by James Hogg
CHAPTER IV.
And O that pegis weste is slymme, And his ee wald garr the daye luke dymme; His broue is brente, his brestis fayre, And the deemonde lurkis in hys revan hayre. Alake for thilke bonnye boye sae leile That lyes withe oure Kynge in the hie-lande shiele!
_Old Rhyme._
I winna gang in, I darena gang in, Nor sleep i' your arms ava; Fu' laithly wad a fair may sleep Atween you an' the wa'. War I to lie wi' a belted knight, In a land that's no my ain, Fu' dear wad be my courtesye, An' dreich wad be my pain.
_Old Ballad._
One cold biting evening, at the beginning of November, Patrick Chisholmof Castleweary, an old yeoman in the upper part of Teviotdale, satconversing with his family all in a merry and cheerful mood. They wereplaced in a circle round a blazing hearth fire, on which hung a hugecaldron, boiling and bubbling like the pool at the foot of a cataract.The lid was suspended by a rope to the iron crook on which this lordlymachine was hung, to intercept somewhat the showers of soot that now andthen descended from the rafters. These appeared as if they had beencovered with pitch or black japanning; and so violently was the kettleboiling, that it made the roof of Pate Chisholm's bigging all to shiver.Notwithstanding these showers of soot, Pate and his four goodly sonseyed the boiling caldron with looks of great satisfaction,--for ever andanon the hough of an immense leg of beef was to be seen cutting itscapers in the boil, or coming with a graceful semicircular sweep fromone lip of the pot to the other.
"Is it true, callants," said Pate, "that Howard is gaun to make adiversion, as they ca't, in the west border, to draw off the warden fraethe Cheviots?"
"As muckle is said, an' as muckle expectit," said Dan, his first born, agoodly youth, who, with his three brethren, sat in armour. They had comehome to their father's house that night with their share of a rich preythat the warden had kidnapped while just collecting to send to Roxburghunder a guard of five thousand men. But Sir Ringan, getting intelligenceof it, took possession of the drove before it was placed under thecharge of those intended to guard it.
"As muckle is said, an' as muckle is expectit," said Dan; "but the westborder will never turn out sae weel to us as the east has done. It'so'er near the Johnstones, and the Jardines, and the hurkle-backitHendersons."
Pate looked from under his bonnet at the hough of beef.--"The Cheviothills hae turned weel out for the warden," continued Dan; "Redhough an'his lads hae been as weel scrieving o'er law and dale as lying gettinghard pelts round the stane wa's o' Roxburgh, an' muckle mair gude has hedone; for gin they dinna hunger them out o' their hauddin, they'll keepit. Ye'll draw an Englishman by the gab easier than drive him wi' anairn gaud. I wad ride fifty miles to see ony ane o' the bonny dames thata' this pelting an' peching is about."
"Twa wanton glaikit gillies, I'll uphaud," said Pate, looking at therestless hough; "o'er muckle marth i' the back, an' meldar i' thebrusket. Gin I had the heffing o' them, I sude tak a staup outo' their bickers.--Whisht, I thought I heard the clanking o' horseheels.--Callant, clap the lid down on the pat; what hae they't hinginggeaving up there for?"
The clattering of the horses approached, but apparently with caution;and at length a voice called at the door in an English accent, "Hollo,who holds here?" "Leel men, an' for the Scots," answered Dan, startingto his feet, and laying his hand on his sword. "For the knight ofMountcomyn, the Scottish warden?"--inquired the horseman without. "Forthe same," was the answer. "It is toward his castle that we are bound.Can any of you direct us the way?"
"Troth, that I can," said old Pate, groping to satisfy himself that thelid was close down on the pot, and then running to the door; "I can tellyou every fit o' the road, masters: You maun gang by the Fanesh,you see; it lies yon way, you see; an' then up the Brown rig, asstraight as a line through Philhope-head, an' into Borthwick; then upAitas-burn,--round the Crib-law,--an' wheel to the right; then the burnthat ye come to there, ye maun cross that, and three miles farther onyou come to the castle of Mountcomyn.--Braw cheer there lads!"
"I am afraid, friend," said the English trooper, "we will make nothingof this direction. Is it far to this same castle of the Scottishwarden?"
"O no, naething but a step, some three Scots miles."
