CHAPTER X. BASILDENE.
It was in the bright moonlight of a clear March evening that the twinbrothers of Gascony stood hand in hand, gazing for the first time intheir lives upon their lost inheritance of Basildene. It was not yetwholly dark, for a saffron glow in the sky behind still showed where thesun had lately sunk, whilst the moon was shining with frosty brightnessoverhead. Dark as the surrounding woods had been, it was light enoughhere in the clearing around the house. Behind the crumbling red wallsthe forest grew dark and close, but in the front the larger trees hadbeen cleared away, and the long low house, with its heavy timbers andmany gables, stood clearly revealed before the eager eyes of the boys,who stopped short to gaze without speaking a single word to one another.
Once, doubtless, it had been a beautiful house, more highly decoratedthan was usual at the period. The heavy beams, dark with age, let intothe brickwork were many of them richly carved, and the twisted chimneysand quaint windows showed traces of considerable ingenuity in thebuilder's art. Plainly, too, there had been a time when the groundaround the house had been cared for and kept trim and garden-like.
Now it was but a waste and wilderness, everything growing wild andtangled around it; whilst the very edifice itself seemed crumbling todecay, and wore the grim look of a place of evil repute. It was hard tobelieve that any person lived within those walls. It was scarce possibleto approach within the precincts of that lonely house without a shudderof chill horror.
Gaston crossed himself as he stood looking on the house, which, by whatmen said, was polluted by many foul deeds, and tenanted by evil spiritsto boot; but upon Raymond's face was a different look. His heart wentsuddenly out to the lonely old house. He felt that he could love it wellif it were ever given to him to win it back. As he stood there in themoonlight gazing and gazing, he registered anew in his heart the vowthat the day should come when he would fulfil his mother's dying behest,and stand within those halls as the recognized lord of Basildene.
But the present moment was one for action, not for vague dreamings. Thebrothers had come with a definite purpose, and they did not intend toquit the spot until that purpose was accomplished. The Sanghursts --father and son -- were far away. The gloomy house -- unless guarded bymalevolent spirits, which did not appear unlikely -- was almosttenantless. Within its walls was the miserable victim of cruel tyrannywhom they had come to release. The boys, who had both confessed andreceived the Blessed Sacrament from the hands of the priest who hadinterested himself before in the woodman's son, felt strong in therighteousness of their cause. If they experienced some fear, as was notunlikely, they would not own it even to themselves. Gaston was filledwith the soldier spirit of the day, that scorned to turn back upondanger however great. Raymond was supported by a deep underlying senseof the sacredness of the cause in which he was embarked. It was notalone that he was going to deal a blow at the foes of his house; it wasmuch more to him than that. Vengeance might play a part in the crusade,but to him it was a secondary idea. What he thought of was the higherchivalry of which he and John had spoken so much together -- the rescueof a soul from the clutches of spiritual tyranny; a blow struck in thedefence of one helpless and oppressed; risk run for the sake of thosewho would never be able to repay; the deed done for its own sake, not inthe hope of any praise or reward. Surely this thing might be the firststep in a career of true knightliness, albeit such humble deeds mightnever win the golden spurs of which men thought so much.
Gaston's eyes had been scanning the whole place with hawk-like gaze. Nowhe turned to his brother and spoke in rapid whispers.
"Entrance will be none too easy here. The narrow windows, with theirstone mullions, will scarce admit the passage of a human body, and I cansee that iron bars protect many of them still farther. The doors aredoubtless strong, and heavily bolted. The old sorcerer has no wish to beinterrupted in his nefarious occupations, nor does he trust alone toghostly terrors to protect his house. Methinks we had better skirt roundthe house, and seek that other entrance of which we have heard. Raymond,did not our mother tell us oft a story of a revolving stone door to anunderground passage, and the trick by which it might be opened fromwithin and without? I remember well that it was by a secret springcleverly hidden -- seven from above, three from below, those were thenumbers. Can it be that it was of Basildene she was thinking all thattime? It seems not unlikely. Seven from the top, three from the bottom-- those were certainly the numbers, though I cannot recollect to whatthey referred. Canst thou remember the story, Raymond? Dost thou thinkit was of Basildene she spoke?"
