Forest Days: A Romance of Old Times

by G. P. R. James

  CHAPTER XIV.

  There are some days of life when everything appears to combine toheighten the hues of happiness, when not only the sensations in our ownbosoms, and the circumstances of our fate are all bright and cheerful,but when every external object, every feature in Nature's face seems tosmile, and every sound to be in harmony with our feelings. But suchhours are too precious to be many; blessed is that life which can counttwo or three of them; and it has been often remarked, that as at someseasons of the year, a peculiarly fine day generally announces theapproach of storm and tempest, so do one of these bright intervals inour cloudy existence precede a period of sorrow, trouble, and disaster.

  An hour after daybreak, on as sweet a morning as ever dawned, in themidst of the magnificent scenery of the forest, Hugh de Monthermer andLucy de Ashby stood by the side of their horses, ready to mount anddepart. Love gave its sunshine to each heart. Lucy's bosom beat high ather deliverance by her lover. The assurance of her affection--thedelight of her presence--the increased hope of obtaining her, renderedhis sensations not less joyful. The yellow morning light spread sweetlyoverhead; the old grey Saxon building rested calm in its ivy robebehind them: every blade of grass was sparkling with a thousanddiamonds; every air wafted the breath of the sweet forest flowers;every tree was tuneful with the song of the birds. It was like somehappy dream, when imagination, stripping life of its stern realities,revels supreme, and decks the brief moments of sleep with all theboundless treasures of her airy kingdom.

  A step nearer to the lodge stood the bold forester; his fine, muscularlimbs clear and defined in his tight-fitting garb, and his nut brownhair curling round his thoughtful forehead. A faint smile hung upon hislip as he watched the two lovers, leaving them to proceed as theywould, without interrupting them with courtesies. It seemed as if hewas reading a pleasant book, of the truth of which he might have somedoubt, but which yet interested and amused him; for Robin knew theworld too well to suppose that such happiness could last long, but yethis mind was of that firm and hardy nature which clouds not the presentwith cares and fears of the future, but extracts from every hour itshoney, and leaves the rest to fate.

  When Hugh de Monthermer had placed Lucy on her horse, he turned to bidtheir host good bye, frankly holding out his hand.

  "Farewell, my lord!" said Robin, taking it. "We shall soon meet againin busier scenes, if I judge right. But where is the guide I promisedyou? Why, Tangel, Tangel! where are you?" and he raised his voice loudand somewhat sternly. At his last call the dwarf crept forth frombehind the house, with a bent head and crouching posture, like anunwilling dog, approaching his master slowly, and eyeing him askance.

  "What now--what now?" said Robin Hood. "Did I not give you orders?Where is the horse?"

  "I would fain not go," cried the dwarf. "Let me stay with thee, Robin,let me stay with thee. Send Smooth Face, send White Skin, send Harrythe page.--If the fool can't take care of himself, and must have a boyto lead him about the world, like a blind beggar, send young Porkfleshwith him.--Why should he take me?"

  "Nay, my good friend," said Hugh de Monthermer, seeing the boldforester about to speak somewhat angrily, "Let the lad stay with thee!I shall find my way well enough; his only fault is loving thee well."

  "Those that love me obey me," replied Robin Hood; "and, my good lord,he must do so, or never see me more. It is not alone to guide youthrough the forest I send him with you; you must take him to Hereford,and keep him till we meet again. You will find him faithful and true,crafty and active, though he shews himself so unruly at present; and inthese dangerous times it may be of great service both to you and methat you should have some one with you who knows every man in my band.I may have to convey intelligence to you and to the good lord, youruncle; for I gain a knowledge of all that takes place throughout theland, which my Lord of Leicester, with all his power, cannot attain. Itis needful that you should have some means of knowing which messengersare really mine, and which are not, for these are times full of deceit,and human cunning is more busily at work than the world ever saw, Ibelieve. If anybody comes to you in my name, call for this boy, andmake him tell you whether he be one of my people or not. Go, Tangel;and let me hear that you have done your duty."

  "Come, my boy--come!" said Hugh de Monthermer, speaking to him kindly;"I will try to make thee as happy as may be; and thou shalt love me,whether thou wilt or not."

  "Goodsooth, I love thee well enough," replied the dwarf, "though I haveno weakness for men in purfled jerkins. I love thee well enough, thoughnot so well as him; but what must be, must be. Poor Tangel has alwaysbeen Fate's foot-ball. Well, I will get the horse."