"And how is the road?"
"A prime road, man; no a step in't a' wad tak your horse to the brusket;only there's nae track; ye maun just take an ettle. Keep an ee on thetail o' Charlie's wain, an' ye'll no gang far wrang."
"Our young lord and master is much fatigued," said the trooper; "I amafraid we shall scarcely make it out. Pray, sir, could you spare us aguide?"
Dan, who was listening behind, now stepped forward, and addressed them:"My masters, as the night is o' darkness, I could hardly ride toMountcomyn mysel, an', far or near, I couldna win there afore day. Ginye dought accept o' my father's humble cheer the night--"
"The callant's bewiddied, an' waur than bewiddied," said Pate: "We haenacheer for oursels, let abe for a byking o' English lords an' squires!"
"I would gladly accept of any accommodation," said a sweet delicatevoice, like that of a boy; "for the path has been so dreadful that I amalmost dead, and unable to proceed further. I have a safe-conduct to theScottish court, signed by all the wardens of the marches, and everyknight, yeoman, and vassal is obliged to give me furtherance."
"I dinna ken muckle about conducks an' signatures," said Pate, "but Itrow there winna be mony syllables in some o' the names if a' thewardens hae signed your libelt; for I ken weel there's ane o' them whaseedication brak aff at the letter G, an' never gat farrer. But I'm noca'ing ye a leear, southron lord, ye may be a vera honest man; an' asyour errand may be something unco express, ye had better post on."
"It sal never be casten up to me neither in camp nor ha," said Dan,"that a stranger was cawed frae my auld father's door at this time o'the night. Light down, light down, southron lord, ye are a privilegedman; an', as I like to see the meaning o' things, I'll ride wi' ye myselthe morn, fit for fit, to the castle o' Mountcomyn."
The strangers were soon all on their feet, and ushered into the familycircle, for there was no fire-place in the house but that one. Theyconsisted of five stout troopers, well armed, a page, and a youngnobleman, having the appearance of a youth about seventeen or eighteenyears of age. Every eye was instantly turned on him, there was somethingso extraordinary in his appearance. Instead of a steel helmet, he wore avelvet cap, shaped like a crown, striped with belts, bars, and crossesof gold wire, and manifestly more for ornament than use. His fairringlets were peeping in curls out from below his cap, and his faceand bright blue eyes were lovely as the dawn of a summer's morning.
They were not well seated till a noise of the tread of horses was againheard.
"The warld be a-wastle us!" cried old Pate, "wha's that now? I thinkfouk will be eaten up wi' fouk, an' naething for folk's pains but drythanks;--thanks winna feed the cat--"
He was stopped in his regretful soliloquy by a rough voice at the door:"Ho, wha bauds the house?" The same answer was given as to the formerparty, and in a minute the strangers entered without law or leave.
"Ye travel unco late, maisters," said old Pate: "How far may ye be forthe night?"
"We meant to have reached the tower of Gorranberry to-night," said oneof the strangers, "but we have been benighted, and were drawn hither bythe light in your hole. I fear we must draw on your hospitality tillday."
"Callant Peter, gang an' stap a wisp i' that bole," said Pate; "itseems to be the beacon light to a' the clanjaumphry i' the hale country.I tauld ye aye to big it up; but no ane o' ye heeds what I say. I haeseen houses that _some_ fouk whiles gaed by. But, my maisters, its naegate ava to Gorranberry,--a mere haut-stride-and-loup. I'll send a guideto Bilhope-head wi' ye; for troth we hae neither meat nor drink,house-room nor stabling, mair about the toun. We're but poor yeomen, an'haud our mailin for hard service. We hae tholed a foray the nightalready, an' a double ane wad herrie us out o' house an' hauld. Thewarld be a'
wastle us! I think a' the mosstroopers be abraid the night!Bairns, swee that bouking o' claes aff the fire; ye'll burn it i' theboiling."
The new comers paid little attention to this address of the old man;they saw that he was superannuated, and had all the narrow selfishnessthat too generally clings to that last miserable stage of humanexisence; but drawing nigh they began to eye the southron party withlooks of dark suspicion, if not of fierceness.