"Ay, verily I do!" cried the other quickly, a light coming into hisface. "Why had I not thought of it before? I remember well she spoke ofdark water which lay upon the outside of the house hard by the entranceto the underground way. Rememberest thou not the boat moored in the laketo carry the fugitive across to the other side, and the oars so muffledthat none might hear? And did not Mistress Joan say that the secret wayinto Basildene was hard by the fish ponds on the west side of the house?It can be nothing else but this. Let us go seek them at once. Methinkswe have in our hands the clue by which we may obtain entrance intoBasildene."
Cautiously, as though their foes were at hand, the brothers slippedround the crumbling walls of the house, marking well as they did so thatdespite the half-ruinous aspect of much of the building, there was noready or easy method of access. Every gap in the masonry was carefullyfilled up, every window that was wide enough to admit the passage of ahuman form was guarded by iron bars, and the doors were solid enough todefy for a long time the assault of battering rams.
"It is not in ghostly terrors he mainly trusts to guard his house,"whispered Raymond, as they skirted round into the dim darkness of thedense woodland that lay behind the house. "Methinks if he had in verytruth a guard of evil spirits, he would not be so careful of his boltsand bars."
Gaston was willing enough to believe this; for though he feared no humanfoe, he was by no means free from the superstitious terrors of the age,and it needed all his coolness of head, as well as all his confidence inthe righteousness of his cause, to keep his heart from fluttering withfear as they stepped along beneath the gloom of the trees, which evenwhen not in leaf cast dense shadows around them. It was in truth a weirdspot: owls hooted dismally about them, bats flitted here and there intheir erratic flight, and sometimes almost brushed the faces of the boyswith their clammy wings. The strange noises always to be heard in a woodat night assailed their ears, and mingled with the quick beating oftheir own hearts; whilst from time to time a long unearthly wail, whichseemed to proceed from the interior of the house itself, filled themwith an unreasoning sense of terror that they would not confess even tothemselves.
"It is like the wail of a lost spirit," whispered Raymond at the thirdrepetition of the cry. "Brother, let us say a prayer, and go forward inthe power of the Blessed Virgin and her Holy Son."
For a moment the brothers knelt in prayer, as the priest had bidden themif heart or spirit quailed.
Then rising, strengthened and supported, they looked carefully aboutthem, and Gaston, grasping his brother by the arm, pointed through thetrees and said:
"The water, the water! sure I see a gleam of moonlight upon it! We havereached the fish ponds, I verily believe! Now for the secret way to thehouse!"
It was true enough. A few steps brought them to the margin of a largepiece of water, which was something between a lake and a series of fishponds, such as are so often seen by old houses. Once the lake hadplainly been larger, but had partially drained away, and was nowconfined to various levels by means of a rude dam and a sort of gatelike that of a modern lock. Still the boys could trace a likeness to thelake of their mother's oft-told tale, and by instinct they both turnedto the right as they reached the margin of the water, and threaded theirway through the coarse and tangled sedges, decaying in the winter'scold, till they reached a spot where brushwood grew down to the veryedge of the water, and the bank rose steep and high above their heads.
Gaston
was a step in advance, Raymond following at his heels, bothkeenly eager over the quest. An exclamation from the leader soon showedthat something had been discovered, and the next minute he had drawnaside the sweeping branches of a great willow, and revealed a darkopening in the bank, around which the giant roots seemed to form aprotecting arch.
"This is the place," he said, in a muffled whisper. "Raymond, hast thouthe wherewithal to kindle the torch?"
The boys had not come unprovided with such things as were likely toprove needful for their search, and though it was a matter of some timeto obtain a light, they were skilful and well used to the process, andsoon their torch was kindled and they were treading with cautious stepsthe intricacies of the long and tortuous passage which plainly ledstraight to the house.
"We never should have found it but for our mother's story," said Gaston,with exultation in his voice. "Raymond, methinks that this is the firststep in our career of vengeance. We have the key to Basildene in ourhands. It may be that upon another occasion we may use it with adifferent purpose."