  So saying, he stretched out his long arms, put his hands suddenly uponthe shoulders of Lucy's two maids, who were standing close together,and vaulting over them with a leap that made them both scream, hebounded round the angle of the building, and soon reappeared, leadinga small brown forest horse, furnished with saddle-bags for his journey.

  As soon as the whole party were mounted, the Outlaw approached the sideof Hugh de Monthermer's horse, and, looking up in his face, said a fewwords to him in a low tone which seemed to excite some surprise.

  "Indeed!" exclaimed the young knight; "but are you certain?"

  "As certain," replied Robin Hood, "as of that being a magpie in thetree."

  "Then you must have taken some means to delude them," said Hugh deMonthermer.

  "Not I," answered Robin Hood, "I always leave fools to deludethemselves; they are sure to do it more cleverly than I could. However,it was necessary that you should know the fact, so I tell you. Now, Godspeed you, sir--we shall meet again soon."

  In a moment or two after, the little cavalcade was moving along throughthe glades of the forest, Tangel riding on before, in somewhat sullenmood, followed at the distance of about twenty yards by Lucy and herlover, with a discreet space between them and the maids who followed.The pace at which they proceeded was not quick, for those were hourswhich two at least of the party would willingly have spun out slowly--afine golden thread, which they feared would end only too soon.

  But why should I pause upon their happiness? Why should I relate whateach said to the other? The stream of human pleasure, except when itfalls in the fierce cataract of passion, is so calm and smooth thatthere is little to describe. Let each one bring such a moment home tohis own breast; let him fancy himself riding by the side of her whom heloves best through scenes as fair, with hopes as bright, and his ownheart will present him a better picture than any which my hand coulddraw. They soon emerged from the deeper part of the wood, and woundslowly on through the mingled savannahs and copses which occupied aconsiderable part of the forest ground, till they came upon a highroad running from Nottingham to some of the Yorkshire towns, with afinger-post--which is a much older invention than is generallysupposed--marking the various paths towards Mansfield, Southwell, andother small places within the meres of the forest.

  To say the truth, Hugh de Monthermer, with a true lover'sforgetfulness, had never remembered to give their dwarfish guide anyorders as to the direction he should take, and the first thing thatcalled the necessity to his mind was the question which thatfinger-post mutely put to the traveller.

  "I fear, dear Lucy," he said, "that Lindwell is not far off, andthither I suppose I must conduct you direct, although it is sad tobring such happy moments as these to an end."

  "I fear it must be so," answered Lucy, with a sigh; "my father will beanxious, you know, till he sees me again, and I must think of himbefore myself, Hugh."

  "But if it be on his account you would go to Lindwell," replied herlover, "you will be disappointed, dear Lucy, for he is not there.Judging hastily that you must have been carried off by some emissary ofthe King's party, in order to detach him from the English cause, he andyour brother have, I find, gone on in the direction of Gloucesterlikewise."

  "Oh, then I will not stay at Lindwell all alone," cried Lucy,gaily--"I should be as melancholy as one of the rooks that h
aunt theold trees round it; and besides," she added, perhaps not ill-pleased athaving a good excuse to go on under her lover's protection--"andbesides, who can tell what might happen. The foreign party are strongin Nottingham and all the neighbouring places, and I might have to puton armour and defend Lindwell against an army. No, no, Hugh, if you area good knight and true, you will guide me on to seek my father till wehave found him. By my sooth, I would rather have remained with theblithe foresters than be confined to Lindwell, with all the chances ofthese evil times."

  The reader may easily suppose that Hugh de Monthermer was not at alldissatisfied with Lucy's decision, and as he was one whose heart was noway faint, he doubted not that he should be able to guide her safelyand well to her father's side, although he could not conceal fromhimself, and would not conceal from her, that there were difficultiesand dangers in the way.

  "You put a hard task upon me, Lucy," he said, laughing.

  "What mean you, uncourteous knight!" she asked, in the sametone;--"This is the first time that I ever met a gentleman unwilling toguide and protect me whithersoever I went.--A mighty hard task, truly!"

  "No, by those bright eyes," replied Hugh, "that is not the task I speakof; but it is to persuade you not to do that which I most wish youwould. I mean, dear Lucy, that I must dissuade you from going on,though to ride beside you thus, for two or three days more, were wortha whole year of any other part of life. But I cannot let you choosewithout telling you that there is many a peril to be encounteredbetween this and Gloucester. Gilbert de Clare, whose faith has longbeen doubtful it is now ascertained, is ready to take arms against DeMontfort. Indeed, he may already have done so; and one thing iscertain, that in the forest of Dean, armed men are gathering thick,without any known object, so that the way is dangerous."

