, well--so thou knowest not Tyrrell?" ejaculated Lord Douglas."Yet certes, man, you tarried a night under the roof of the Red Tavern,and rode for a day in his company of conspirators? Either you are thecleverest of dissemblers, sir knight, or else, forsooth, the embodimentof sluggishness! Nay--regard me not thus in anger--I accept everyword of your astonishing denial as God's truth--every word. HaveI not before stated that this document here proves your steadfasthonesty? Have you never heard of Tyrrell, hireling of CrookbackRichard--strangler of two drooling boys in the tower? By my soul, man,where have you been reared?"
"In Brittany, my lord," Sir Richard returned, his face aflame withhonest resentment. "There, in Duke Francis's court I learned my lessonswith the Earl of Richmond, now my beloved King. I do recall that once,on London Bridge, I saw the head of one, Dighton, slewing on a pole.'Twas he, methought, who did the tower murders."
"Tut, tut! What ignorance! Somewhat of history, Sir Richard, you haveyet to learn. That fellow was but Tyrrell's tool and groom whom Tyrrellhimself murdered for playing him false. Lady Douglas shall take you inhand and teach you a thing or two of past events. I would hear now,"he added, seating himself beside Sir Richard, "your account of yourjourney from Kenilworth. I beg of you, omit no incident that may seemto you trifling, as you love your King. It is a most important andgrave matter, this, Sir Richard."
"I'll do it willingly, my lord," the young knight acquiesced, andthereupon began narrating his adventures. It took him an hour or moreto finish, during all of which time Lord Douglas sat quietly besidehim, with his elbows planted firmly upon his knees and his face pressedagainst the palms of his hands. At times he would run his fingersthrough his hair, or tap with the heel of his boot upon the floor.Sir Richard's tale ran smoothly enough till it came to the point ofaccounting for de Claverlok's companionship. Here he stumbled slightly,being obliged to draw largely upon his imagination. He accomplishedit in a fairly acceptable manner, however, and in a way that he hopedwould seem natural. Though he was unable to see how harm could befalleither the grizzled knight or himself in the event of the truth beingtold. Not for a moment had he credited his companion's statement inrespect of Henry's message containing matter inimical to its bearer.But he paid the veteran the tribute of believing him to be absolutelysincere, and forgave him accordingly, absolving him from any blamebecause of that which Sir Richard supposed to be his misjudged zeal inattempting to withhold the delivery of the parchment.
When the young knight had finished his story, Douglas arose and took afew turns across the room.
"Extraordinary," he kept repeating half to himself; "mostextraordinary!"
Presently he resumed his seat before the desk, remaining silent therefor awhile, and tapping with his fingers upon its polished top.
"Thou canst not appreciate, I know," he said at length, "how completelythy story hath absorbed my interest. I would that I could delve beneaththe surface and unearth some of its mysteries. Tut, tut! What am Isaying? Let them take care of themselves. Full often have I found, SirRichard, that the deepest mysteries of to-day become the most loudlyheralded sensations of to-morrow. Now, an thou'lt but sign thy nameacross the back of this parchment, I'll take thee into the presence ofthe lady of the castle. But--hold! I'll have witnesses."
Then--"MacGregor," he called aloud, and in reply to his summons a lankindividual arose above a tall desk standing in a corner of the cabinetquite as though he had been materialized out of a world of spirits.Douglas whispered his instructions in the scrivener's ear, and hehurried away, presumably to gather them in.
They entered presently--ten of them there were--mumbling, whispering,shaking their powdered heads in a kind of unison, till the white dustsifted upon the floor like particles of glittering snow. Standingsomberly in line behind a long table, awaiting turns to set their namesbeneath Sir Richard's, they reminded him of a row of solemn, noddingjackdaws. Not being in a position to appreciate its gravity, the sceneamused rather than awed the young knight. Not in the remotest degreedid he surmise that he was henceforth to be but a wooden image--acarved knight, if we may be allowed the simile--progressing obedientlyfrom square to square over the checkered board of a complex conspiracywhenever they extended their lean fingers to make the move.
"Remain," Lord Douglas said, when the last of them had written his namebeneath the young knight's
. "Await my return and we'll hold furthercouncil here," whereupon he took Sir Richard's arm, expressing hisintention of presenting him to the lady of the castle.
"Now that I have delivered the King's message, my lord," said the youngknight as they were passing along the gallery and down the stairs, "itis my desire to be soon upon my way. On the morrow, an there be nothingfurther here for me to do, I shall fare southward toward Kenilworth."
"Tut, tut! Sir Richard. Be not in such haste to bid us adieux. We are aright merry throng here in Castle Yewe, and thou canst pass thy hourswith us full pleasantly. Thy errand, besides, is not yet done. 'Tisthy sovereign's wish that thou shalt bide in Scotland yet awhile as myguest. But yonder is Lady Douglas, to whom I shall surrender thee forthe present."
After introducing the young knight, Douglas begged the privilege oftalking a moment with his wife in private. A page led Sir Richard to aseat within an alcove of the hall, where he remained, looking out of awindow at a company of infantry drilling in the castle yard till Lordand Lady Douglas had finished their rather lengthy discourse.
"I'll see thee at the wassail board this evening, Sir Richard,"said Douglas, who had accompanied his wife as far as the curtainedentrance to the alcove. "Thou art indeed happily come. To-day is thetwenty-fifth of the month--the feast of Crispian will be spread inthe state hall. I have made thy squire comfortable in my retainer'squarters," he added, and then retired to his room above where thejackdaws were awaiting to hold their council.
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