"I see what maks ye sae frightet at our entrance here," said the firstScots trooper, ye hae some southron spies amang ye--Gudeman, ye salanswer to the king for this, an' to the Douglas too, whilk ye'll find awaur job."
"Ken where ye are, an' wha ye're speaking to," said Dan, steppingforward and browing the last speaker face to face: "If either the aeparty or the ither be spies, or aught else but leel men, ye shall find,ere ye gang far, whase land ye are on, an' whase kipples ye are under.That auld man's my father, an,' doitet as he is, the man amang ye thatsays a saucy word to him I'll gar sleep in his shoon a fit shorter thanhe rase i' the morning. Wha are ye, sir, or where do you travel by nighton my master the warden's bounds?"
"Sir," answered another trooper, who seemed to be rather a more polishedman, "I applaud your spirit, and will answer your demand. We go with ourlord and master, Prince Alexander Stuart of Scotland, on a mission to anoble English family. Here is the king's seal as well as a pass signedby the English warden. We are leel men and true."
"Where is the prince?" said Dan: "A prince of Scotland i' my father'shouse? Which is he?"
A slender elegant stripling stept forward. "Here he is, brave yeoman,"said the youth: "No ceremony--Regard me as your fellow and companion forthis night."
Dan whipped off his bonnet and clapped his foot upon it, and bowing lowand awkwardly to his prince he expressed his humble respect as well ashe could, and then presented the prince to his father. The title soundedhigh in the old man's ears, he pulled off his bonnet and looked with anunsteady gaze, as if uncertain on whom to fix it--"A prince! Eh?--Is hea prince o' Scotland? Ay, ay!" said he, "Then he'll maybe hae some saywi' our head men--Dan--I say, Dan"--and with that he pulled Dan'ssleeve, and said in a whisper loud enough to be heard over all thehouse,--"I say, Dan, man, gin he wad but speak to the warden to let ushae a' the land west the length o' the Frosty lair. O it wad lie weelinto ours." "It wad, father, and I daresay we may get it; but hush justnow." "Eh? do you think we may get it?" enquired the old man eagerly inthe same whispering tremulous voice, "O man, it wad lie weel in; an' saewad Couter's-cleuch. It's no perfect wanting that too. An' we wad be agreat deal the better o' twa or three rigs aff Skelfhill for a bitdownfa' to the south--See if ye can speak to the lad."
Dan shook his father's hand, and nodded to him by way of acquiescence.The old man brightened up: "Whar is your titty Bessy, Dan? Whar are a'the idle hizzies? Gar them get something set down to the princely lad:I'se warrant he's e'en hungry. Ye'll no be used til siccan roads asthir, Sir? Na, na. They're unco roads for a prince.--Dan, I say, comethis way; I want to speak to you--I say," (whispering very low aside) "Iwadna let them ken o' the beef, or they'll just gang wi't. Gie them milkan' bread, an' cheese, an' a drap o' the broo; it will do weel aneuch.Hunger's good sauce. But, Dan,--I say, could ye no contrive to get quato' thae English? I doubt there will be little made of them:--They're buta wheen gillie-gaupies at the best, an nae freends to us.--Fouk sude aybow to the bush they get bield frae."
"It's a' true that ye say, father; but we surely needna grudge anEnglishman a piece o' an English cow's hip.--The beef didna cost youdear, an' there's mair where it cam frae."
The old man would not give up his point, but persisted in saying it wasa dangerous experiment, and an unprofitable waste. However, in spite ofhis remonstrances, the board was loaded with six wooden bickers filledwith beef broth, plenty of bear-meal bannocks, and a full quarter ofEnglish ox beef, to which the travellers did all manner of justice. Theprince, as he called himself, was placed at the head of the table, andthe young English nobleman by his side. Their eyes were scarcely everturned from one another's faces, unless in a casual hasty glance to seehow others were regarding the same face. The prince had dark raven hairthat parted on a brow of snow, a black liquid eye, and round lips,purer than the cherry about to fall from the tree with ripeness. He wasalso a degree taller than the English lord; but both of them, as well astheir two pages, were lovelier than it became men to be. The trooperswho attended them seemed disposed to contradict every thing that camefrom the adverse party, and, if possible, to broach a quarrel, had itnot been for the two knights, who were all suavity, good breeding, andkindness to each other, and seemed to have formed an attachment at firstsight. At length Prince Alexander inquired of his new associate hisname, and business at the Scottish court, provided, he said, that it didnot require strict secrecy. The other said, he would tell him everything truly, on condition that he would do the same: which being agreedto, the young English nobleman proceeded as follows:
"My name is Lord Jasper Tudor, second son to the Earl of Pembroke. I amnearly related to the throne of England, and in high favour with theking. The wars on the Borders have greatly harassed the Englishdalesmen for these many years, and matters being still getting worsebetween the nations, the king, my cousin, has proposed to me tomarry the Princess Margaret of Scotland, and obtain as her dowry aconfirmation of these border lands and castles, so that a permanentpeace may be established between the nations, and this bloody anddesperate work cease. I am on my way to the Scottish court to seethe princess, your sister; and if I find her to be as lovely andaccomplished as fame speaks her, I intend to comply with the king'srequest, and marry her forthwith."