  "I have no fear, Hugh," replied Lucy, "so that you be beside me; andmoreover we can get some men from Lindwell. I would not stay therealone to be Queen of Cyprus, so that my only choice is to go with you,or to put myself at the head of the best troop I can gather, and then,like an errant lady, seek my way without you."

  "Nay, then, if such be your will," answered her lover, "there is nochoice for either of us, though perhaps your brother may frown, andeven your father look cold. There is still, however, a chance that wemay overtake my uncle at Torwel, and if we do so, his grave company andstout men at arms will save us from all danger, and all reproaches. Atall events, he will leave some four or five archers behind him, trustysoldiers at one's need; and if we can get as many from Lindwell, Iwould undertake, with care and forethought and good precautions, toguard you uninjured hence to Palestine."

  "Oh, how pleasant!" cried Lucy--"Let us go, Hugh--why should we not go?I think every woman should make a pilgrimage to Palestine before shemarries."

  Hugh de Monthermer, however, thought it would be better to reverse theproceeding, and, marrying first, make the pilgrimage afterwards--ifthey liked it. So he told Lucy; nor did she say no; and putting theirhorses into a quicker pace, he directed their dwarfish guide to lead ontowards Torwel. Passing by Arnold, and skirting the edges of ThorneyWood, they crossed the Lind not far from Basfort, at which littlevillage they paused for a moment or two, to water their horses, towardsnine in the morning. At Torwel, however, they found that the Earl hadgone on, leaving six archers behind him to await his nephew's coming.Here a longer repose was necessary, for though Lucy, trained to hardierhabits than ladies affect in the present day, was capable of enduringmuch more fatigue; she was still a woman, and might well feel somewhatweary with a four-hours' ride.

  The time they passed at Torwel flew quick away, and they were speedilyretreading, in some degree, their steps towards her father's castle.Great were the rejoicings at Lindwell to see her safe returned, andevery man would have gladly accompanied her to guard her by the way.The defence of the place itself, however, was not to be neglected, andas Lucy was resolved to proceed that night, six stout men-at-arms werechosen from the rest, and being quickly mounted and accoutred, theparty once more set out with four hours clear daylight before them,taking their way towards the frontiers of Derbyshire.

  Onward they rode with light, gay hearts; the spirit of adventure andenterprise itself adding something to all the manifold enjoyments whichhad crowded into that day.

  The boy Tangel had by this time dropped into the rear, being no longernecessary as a guide, and to say truth, although Hugh had spoken to himonce or twice as they proceeded, absorbed in his own feelings towardsLucy, he had taken but little notice of his absence from the front.When they had left Lindwell, however, some seven miles behind them, theboy urged his horse up at a quick pace, saying, "On your guard--on yourguard! there are men coming up fast behind;" and turning round, Hugh deMonthermer perceived some six or seven persons galloping down from ahill at the distance of about half a mile.

  Lucy paused to gaze likewise, and as the pursuers came nearer, sheexclaimed, with a look, it must be owned, of no great pleasure--"It ismy brother, Hugh; I am sure that is Alured on the black horse."

  "I think so too," replied Hugh de Monthermer, drawing in his rein; "buteven if it be not, we have nothing to fear."

  The little party of horsemen who were following, came on at full speed,and certainly not with the most peaceful appearance; but every stretchof the horses showed more and more clearly the form of Alured de Ashby,and at length, after slackening his pace a good deal, as if to examinethe group which was now waiting his approach, he rode up, with acountenance expressive of less pleasure than might have been expectedat seeing his sister in safety.

  "How now!" he exclaimed--"What is all this? Why have you turned yourback upon Lindwell, my good lord? and whither are you having the greatkindness to conduct my sister?"

  "To overtake Lord Ashby, my lord," replied Hugh, "who has gone ontowards Gloucester, we find."

  "Methinks, sir," answered Alured de Ashby, "that Lindwell castle werethe properest place for you to conduct her to, after having sodexterously found her when no one else knew where she was."

  "But suppose, Alured," said Lucy, ere Hugh de Monthermer couldutter the somewhat sharp rejoinder which was springing to hislips--"suppose, Alured, that your sister did not choose to be soconducted. Suppose, after visiting Lindwell, she thought fit to askthis noble gentleman to guard and protect her by the way, till sheovertook her father?"

