Shrewsbury: A Romance

by Stanley John Weyman

  CHAPTER XVI

  The first to enter, and prepared for many things--among which thegloomy surroundings of an ascetic, devoted to the dark usages ofthe old faith, held the first place in probability--I halted insurprise on the threshold of a lofty and splendid room suffused withrose-tinted light, and furnished with a luxury to which I had beenhitherto a stranger. The walls, hung with gorgeous French tapestry,presented a succession of palaces and hunting scenes, interspersedwith birds of strange and tropical plumage; between which and the eyeswere scattered a profusion of Japanese screens, cabinets, and tables,with some of those quaint Dutch idols, brought from the East, which,new to me, were beginning at this time to take the public taste.Embracing the upper half of the room, and also a _ruelle_, in whichstood a stately bed with pillars of silver, a circle of strongerlight, dispersed by lamps cunningly hidden in the ceiling, fell on asuite of furniture of rose brocade and silver; in the great chair ofwhich, with her feet on a foot-stool set upon the open hearth, sat anelderly lady, leaning on an ebony stick. A monkey mowed and gibberedon the back of her chair; and a parrot, vieing in brilliance with thebroidered birds on the wall, hung by its claws from a ring above herhead.

  Nor was the lady herself unworthy of the splendour of hersurroundings. It is true, her face and piled-up hair, painted and dyedinto an extravagant caricature of youth, aped the graces of sixteen,and at the first glance touched the note of the grotesque rather thanthe beautiful; but it needed only a second look to convince me thatwith all that she on whom I looked was a great lady of the world, sostill she sat, and so proud and dark was the gaze she bent on me overher clasped hands.

  At first, it seemed to me, she gazed like one who, feeling a greatsurprise, has learned to hide that and all other emotions. Butpresently, "Come in, booby," she cried, in a voice petulant andcracking with age. "Does a woman frighten you? Come nearer, I say. Ay,I have seen your double. But the lamp has gone out."

  The woman who had admitted me rustled forward. "It has sunk a littleperhaps, madam," she said in a smooth voice. "But I----"

  IN THE GREAT CHAIR SAT AN ELDERLY LADY LEANING ON ANEBONY STICK]

  "But you are a fool," the lady cried. "I meant the lamp in the man,silly. Do you think that anyone who has ever seen him would take thatblock of wood for my son? Give him a brain, and light a fire in him,and spark up those oyster eyes, and----turn him round, turn him round,woman!"

  "Turn," Smith muttered, in a fierce whisper.

  "Ay," the lady cried, as I went to obey, "see his back, and he is likeenough!"

  "And perhaps, madam, strangers----"

  "Strangers? They'd be strange, indeed, man, to be taken in by him! Butwalk him, walk him. Do you hear, fellow," she continued, noddingpeevishly at me, "hold up your head, and cross the room like a man ifyou are one. Do you think the small-pox is in the air that you fearit! Ha! That is better. And what is your name, I wonder, that you havethat nose and mouth, and that turn of the chin?"

  "Charles Taylor," I made bold to answer, though her eyes went throughme, and killed the courage in me.

  "Ay, Charles, that is like enough," she replied. "And Taylor, that wasyour mother's. It is a waiting-woman's name. But who was your father,my man?"

  "Charles Taylor too," I stammered, falling deeper and deeper into thelie.

  "Odds my eyes, no!" she retorted with an ugly grin, and shook herpiled-up head at me, "and you know it! Come nearer!" and then when Iobeyed, "take that for your lie!" she cried; and, leaning forward withan activity I did not suspect, she aimed a blow at me with her ebonycane, and, catching me smartly across the shins, made me jump again."That is for lying, my man," she continued with satisfaction, as Istooped ruefully to rub myself. "Before now I have had a man stoppedand killed in the street for less. Ay, that have I! and a prettier manthan you, and a gentleman! And now walk! walk!" she repeated, tappingthe floor imperiously, "and fancy that you have money in your purse."

  I obeyed. But naturally the smart of the cane did not tend to set meat my ease, or abate my awe of the old witch; and left to myself Ishould have made a poor show. Both the man and the woman, however,prompted and drilled me with stealthy eagerness, and whispering mecontinually to do this and that, to hold up my chin, to lay back myshoulders, to shake out my handkerchief, to point my toes, I suppose Icame off better in this strange exhibition than might have beenexpected. For by-and-by, the lady, who never ceased to watch me withsharp eyes, grunted and bade me stand. "He might pass," she said,"among fools, and with his mouth shut! But odds my life," shecontinued, irritably, "God have mercy on us that there should be needof all this! Is there no royalty left in the world, that my son, ofall people, should turn traitor to his lawful King, and spit on hisfather's faith? Sometimes I could curse him. And you, woman," shecried with sudden fierceness, "you cajoled him once. Can you donothing now, you Jezebel?"