It seemed to the brothers that they had walked a great distance, whentheir steps were arrested by what appeared in the first instance to be asolid wall of stone. Had they not had some sort of clue in their heads,they would certainly have believed that this natural tunnel ended here,and that further progress was impossible. But as it was, they werefirmly convinced that this was but the door of masonry of which theirmother had told them in years gone by. Neither could recollect the storysave in fragments; but the numbers had clung to Gaston's tenaciousmemory, and now he stood before the door saying again and again --"Seven from the top, three from the bottom" -- scanning the wall infront of him with the keenest glances all the while.
"Ha!" he exclaimed at length; "bring the torch nearer, Raymond. Seehere. This is not one block of stone, as seems at first, but a mass ofmasonry so cunningly joined together as to look like one solid piece.See, here are the joints; I can feel them with my fingernail, though Ican scarce see them with my eyes. Let us count the number of the stonesused. Yes; there are nine in all from top to bottom, each of the samewidth. Therefore the seventh from the top is the third counting from thebottom. This is the stone which is the key."
So saying, Gaston set his knee against it and pressed with all hismight. Almost to his own surprise he felt it give as he did so, andRaymond uttered a short cry of astonishment: for the whole of what hadlooked like a solid wall revolved slowly inwards, revealing acontinuation of the passage which they had been traversing so long, onlythat now the passage was plainly one in the interior of the house; forthe walls were of masonry, and the dimensions were far more regular.
"This is the secret door," said Gaston exultingly. "It is in truth acunning contrivance. Let me have the light here a moment, Brother. Iwill see what the trick of the door upon this side is."
This point was quickly settled by an inspection of the ingeniouscontrivance, which was one purely of balance, and not dependent eitherupon springs or bolts. Probably it dated back from days when theselatter things were hardly known, and was so satisfactory in the workingthat it had never been improved upon.
"The way to Basildene is always open to us," murmured Raymond, with aquick thrill of exultation, as the brothers passed through the doorwayand let it close behind them; and then they forgot all else in theexcitement of the search after the woodman's miserable son.
What strange places they came upon in this underground region below theill-famed house! Plainly these cells had been built once for prisoners;for there were fragments of rusty chains still fastened to the stonefloors, and in one spot a grinning skull lying broken in a corner sentthrills of horror through the brothers' hearts. From time to time thesound of that unearthly wailing reached their ears, though it was almostimpossible to divine from what direction it proceeded; and it had a farless human sound now that the boys were within the precincts of thehouse than had been the case when they were still outside.
Whether this was more alarming or less they hardly knew. Everything wasso strange and dreamlike that they could not tell whether or not allwere real. They pressed on eager to accomplish the object of theirsearch, resolved to do that at all cost, and anxious to keep themselvesfrom thinking or feeling too much until that object should be accomplished.
They had mounted some stairs, and had reached a different level from theunderground passages, when they found their further progress barred by astrong door. This door was bolted, but from the outside, and they had nodifficulty in withdrawing the heavy bolts from their sockets. When thishad been done the door opened of itself, and they found themselves in alarge vaulted room utterly unlike any place they had ever seen before.They grasped each other by the hand and gazed about in wonder.
"It is the magician's laboratory!" whispered Raymond, whose recentreadings with John had taught him many things.
He recognized the many crucibles and the strange implements lying on thetable as the things employed by dabblers in magic lore, whilst the greatsullen wood and charcoal fire, which illumined the place with a dull redglow, was all in keeping with the nature of the occupations carried onthere, as was the strange pungent smell that filled the air.
Rows of jars and bottles upon shelves, strange-looking mirrors andcrystals, some fixed and some lying upon the tables, books andparchments full of cabalistic signs propped open beside the crucibles orhung against the wall, all gave evidence of the nature of the pursuitscarried on in that unhallowed spot. The brothers, burning with curiosityas well as filled with awe, approached the tables and looked into themany vessels lying upon them, shuddering as the crimson contents madethem think of blood.
Gaston put forth his hand cautiously and touched an ebony rod tippedwith crystal that lay beside the largest crucible. As he did so a heavygroan seemed to arise from the very ground at his feet, and he droppedthe implement with a smothered exclamation of terror. Raymond at thesame moment looking hastily round the dim place, grasped his brother'sarm, and pointed to a dark corner not many paces from them.