  "Doubtless he was very willing," answered Lord Alured, with a sneer.

  "Beyond all question," replied Hugh de Monthermer, in as cool a tone ashe could command; "and not more willing to do so than justified indoing it. But you were pleased just now to make use of a word whichmust be explained. You said, sir, that I had found your sister when noone else knew where she was. Do you mean to imply that I did know?"

  "Good faith," replied the hot young nobleman, "it is not for me to saywhether you did or not. It is mighty strange, however, that you coulddiscover her in the twinkling of an eye, as soon as her relations weregone."

  "Not half so strange," said Lucy, interposing once more in terror forthe result, "as that you should show yourself so ungrateful, Alured,for his having found me. Instead of giving him deep thanks, which arehis due both from you and me, you seem as angry as if you had wished meto remain and perish in the forest."

  "Well, well," said Alured de Ashby, a little ashamed perhaps of hisirritable heat--"this is all waste of words!--Where were you? What wasthe cause of your being taken away? What has happened to you?"

  "Three questions in a breath," exclaimed Lucy, "each of which wouldtake an hour to answer fully, even if I could answer them all. As tothe first, then, I have been in the forest; as to the last, I reply, agood deal has happened to me, of which I will tell you at leisure. Asto the middle one, Why they took me away? my answer must be veryshort,--I do not know."

  "Perhaps you do, sir?" said her brother, turning to Hugh. The youngnobleman looked him straightforwardly and somewhat sternly in the face,answering, "I do."

  "Then pray explain," said Alured.

  "You will excuse me,
" replied Hugh, "I shall first explain the whole toyour father, as he is the person who must act in the business, and as Ibear a message to him of which he alone can judge."

  "Mighty mysterious, my good lord," cried Alured--"But as I am nowpresent here, and am going with all speed to overtake the Earl ofAshby, my sister will no longer need your kind protection."

  "But as we take the same road," said Hugh de Monthermer, "it will besafer for all, if we travel it together."

  "Fie! Alured; in common courtesy----" exclaimed Lucy.

  But her brother interrupted her petulantly, saying--"These are timesthat abridge courtesy, Lucy.--I differ, my good lord," he continued--"Ijudge that it will be safer for us to travel apart. With our two troopsunited we form a body that cannot escape observation, and which is yettoo small to make a good defence. I therefore think that it will bebetter for us to separate. Thanking you much for the assistance andprotection you have given to this lady, and waiting with devoutpatience for the explanations which you have not thought fit to afford,I will take one way if you will take another."

  Hugh de Monthermer bit his lip; but though quick and fiery in his owndisposition, he was acting under a restraint which made him bear to theutmost, rather than quarrel with the brother of her whom he loved,resolved that it should be no act of his which placed a barrier betweenthem. Without making any reply to Alured de Ashby then, he wheeledround his horse to Lucy's side, asking in a low voice--"Shall I go?"

  "You had better," said Lucy, with a sigh--"you had better:" and thenraising her voice, she added--"Farewell, Lord Hugh; I at least amgrateful, and so you will find my father, I am sure. Farewell."

  Thus speaking she held out her hand to him; and Hugh de Monthermer,pressing his lips upon it, turned his horse, and bade his men followhim, without offering any salutation to the ungracious young noblemanwho had brought so happy a day to so unpleasant a close.

  Taking a road which lay somewhat to the north of that which Lucy andher brother were pursuing, he advanced towards Gloucester, keepingnearly upon a line with the other party, and gaining from time to timesome information of their movements. Towards the end of the fifth day'smarch, his little troop approached the city in which he expected tofind his uncle; but at the small town of Charlton, he receivedintimation from his host that if he were going to join the army of thegreat Earl of Leicester, it would be well for him to take a largecircuit, the road between that place and Gloucester being somewhatdangerous.

  "Gilbert de Clare," he said, "our good Earl, keeps the forest of Deanwith some five thousand men; and we just this morning heard that theyoung Lord of Ashby, who left last night, has been taken with all hiscompany. His sister was with him, too, pretty lady; but some say theyoung lord was not unwilling to fall into the Earl's hands. At allevents he was well forewarned, for we told him what would happen whenhe set out."

  Hugh bit his lip, mused for a moment or two; and then murmuring--"It isnot impossible," mounted his horse and rode away, taking the road whichthe host had pointed out as the most secure.