This speech affected the prince so much that all the guests wondered. Hestarted to his feet, and smiling in astonishment said, "What, you? youmarry m--m--my sister Margaret? She is very much beholden to you, and onmy word she will see a becoming youth. But are you sure that she willaccept of you for a husband?" "I have little to fear on that head," saidthe Lord Jasper Tudor jeeringly; "Maids are in general not much averseto marriage; and, if I am well informed, your lovely sister is aslittle averse to it as any of her contemporaries."
The prince blushed deep at this character of his sister, but had not aword to say.
"Pray," continued Tudor, "is she like you? If she is, I think I shalllove her,--I would not have her just like you neither."
"I believe," said the prince, "there is a strong family likeness; buttell me in what features you would wish her to differ from me, and Iwill describe her minutely to you."
"In the first place," said the amorous and blue-ey'd Tudor, "I shouldlike her to be a little stouter, and more manly of frame than you, and,at least, to have some appearance of a beard."
All the circle stared. "The devil you would, my lord," said Dan; "Wad yelike your wife to hae a beard, in earnest? Gude faith, an your ain warlike mine, ye wad think ye had eneuch o't foreby your wife's." Theprince held up his hands in astonishment, and the young English lordblushed deeper than it behoved a knight to do; but at length he tried tolaugh it by, pretending that he had unwittingly said one thing when hemeant the very contrary, for he wished her to be more feminine, and haveless beard."--"I think that will hardly be possible," said Dan; "butperhaps there may be a hair here an' there on my lord the prince's chin,when ane comes near it. I wadna disparage ony man, far less my king'sson."
"Well, my noble lord," said the prince, "your tale has not a littlesurprised me, as well it may. Our meeting here in like circumstances isthe most curious rencounter I ever knew; for, to tell you the plaintruth, I am likewise on an errand of the same import, being thus far onmy way to see and court the lady Jane Howard, in order that all her widedomains may be attached to my father's kingdom, and peace and amitythereby established on the border."
"Gracious heaven!" said young Lord Tudor, "can this that I hear be true?You? Are you on your way to my cousin, the lady Jane Howard? Why, do younot know that she is already affianced to Lord Musgrave?"
"Yes, it
is certain I do; but that is one of my principal inducements togain her from him; that is quite in the true spirit of gallantry; but,save her great riches, I am told she has little else to recommend her,"said the prince.
"And, pray, how does fame report of my cousin Jane?" said Tudor.
"As of a shrew and a coquette," answered the prince; "a wicked minx,that is intemperate in all her passions."
"It is a manifest falsehood," said Tudor, his face glowing withresentment, "I never knew a young lady so moderate and chastened inevery passion of the female heart. Her most private thoughts are pure aspurity itself, and her--."
"But, begging your pardon, my lord, how can you possibly know all this?"said the prince.
"I do know it," said the other, "it is no matter how: I cannot hear myfair cousin wronged; and I know that she will remain true to Musgrave,and have nothing to do with you."
"I will bet an earldom on that head, said the prince, "if I chuse tolay siege to her."
"Done!" said the other, and they joined hands on the bargain; but theyhad no sooner laid their hands into one another's than they hastilywithdrew them, with a sort of trepidation, that none of the lookers on,save the two pages, who kept close by their masters, appeared tocomprehend. They, too, were both mistaken in the real cause; but of thatit does not behove to speak at present.