"Brother, see there! see there!" he whispered. "Sure there is the boy wehave come to save!"
Gaston looked and made a quick step forward. Sure enough, there upon thefloor, bound hand and foot with leather thongs that had been pulledcruelly tight, lay the emaciated figure of what had once been a handsomeand healthy boy, but was now little more than a living skeleton. Hisface still retained its beauty of outline, though these outlines wereterribly pinched and sharpened, but the expression of abject terror inthe great blue eyes was pitiful to behold, and as Gaston and Raymondbent over the boy, a shrill cry, as of agony or terror, broke from hispale lips.
"Who are you?" he gasped. "How have you come? Oh, do not touch me -- donot hurt me! Go -- go quickly from this evil place, or perchance thosedevils will return and capture you as they have captured me, that theymay torture you to death as they are torturing me. Oh, how did you come?I know the doors are locked and bolted. Are you devils in human guise,or hapless prisoners like myself? Oh, if you are still free, go -- goere they can return! They know that they cannot keep me much longer;they are thirsting for another victim. Let them not return to find youhere; and plunge your own dagger into your heart sooner than be made aslave as I have been!"
These words were not all spoken at once, but were gasped out bit by bitwhilst the twin brothers, with wrath and fury in their hearts, cut thetough thongs that bound the wrists and ankles of the boy, and raised hishead as they poured down his throat the strong cordial that had beengiven to them by John, and which was a marvellous restorer of exhaustednature.
They had food, too, in a wallet, and they made the boy eat before theytold him aught of their mission; and after the first gasping words ofwarning and wonder, it seemed as though he obeyed their behestsmechanically, most likely taking it all for part and parcel of somestrange vision.
But as the sorely-needed nourishment and the powerful restorative didits work upon the boy, he began to understand that this was no vision,and that something utt
erly inexplicable had befallen him, whether forweal or woe his confused senses would not tell him. He heard as in adream the hurried explanations of the boys, drawing his brows togetherin the effort to understand. But when they spoke of flight he shook hishead, and pointed to the door leading into the house.
"No man may pass out of that," he said, in low despairing tones. "Howyou came in I cannot even guess. It is guarded by a fierce hound, whowill tear in pieces any who approaches save his master. There is no wayof escape for me. If you are blessed spirits from the world above, flyhence the way you came. For me, I must ever remain the slave of him who,if not the devil himself, is his sworn servant."
"We will go, and that quickly," answered Raymond; "but thou shalt gowith us. We are no spirits, but let us be such to thee for the nonce.Fear nothing; only trust us and obey us. If thou wilt do both thesethings, thou shalt this very night escape for ever from the tyranny ofhim whom thou hast served so long in such cruel bondage."
The boy looked at the face bending over him, instinct with courage and adeep sympathy and brotherly love, and a strange calm and security seemedto fall upon him. He rose to his feet, though with some difficulty, andlaid his hand in Raymond's.
"I will go with thee to the world's end. Be my master, and break thehated yoke of that monster of wickedness, and I will serve thee forever. Thou art a ministering spirit sent from Heaven. I verily believethat thou canst free me from this slavery."
"Kneel then and lift thy heart in prayer to the Great God of Heaven andearth," answered Raymond, a strange sense of power and responsibilityfalling upon him at this moment, together with a clearer, purerperception of divine things than had ever been vouchsafed him before --"ay, here in this very place, polluted though it may be; for God'spresence is everywhere, and it may be He will give thee, even in thisfearful chamber of abominations, that release of soul which is the rightof each of His human creatures. Kneel, and lift thy heart in prayer. Itoo will pray with thee and for thee. He will hear us, for He loves us.Be not afraid; pray with boldness, pray with love in thine heart. Godalone can loose the bands of the thraldom which binds thee; and He wiltdo it if thou canst trust in Him."
First making the sign of the cross over the kneeling boy, and thenkneeling by his side, Raymond directed his crushed spirit to rise in anact of devotion and supplication; and the child, believing that mostassuredly a divine messenger had come to deliver him from the hand ofhis persecutor, was able to utter his prayer in a spirit of trust andhope that brought its own immediate answer in a strange calm and confidence.