  But the woman she addressed stood stiffly upright, looking before her,and answered nothing; and the mistress, with a smothered curse, turnedto the man. "Well," she said, "have you nothing to say?"

  "Only, madam, what I said before," he answered smoothly and gravely;"my lord's secession is no longer in issue. The question is how he maybe brought back into the path of loyalty. To be frank, he is not ofthe stuff of those, whom your ladyship knows, who will readily lickboth sides of the trencher. And so, without some little pressure, hewill not be brought back. But were he once committed to the goodcause, either by an indiscretion on his own part, if he could beinduced to that----"

  "Which he cannot, man, he cannot," she struck in impatiently. "He madeone slip, and he will make no second."

  "True, madam," the man answered. "Then there remains only the waywhich does not depend on him; and which I before indicated; some rusewhich may lead both the friends and enemies of the good cause to thinkhim committed to it. Afterwards, this opinion being brought to hisnotice, and with it, the possibility of clearing himself to thesatisfaction both of St. Germain's and St. James's, he would, I think,come over."

  "'Tis a long way round," said madam, dryly.

  "It is a long way to Rome, madam," said the man, with meaning in hisvoice.

  She nodded and shifted uneasily in her seat. "You think that the onemeans the other?" she said at last.

  "I do, madam. But there is a new point, which has just arisen."

  "A new point! What?"

  "There is a design, and it presses," the man answered in a low voice,and as if he chose his words with care. "It will be executed withinthe month. If it succeed, and my lord be still where he is, andunreconciled, I know no head will fall so certainly. Not LordMiddleton's influence, no, nor yours, my lady, will save him."

  "What, and my Lord Marlborough escape?"

  "Yes, madam, for he has made his peace, and proved his sincerity."

  "I believe it," she said, grimly. "He is the devil. And his wife islike unto him. But there's Sidney Godolphin--what of him?"

  "He has made his peace, madam."

  "Russell?"

  "The same, madam, and given proofs."

  "But, odds my soul, sir," she cried, sharply and pettishly, "ifeverybody is of one mind, where does it stick that the king does notcome over?"

  "On a life, madam," Smith answered, letting each word fall slowly, asif it were a jewel. "One life intervenes."

  "Ha!" she said, sitting up and looking straight before her. "Sits thewind in that quarter? Well, I thought so."

  "And therefore time presses."

  "Still, man," she said, "our family has done much for the throne; andhis Gracious Majesty has----"

  "Has many virtues, my lady, but he is not forgiving," quoth thetempter, coolly.

  On that she sighed, and deeply; and I, hearing the sigh, and seeinghow uneasily she moved in her chair, comprehended that in old age thepassions, however strong they may have been in youth, become slaves tohelp others to their aims; ay, and I comprehended also that, sharplyas she had just rated both the man and the woman, and great lady asshe was, and arrogant
as had been her life--whereof evidence more thanenough was to be found in every glance of her eye and tone of hervoice--she was now being pushed and pushed and pushed, into that towhich she was but half inclined. But half inclined, I repeat; and yetthe battle was over, and she persuaded. I think, but I am not quitesure, that some assenting word had actually fallen from her--or shewas in the act of speaking one--when a gentle knock at the door cutshort our conference. Mr. Smith raised his hand in warning, and thewoman, gliding to the door, opened it, and after speaking a word tosomeone without, returned.

  "My lord is below," said she.

  It was strange to see how madam's face changed at that; and how, onthe instant, eagerness took the place of fatigue, and hope of _ennui_.There was no question now of withstanding her; or of any other givingorders. The parrot must be removed, because he did not like it; and wefared no better. "Let him up," she cried, peremptorily, striking herstick on the floor; "let him up. And do you, Monterey," she continuedto the woman, "begone, and quickly. It irks him to see you. And,Smith, to-morrow! Do you hear me? come to-morrow, and I will talk. Andtake away that oaf! Ugh, out with him! My lord must not be keptwaiting for such _canaille_. To-morrow! to-morrow!"