"I will let you see," said the prince, recovering himself, "that thiscelebrated cousin of yours shall not be so ill to win as the castle ofRoxburgh; and I'll let Musgrave see for how much truth and virginfidelity he has put his life in his hand; and when I have her I'll cageher, for I don't like her. I would give that same earldom to have her inmy power to-night."
The young Lord Tudor looked about as if he meditated an escape toanother part of the table; but, after a touch that his page gave him onthe sleeve, he sat still, and mustered up courage for a reply.
"And pray, sir prince, what would you do with her if you had her in yourpower to-night?"
"Something very different from what I would do with you, my lord. Butplease describe her to me, for my very heart is yearning to beholdher,--describe every point of her form, and lineament of her features."
"She is esteemed as very beautiful; for my part I think her but so so,"said Tudor: "She has fair hair, light full blue eyes, and ruddy cheeks;and her brow, I believe, is as fine and as white as any brow can be."
"O frightful! what a description! what an ugly minx it must be! Fairhair! red, I suppose, or dirty dull yellow! Light blue eyes! mostlywhite I fancy? Ah, what a frightful immodest ape it must be! I couldspit upon the huzzy!"
"Mary shield us!" exclaimed young Tudor, moving farther away from theprince, and striking lightly with his hand on his doublet as ifsomething unclean had been squirted on it. "Mary shield us! What doesthe saucy Scot mean?"
Every one of the troopers put his hand to his sword, and watched the eyeof his master. The prince beckoned to the Scots to be quiet; but LordTudor did no such thing, for he was flustered and wroth.
"Pardon me, my lord," said the prince, "I may perhaps suffer enough fromthe beauty and perfections of your fair cousin after I see her; you maysurely allow me to deride them now. I am trying to depreciate the charmsI dread. But I do not like the description of her. Tell me seriously doyou not think her very intolerable?"
"I tell you, prince, I think quite otherwise. I believe Jane to be fiftytimes more lovely than any dame in Scotland; and a hundred times morebeautiful than your tawny virago of a sister, whom I shall rejoice totame like a spaniel. The haughty, vain, conceited, swart venom, that sheshould lay her commands on the Douglas to conquer or die for her! A finepresumption, forsooth! But the world shall see whether the charms of mycousin, Lady Jane Howard, or those of your grim and tawdry princess,have most power."
"Yes, they shall, my lord," said the prince: "In the mean time let usdrop the subject. I see I have given you offence, not knowing that youwere in love with Lady Jane, which now I clearly see to be the case.Nevertheless, go on with the description, for I am anxious to hear allabout her, and I promise to approve if there be a bare possibility ofit."
"Her manner is engaging, and her deportment graceful and easy; her waistis slim, and her limbs slender and elegant beyond any thing you eversaw," said Lord Tudor.
"O shocking!" exclaimed the prince, quite forgetting himself: "Worst ofall! I declare I have no patience with the creature. After such adescription, who can doubt the truth of the reports about the extremelevity of her conduct? Confess now, my lord, that she is very free ofher favours, and that the reason why so many young gentlemen visit heris now pretty obvious."
High offence was now manifest in Lord Jasper Tudor's look. He rose fromhis seat, and said in great indignation, "I did not ween I should beinsulted in this guise by the meanest peasant in Scotland, far less byone of its courtiers, and least of all by a prince of the blood royal.Yeomen, I will not, I cannot suffer this degradation. These ruffianScots are intruders on us,--here I desire that you will expel them thehouse."
The Prince of Scotland was at the head of the table, Tudor was at hisright hand; the rest of the English were all on that side, the Scots onthe other,--their numbers were equal. Dan and his three brethren sat atthe bottom of the board around the old man, who had been plying at thebeef with no ordinary degree of perseverance, nor did he cease when thefray began. Every one of the two adverse parties was instantly on hisfeet, with his sword gleaming in his hand; but finding that the benchesfrom which they had arisen hampered them, they with one accord sprung onthe tops of these, and crossed their swords. The pages screamed likewomen. The two noble adventurers seemed scarcely to know the use oftheir weapons, but looked on with astonishment. At length the prince,somewhat collecting himself, drew out his shabby whanger, and brandishedit in a most unwarlike guise, on which the blue-eyed Tudor retreatedbehind his attendants, holding up his hands, but still apparently intenton revenge for the vile obloquy thrown on the character of _his cousin_,Lady Jane Howard. "Tis just pe te shance she vantit," said the Scot nextto the prince.