"Come," said Gaston cautiously; "we must not longer delay. We have along night's ride before us, and John will be wondering what detains usthis long while."
Together they supported the feeble steps of the boy, who was passive andquiet in their hands. He was scarce amazed by the opening of themysterious inner door within a vaulted arch, through which he saw fromtime to time his captors disappear, but which was ever firmly bolted andbarred upon the outer side. He did not even hang back through dread ofwhat might befall him if he were again recalled, as on a formeroccasion, by the diabolic arts of his master. He was so firmly persuadedof the supernatural character of these visitors, that he had faith andstrength to let them do with him what they would without comment,question, or remonstrance.
When they reached the outer air, after having successfully passed thesecret door again, he gave one great gasp of surprise and reeled as ifalmost intoxicated by the sweet freshness of the spring night; but thestrong arms of his protectors supported him, and hurrying along throughthe woodland tracks already traversed earlier in the evening, theyquickly approached the appointed place just on the outskirts of theBasildene lands, where John, attended by three trusty serving men,together with the old woodman, were impatiently awaiting the return ofthe twins.
"We have him safe!" cried Gaston, as he bounded on a few paces inadvance; and as the words were spoken there broke from the lips of theold woodman a strange inarticulate cry.
He sprang forward with a swiftness and agility that seemed impossible inone so bent and bowed, and the next minute he had clasped his son in hisarms, and was weeping those terrible tears of manhood over the emaciatedform clasped to his breast.
Leaving the father and son for a few moments together, the brothers inrapid words told their tale to John, who heard it with greatsatisfaction. But time was passing, and there was no longer any need fordelay. The journey before them was somewhat rough and tedious, and allwere anxious to put many miles of forest road between themselves andBasildene ere the dawn should break.
John did not greatly fear pursuit. He did not believe that the old man'soccult powers would enable him to track the fugitive; but he was notcertain of this, and the rest were all of opinion that he both could andwould follow, and that remorselessly, the moment he discovered the lossof his captive.
Certainly it could do no harm to put all possible distance betwixt theboy and his master, and the party got to horse with the smallestpossible delay. Once let the boy be placed within the precincts of theSanctuary for which he was bound, in the keeping of the holy man of Godwhose power was known to be so great, and none feared for the result.But if the boy should be seized upon the road with one of his fits offrenzy, no one could tell what the result might be, and so there was nodissentient voice raised when a quick start and a rapid pace wassuggested by Gaston.
The woodman took his boy in front of him upon the strong animal hebestrode. Roger was plainly unfit to sit a horse unsupported by a strongarm, and as they rode through the chill night air a dull lethargy seemedto fall upon him, and he slept in an uneasy, troubled fashion. Everymoment his father feared to hear him answer an unheard call, feared tofeel him struggle wildly in his encircling arm; but neither of thesethings happened. Mile after mile was traversed; the moonlight enabledthe party to push rapidly onward. Mile after mile slipped away; and justas the first dim rays of dawn appeared in the eastern sky, John, who washimself by this time looking white and jaded, pointed eagerly towards aspire rising up against the saffron of the sky to the south.
"That is the spire of St. Michael's church," he cried. "The abode of theholy men of whom Father Paul is one is nigh at hand. Ride on, goodGaston, and bid the holy man come forth in the name of the love of theBlessed Saviour. If we may once put the child in his keeping, the powersof hell will not prevail to snatch him thence."
Gaston, who was the freshest of the little band, eagerly pressed onwardwith his message. His tired horse, seeing signs of habitation, prickedup his ears, and broke into an eager gallop. The youth quicklydisappeared from the eyes of his companions along the road; but whenthey reached the monastery gate they saw that his errand had beenaccomplished. A tall monk, holding in his hand a crucifix, advanced tomeet them, with a word of blessing which bared all heads; and advancingto the side of the woodman's horse, he took the apparently inanimateform of the boy in his arms, and looking into the wan face, said:
"Peace be with thee, my son. Into the care of Holy Church I receivethee. Let him who can prevail against the Church of God pluck thee fromthat keeping!"
In the Days of Chivalry: A Tale of the Times of the Black Prince Page 10
