Red Eve
Page 24
Three days later Hugh and Grey Dick, in the character of royalmessengers from the King of England to the Doge of Venice, took passagein a great vessel bound for Genoa with a cargo of wool and other goods.On board this ship before he sailed Hugh handed to his father lettersfor Eve and for Sir Andrew Arnold. Also he received from him money inplenty for his faring, and bills of exchange upon certain merchants ofItaly, which would bring him more should it be needed.
Their parting was very sad, since the prophecies of Sir Andrew had takenno small hold upon Master de Cressi's mind.
"I fear me greatly, dear son," he said, "that we part to meet no more.Well, such is the lot of parents. They breed those children that heavendecrees to them; with toil and thought and fears they rear them up frominfancy, learning to love them more than their own souls, for theirsakes fighting a hard world. Then the sons go forth, north and south,and the daughters find husbands and joys and sorrows of their own, andboth half forget them, as is nature's way. Last of all those parentsdie, as also is nature's way, and the half forgetfulness becomes wholeas surely as the young moon grows to full. Well, well, this is a lessonthat each generation must learn in turn, as you will know ere all isdone. Although you are my youngest, I'll not shame to say I have lovedyou best of all, Hugh. Moreover, I've made such provision as I can foryou, who have raised up the old name to honour, and who, as I hope, willonce more blend the de Cressis and the Claverings, the foes of threegenerations, into a single House."
"Speak not so, father," answered Hugh, who was moved almost to tears."Mayhap it is I who shall die, while you live on to a green old age.At least know that I am not forgetful of your love and kindness, seeingthat after Eve you are dearer to me than any on the earth."
"Ay, ay, after Eve and Eve's children. Still you'll have a kind thoughtfor me now and then, the old merchant who so often thwarted you when youwere a wayward lad--for your own good, as he held. For what more cana father hope? But let us not weep before all these stranger men.Farewell, son Hugh, of whom I am so proud. Farewell, son Hugh," and heembraced him and went across the gangway, for the sailors were alreadysinging their chanty at the anchor.
"I never had a father than I can mind," said Grey Dick aloud to himself,after his fashion, "yet now I wish I had, for I'd like to think on hislast words when there was nothing else to do. It's an ugly world as Isee it, but there's beauty in such love as this. The man for the maidand the maid for the man--pish! they want each other. But the father andthe mother--they give all and take nothing. Oh, there's beauty in suchlove as this, so perhaps God made it. Only, then, how did He also makeCrecy Field, and Calais siege, and my black bow, and me the death whodraws it?"