Forest Days: A Romance of Old Times
Page 27
CHAPTER XXVII.
"What seekest thou, fat friar?" said one of a party of three gentlemen,who were standing under the arch which gave entrance into the greatcourt of Nottingham Castle. He was speaking to a large heavy-lookingman, with round rosy face and double chin, who had been wanderinghither and thither in the court for some time, but apparently withoutany very definite object--"What seekest thou, incarnation of the jollygod?"
"I seek, my son," replied the friar, with a leer, "what you, perhaps,can show me, but which, nevertheless, it would be well, were you toseek it yourself."
"Nay, nay, no riddles, most jovial sphinx," replied Sir William Geary;"speak in plain language and I may help thee, but I am not inclined toplay [OE]dipus for thy convenience. What is it thou meanest?"
"I mean that I seek the right way," replied the priest.
"But whither? whither?" asked Sir William. "Who, or what is it youwant?"
"I want to speak with the noble lord, Hugh de Monthermer," answered thefriar, "who, I hear, comes in the King's train."
"Is brought, you mean," said Sir Harry Grey; "for he comes as aprisoner. But to tell the truth, his captivity seems to captivate thewhole court, for there is none now who receives any notice but Hugh deMonthermer."
"The court must be getting wise in its old age," rejoined the friar."Methinks I shall follow it, too, as merit meets advancement. But, Ibeseech you, fair sir, tell me where the young lord makes abode; forthough I find the doors of this castle as strait for, my fat sides asthose of heaven, they are as many as those of the other place."
"By my life, friar," replied Sir William Geary, "you will find him, ifI judge rightly, with a lady, in the deep window of the great hall,taking thy trade over thy head; for, as I passed them, she seemed verymuch as if she were making confession."
"She made the only one that was needful long ago," exclaimed Sir HarryGrey; "for as I rode near them on the way from Huntingdon, I heard hersay, 'You know I do, Hugh,'"--and he mimicked the tone of Lucy's voice,adding, "what was wanting must have been--'love you'--of course."
"Nay, then, Heaven forefend that I should interrupt confession," saidthe friar, with a laugh; "'tis contrary to the ordinance of HolyChurch; but if you will show me, my son, which is his chamber, I willgo thither and wait; for a small boy whom I met but now at the outergate made a mock of me, and told me that if I took the third door, onthe right hand, in the left hand corner, just beyond the fourth tower,after passing through the second gate, I should find a staircase whichwould lead me to the top of the castle; and when I had gone up, I mightcome down again. By my faith, if I could have reached him with mystaff, I would have given him some wholesome correction; but he was toonimble for me; and my infirmities would not let me follow him."
"Your fat, you mean, friar," replied Sir Harry Grey. "But tell me, howmany casks of beer and butts of wine has it cost to complete thatcarcase of thine and paint that face?"
"Neither are finished yet, my son," answered the friar, "but when theyare, I will sum up the items, and send thee in the bill. It will profitthee nothing, however, for thou, wilt never grow fat."
"Why not?" demanded the other, somewhat piqued.
"Show me the way, and I will tell thee," replied the friar. "Well,then, go through that door under the arch," said Sir Harry, "and up thestairs, and the second door you come to leads to the Lord Hugh'schamber.--Now, then, why shall I never get fat? By my faith, I am gladto hear such news."
"Didst never hear the old rhyme?" asked the friar--
"'A pleasant heart, a happy mind, That joy in all God's works can find, A conscience pure without a stain, A mind not envious nor vain, Shall on man's head bring down God's benison, And fatten more than ale or venison.'
Heaven speed ye, gentlemen--thanks for your civil entertainment."
Thus saying, he rolled off with a low chuckle, and took his way throughthe door to which the courtier had directed him.
One of the three gentlemen, as the reader may have observed, had takenno part in the conversation with the friar; he now, however, turned atonce to Sir William Geary, asking--"Do you know the scurvy knave?"
"Not I," answered Sir William Geary; "this is the first time I ever seteyes upon him; but he is evidently a shrewd and caustic villain, readyto make himself serviceable in many ways: Do you know him, De Margan,for you look mysterious?"
"I have seen him within the last ten days," replied De Margan, "but ina different part of England, and with companions from whom doubtless hebrings messages to this noble Lord Hugh.--This matter must be watched,Geary. I have some old scores of friendship to clear with Hugh deMonthermer; so let us mark well what follows this good priest'sinterview with him."
"Yes, I have heard of your adventure," said Sir William Geary, "and ofyour resolution to tell the old Earl of certain moonlight meetings; butyou may tell what you will, De Margan, now, it will have no effect.Why, the father seems as much in love with him as the daughter; andthough the noble and right valiant old lord is now over at Lindwell,preparing to eclipse all that has gone before, in his reception of theking, Hugh de Monthermer, each day since we have been here, has riddenover and spent the whole morning there, alone, I verily believe, withhis lady-love."
"I heard as much," answered Guy de Margan, impatiently--"I heard asmuch last night after my arrival; but I will find means, one way oranother, to make this Hugh de Monthermer rue his braggart insolence."
Sir William Geary paused for a moment with a thoughtful and somewhatbitter smile--"Well, De Margan," he said at length, drawing him asidefrom the rest, "if you want vengeance, methinks I know where there is aman to be found who will help you with his whole heart. No one knows ofhis being in Nottingham but myself; but I have found him out, and willtake you to him if you like to go."
"Who is he--who is he?" demanded the other.
"No less a person than Richard de Ashby, the fair lady's cousin,"answered Geary. "He is possessed of a goodly hatred towards theseMonthermers, and, methinks, of no little love towards his brightcousin, Lucy."