"My certy, man, we'll get a paick at the louns now," said the second.
"Fat te teel's ta'en 'e bits o' vee laddies to flee a' eet abeet 'erbuts o' wheers? I wudnae hae my feet i' their sheen for three plucks ana beedle," said the third.
"Thou's a' i' the wrang buox now, chaps," said the fourth. These wereall said with one breath; and before the Englishmen had time to reply,clash went the swords across the table, and the third Scot, the trueAberdonian, was wounded, as were also two of the Englishmen, at the veryfirst pass.
These matters are much sooner done than described. All this was thework of a few seconds, and done before advice could either be given orattended to. Dan now interfered with all the spirit and authority thathe was master of. He came dashing along the middle of the board in hisgreat war boots, striking up their swords as he came, and interposinghis boardly frame between the combatants. "D--n ye a' for a wheenmadcaps!" cried Dan as loud as he could bawl: "What the muckle deil'sfa'en a bobbing at your midriffs now? Ye're a' my father's guests an'mine; an', by the shin-banes o' Sant Peter, the first side that lifts asword, or says a misbehadden word, my three brethren and I will tak' thetother side, an' smoor the transgressors like as mony moor-poots."
"Keep your feet aff the meat, fool," said old Pate.
"Gude sauff us!" continued Dan, "What has been said to gie ony offence?What though the young gentlewoman dis tak a stown jink o' a' chap that'sher ain sweet-heart whiles? Where's the harm in that? There's littledoubt o' the thing. An' for my part, gin she didna"--
Here Dan was interrupted in his elegant harangue by a wrathful hystericscream from young Tudor, who pulled out his whinyard, and ran at Dan,boring at him in awkward but most angry sort, crying all the while, "Iwill not bear this insult! Will my followers hear me traduced to myface?"
"Deil's i' e' wee but steepid laddie," said Buchan the Aberdonian; "itthinks 'at 'er preeving it to be a wheer 'e sel o't!"
Dan lifted up his heavy sword in high cho
ler to cleave the stripling,and he would have cloven him to the belt, but curbing his wrath, he onlystruck his sword, which he made fly into pieces and jingle against therafters of the house; then seizing the young adventurer by the shoulder,he snatched him up to him on the board, where he still stood, and,taking his head below his arm, he held him fast with the one hand,making signs with the other to his brethren to join the Scots, anddisarm the English, who were the aggressors both times. In the meantime,he was saying to Tudor, "Hout, hout, young master, ye hae never beeno'er the Border afore; ye sude hae stayed at hame, an' wantit a wifetill ye gathered mair rummelgumption."
The five English squires, now seeing themselves set upon by nine,yielded, and suffered themselves to be disarmed.
When Tudor came to himself, he appeared to be exceedingly grieved at hisimprudence, and ready to make any acknowledgment, while the princetreated him with still more and more attention; yet these attentionswere ever and anon mixed with a teazing curiosity, and a great manyinquiries, that the young nobleman could not bear, and did not chuse toanswer.
It now became necessary to make some arrangement for the parties passingthe night. Patrick Chisholm's house had but one fire-place in anapartment which served for kitchen and hall; but it had a kind of _benend_, as it was then, and is always to this day, denominated in thatpart of the country. There was scarcely room to move a foot in it; for,besides two oaken beds with rowan-tree bars, it contained five hugechests belonging to the father and his sons, that held their clothesand warlike accoutrements. The daughters of yeomen in these days did notsit at table with the men. They were the household servants. Two ofPate's daughters, who had been bustling about all the evening, conductedthe two noble youths into this apartment, together with their two pages.The one bed was neatly made down with clean clothes, and the other in amore common way. "Now," said one of the landward lasses, "You twamasters are to sleep thegither in here,--in o' this gude bed, ye see,an' the twa lads in o' this ane." The two young noblemen were standingclose together, as behoved in such a room. On the girl addressing themthus, their eyes met each other's, but were as instantly withdrawn andfixed on the floor, while a blush of the deepest tint suffused thecheeks of both, spreading over the chin and neck of each. The pagescontemplated each other in the same way, but not with the same degree oftimidity. The English stripling seemed rather to approve of thearrangement, or at least pretended to do so; for he frankly took theother by the hand, and said in a sweet voice, but broad dialect, "Weall,yuong Scuot, daghest thou lig woth mey?" The young Caledonian withdrewhis hand, and held down his head: "I always lie at my master's feet,"said he.