De Margan, however, scoffed at the idea--"What!" he cried, "apoverty-stricken beggarly dependant like that, to dare to lift his eyesto one so much above him!"
"It may be to her dower he lifts his eyes," said Sir William Geary."Ambition is always a bold lover. But, however that may be, depend uponit, he will help you to your vengeance upon Monthermer if you butconcert your schemes together."
"Well--well!" replied Sir Guy; "I will go to him, Geary. But let usfirst discover, if we can, something more regarding the errand of thisfriar. The man is a rank rebel, and a fautor of rebels. I saw him lastwith Sir William Lemwood, and all the rest of that crew, who were thenhot for rebellion. I was sent to negotiate; but since then, that nestof treason has been suppressed, and doubtless he now comes toNottingham to hatch some new conspiracy if he prove strong enough. Butwe must watch him--we must watch him! and if Hugh de Monthermer do buttrip, I will answer for it, he shall fall--ay, and heavily, too;so let him take care. I fear there is no chance of getting into someante-chamber, and overhearing what passes?"
"None--none!" cried his companion, "that is quite out of the question;but my room looks out upon the end of the staircase, whence we caneasily see when this friar issues forth again."
"We will watch him--we will watch him!" exclaimed De Margan; "the veryvisit of such a man is in itself suspicious.--Say you not so, Geary?"
"Assuredly," answered Sir William, with a bitter smile--"assuredly--toa suspicious mind;" and with this sarcasm, he turned, and led the wayto his own apartment in the castle.
Whatever was the Friar's errand with Hugh de Monthermer, he remained inhis chamber more than an hour; and, when he issued forth, he wasfollowed, not long after, by the young nobleman, who, on foot, and witha cloak of a sombre colour covering his gayer garments, took his wayout into the town through the same gate by which the jolly cenobite hadissued forth.
"Let us see where they go--let us see where t
hey go!" cried Guy deMargan; and hurrying down, he and his companion also quitted thecastle, and soon caught sight of the young nobleman.
Nottingham in those days was not so large a town as at present, butnevertheless, it was a place of very considerable importance; and then,as at present, its steep streets and rocky flights of steps runningdown the curious sort of cone on which it stands, gave one the idea ofits being built upon a beehive. Walking down the road which led fromthe castle, Hugh de Monthermer proceeded for some way, and then tookthe first flight of steps that he came to, descending towards the lowerpart of the town; but, as at the bottom there were two ways which hemight pursue, the gentlemen who were fulfilling the honourable officeof spy upon his actions, and both of whom knew Nottingham well,separated for the time, appointing a spot to meet again, in order thathe might not escape them.
They had just rejoined each other in the lower part of the town, nearthe old gate, when Hugh, of whom Guy de Margan had not lost sight,paused and looked round him, as if not quite certain of his way,causing his pursuers to draw back behind a booth which protruded intothe street. The moment after, he proceeded again, directing his stepsstraight through the gate; and they, darting out, followed him soquickly that they had well-nigh come suddenly upon him, as he stoppedby the side of the friar whom they had before seen. The worthy monkhowever, was no longer on foot, but mounted upon a strong, tall,vicious looking mule; and, at the same time, he held by the bridle alarge bony horse, equipped as for a journey.
Hugh de. Monthermer was at that moment putting his foot into thestirrup, and in an instant was upon the beast's back.
"This looks very like a prisoner making his escape," said Guy deMargan. "Shall I call upon the people to stop him?"
"No--no!" replied Geary, "he is not making his escape; and if he were,he would be gone before you could do anything. He has a thousandopportunities of escaping every day if he likes it. 'Tis unlucky wehave no horses with us."
"He is going on no lawful errand, depend upon it," exclaimed Guy deMargan, "with that monk for a guide. I doubt not his journey will endin a meeting with some of the very rebels the king has come down toquell.--I will go and tell the Prince what I have seen, and what Isuspect likewise."
"Pshaw! never think of telling the Prince," said Geary, with his usualshrewd look and sarcastic turn of the lip, "that will never answer_your_ purpose, De Margan. The Prince is a sensible man; and, besides,you could not if you would. Edward is away; he set out this morningwith five hundred men for Derby. Tell the King--tell the King! You canmake him believe anything you like.--Your mother was a Jewess, wasn'tshe?"
Guy de Margan turned upon him with a furious look and his hand upon hisdagger, for the words of his companion implied what in that day was thegrossest insult which one gentleman could offer to another; but Gearyadded, immediately, "An Italian, I mean--an Italian. What was Ithinking of? You know a single drop of foreign blood in any one's veinsis quite enough to secure the favour of the King. But come and seeRichard de Ashby first; and concoct your scheme together. I will leaveyou with him; for I do not want to share your councils. It will be jestenough to see the result."
The gibing spirit of Sir William Geary did not well accord with Guy deMargan's mood at the moment; and he was not at all sorry to find thathe was soon to be delivered from his society. Walking on through someof the narrow streets which then formed the lower part of the good townof Nottingham, with the projecting gables of the upper stories shadingthem from the sun, and nearly meeting overhead, they at length reacheda curiously carved and ornamented wooden house, small and sunk inamongst the others, so as scarcely to be seen by any one passinghurriedly along, like a modest and retiring man jostled back fromobservation by the obtrusive crowd. Here Sir William Geary applied foradmittance, but before it was granted a full observation was taken ofhis person, and that of his companion, by a servant looking through asmall round window at the side. At length the door was opened, andafter some difficulty Sir Guy de Margan was permitted to enter, SirWilliam Geary leaving him as he went in.