"And so shall you do to-night, Colin," said the prince, "for I willshare this bed with you, and let my lord take the good one." "I cannotgo to bed to-night," said Tudor, "I will rest me on this chest; I amresolved I sha'n't go to bed, nor throw off my clothes to-night."
"Ye winna?" said May Chisholm, who visibly wanted a romp with the youngblooming chief,--"Ye winna gang til nae bed, will ye nae, and me hasbeen at sic pains making it up til ye? Bess, come here an' help me, wesal soon see whether he's gang til his bed or no, an' that no wi' hisbraw claes on neither." So saying, the two frolicsome queans seized therosy stripling, and in a moment had him stretched on the bed, and,making his doublet fly open all at one rude pull, they were proceedingto undress him, giggling and laughing all the while. Prince Alexander,from a momentary congenial feeling of delicacy, put his hand hastilyacross to keep the lapels of Tudor's vesture together, without themotion having been perceived by any one in the hurry, and that momentthe page flung himself across his master's breast, and reproved thelasses so sharply that they desisted, and left them to settle the matteras they chose.
The prince had, however, made a discovery that astonished himexceedingly; for a few minutes his head was almost turned,--but thetruth soon began to dawn on his mind, and every reflection, everycoincidence, every word that had been said, and offence that had beentaken, tended to confirm it: so he determined, not for farther trial,but for the joke's sake, to press matters a little further.
When quietness was again restored, and when the blush and the frown hadseveral times taken alternate sway of the young lord's face, the princesaid to him, "After all, my lord, I believe we must take share of thesame bed together for this one night. It is more proper and becomingthan to sleep with our pages. Besides, I see the bed is good and clean,and I have many things to talk to you about our two countries, and aboutour two intended brides, or sweet-hearts let us call them in themeantime."
"Oh no, no, prince," said Tudor, "indeed I cannot, I may not, I wouldnot sleep in the same bed with another gentleman--No--I neverdid--never."
"Do not say so, my dear lord, for, on my word, I am going to insist onit," said the prince, coming close up to him, his eyes beaming with joyat the discovery he had made. "You shall sleep by my side to-night: nay,I will even take you in my bosom and caress you as if you were my ownsweet dear Lady Jane Howard." Tudor was now totally confounded, and knewneither what to say for himself, nor what he did say when he spoke. Heheld out both his hands, and cried, "Do not, prince, do not--I beg--Iimplore do not; for I cannot, cannot consent. I never slept even in thesame apartment with a man in all my life."
"What, have you always slept in a room by yourself?" asked the teazingprince.
"No, never, but always with ladies--yes, always!" was the passionate andsincere reply.
Here the prince held up his hands, and turned up his eyes. "What a youngprofligate!" exclaimed he, "Mary shield us! Have you no conscience withregard to the fair sex that you have begun so wicked a course, and thatso early? Little did I know why you took a joke on your cousin soheinously amiss! I see it now, truth will out! Ah, you are such a youth!I will not go a foot further to see Lady Jane. What a wicked degradedimp she must be! Do not kindle into a passion again, my dear lord. I canwell excuse your feigned wrath, it is highly honourable. I hate theknight that blabs the favours he enjoys from the fair. He is bound todefend the honour that has stooped to him; even though (as in thepresent instance I suppose) it have stooped to half a dozen morebesides."
A great deal of taunting and ill humour prevailed between thesecapricious and inexperienced striplings, and sorely was Tudor pressedto take share of a bed with the prince, but in vain--his feelingsrecoiled from it; and the other, being in possession of a secret ofwhich the English lord was not aware, took that advantage of teazing andtormenting him almost beyond sufferance. After all, it was decided thateach should sleep with his own page; a decision that did not seem to gowell down at all with the Yorkshire boy, who once ventured toexpostulate with his lord, but was silenced with a look of angrydisdain.
