VII.
How the Earl of Surrey and the Fair Geraldine plighted their troth in the Cloisters of Saint George's Chapel.
Barriers were erected on the following day in the upper ward of thecastle, and the Lady Anne and her dames assembled in the balcony infront of the royal lodgings, which was decorated with arras, costlycarpets, and rich stuffs, to view the spectacle.
Perfect in all manly accomplishments, Henry splintered several lanceswith his brother-in-law, the Duke of Suffolk, who formed an admirablematch for him in point of weight and strength; and at last, though hedid not succeed in unhorsing the duke, he struck off his helmet, theclasp of which, it was whispered, was left designedly unfastened; andbeing thereupon declared the victor, he received the prize--a scarfembroidered by her own hands--from the fair Anne herself.
He then retired from the lists, leaving them free for the youngerknights to run a course at the ring. The first to enter the arena wasSir Thomas Wyat; and as he was known to be a skilful jouster, it wasexpected he would come off triumphantly. But a glance from the royalbalcony rendered his arm unsteady, and he missed the mark.
Next came the Duke of Richmond, superbly accoutred. Laughing at Wyat'sill success, he bowed to the Fair Geraldine, and taking a lance from hisesquire, placed it in the rest, and rode gallantly forward. But he wasequally unsuccessful, and retired, looking deeply chagrined.
The third knight who presented himself was Surrey. Mounted on hisfavourite black Arabian--a steed which, though of fiery temper, obeyedhis slightest movement--his light symmetrical figure was seen to thegreatest advantage in his close-fitting habiliments of silk and velvet.Without venturing a look at the royal balcony, the earl couched hislance, and bounding forward, bore away the ring on its point.
Amid the plaudits of the spectators, he then careered around the arena,and approaching the royal balcony, raised his lance, and proffered thering to the Fair Geraldine, who blushingly received it. Henry, though byno means pleased with Surrey's success, earned as it was at the expenseof his son, complimented him upon his skill, and Anne Boleyn joinedwarmly in his praises.
The lists were then closed, and the royal party retired to partake ofrefreshments; after which they proceeded to the butts erected in thebroad mead at the north of the castle, where the Duke of Shoreditch andhis companions shot a well-contested match with the long-bow.
During these sports, Surrey placed himself as near as he could to theFair Geraldine, and though but few opportunities occurred of exchanginga syllable with her, his looks spoke a sufficiently intelligiblelanguage. At last, just as they were about to return to the palace, hebreathed in an imploring tone in her ear--
"You will attend vespers at Saint George's Chapel this evening. Returnthrough the cloisters. Grant me a moment's interview alone there."
"I cannot promise," replied the Fair Geraldine. And she followed in thetrain of the Lady Anne.
The earl's request had not been unheard. As the royal train proceededtowards the castle, Will Sommers contrived to approach the Duke ofRichmond, and said to him, in a jeering tone "You ran but indifferentlyat the ring to-day, gossip. The galliard Surrey rode better, and carriedoff the prize."
"Pest on thee, scurril knave--be silent!" cried Richmond angrily;"failure is bad enough without thy taunts."
"If you had only missed the ring, gossip, I should have thought nothingof it," pursued Will Sommers; "but you lost a golden opportunity ofingratiating yourself with your lady-love. All your hopes are now at anend. A word in your ear--the Fair Geraldine will meet Surrey alone thisevening."
"Thou liest, knave!" cried the duke fiercely.
"Your grace will find the contrary, if you will be at Wolsey'stomb-house at vesper-time," replied the jester.
"I will be there," replied the duke; "but if I am brought on a bootlesserrand, not even my royal father shall save thee from chastisement."
"I will bear any chastisement your grace may choose to inflict uponme, if I prove not the truth of my assertion," replied Sommers. And hedropped into the rear of the train.
The two friends, as if by mutual consent, avoided each other duringthe rest of the day--Surrey feeling he could not unburden his heart toRichmond, and Richmond brooding jealously over the intelligence he hadreceived from the jester.
At the appointed hour the duke proceeded to the lower ward, andstationed himself near Wolsey's tomb-house. Just as he arrived there,the vesper hymn arose from the adjoining fane, and its solemn strainssomewhat soothed his troubled spirit. But they died away; and as thejester came not, Richmond grew impatient, and began to fear he had beenduped by his informant. At length the service concluded, and, losing allpatience, he was about to depart, when the jester peered round the lowerangle of the tomb-house, and beckoned to him. Obeying the summons,the duke followed his conductor down the arched passage leading to thecloisters.
"Tread softly, gossip, or you will alarm them," said Sommers, in a lowtone.
They turned the corner of the cloisters; and there, near the entrance ofthe chapel, stood the youthful pair--the Fair Geraldine half recliningupon the earl's breast, while his arm encircled her slender waist.
"There!" whispered the jester, chuckling maliciously, "there! did I speakfalsely--eh, gossip?"
Richmond laid his hand upon his sword.
"Hist!" said the jester; "hear what the Fair Geraldine has to say."
"We must meet no more thus, Surrey," she murmured:
"I feel I was wrong in granting the interview, but I could not help it.If, when a few more years have flown over your head, your heart remainsunchanged."
"It will never change!" interrupted Surrey. "I here solemnly pledge mytroth to you."
"And I return the pledge," replied the Fair Geraldine earnestly. "I vowto be yours, and yours only."
"Would that Richmond could hear your vow!" said Surrey; "it wouldextinguish his hopes."
"He has heard it!" cried the duke, advancing. "But his hopes are not yetextinguished."
The Fair Geraldine uttered a slight scream, and disengaged herself fromthe earl.
"Richmond, you have acted unworthily in thus playing the spy," saidSurrey angrily.
"None but a spy can surprise interviews like these," rejoined Richmondbitterly. "The Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald had better have kept herchamber, than come here to plight her troth with a boy, who will changehis mind before his beard is grown."
"Your grace shall find the boy man enough to avenge an insult," rejoinedSurrey sternly.
"I am glad to hear it," returned the duke. "Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Imust pray you to return to your lodgings. The king's jester will attendyou. This way, my lord."
Too much exasperated to hesitate, Surrey followed the duke down thepassage, and the next moment the clashing of swords was heard. The FairGeraldine screamed loudly, and Will Sommers began to think the jest hadbeen carried too far.
"What is to be done?" he cried. "If the king hears of this quarrel, hewill assuredly place the Earl of Surrey in arrest. I now repent havingbrought the duke here."
"You acted most maliciously," cried the Fair Geraldine; "but fly, andprevent further mischief."
Thus urged, the jester ran towards the lower ward, and finding anofficer of the guard and a couple of halberdiers near the entranceof St. George's Chapel, told them what was taking place, and theyimmediately hastened with him to the scene of the conflict.
"My lords!" cried the officer to the combatants, "I command you to laydown your weapons."
But finding no respect paid to his injunctions, he rushed between them,and with the aid of the halberdiers, forcibly separated them.
"My lord of Surrey," said the officer, "you are my prisoner. I demandyour sword."
"On what plea, sir?" rejoined the other.
"You have drawn it against the king's son--and the act is treason,"replied the officer. "I shall take you to the guard house until theking's pleasure is known."
"But I provoked the earl to the conflict," said Richmond: "I was thea
ggressor."
"Your grace will represent the matter as you see fit to your royalfather," rejoined the officer. "I shall fulfil my duty. My lord, to theguard-house!"
"I will procure your instant liberation, Surrey," said Richmond.
The earl was then led away, and conveyed to a chamber in the lower partof Henry the Eighth's gate, now used as a place of military punishment,and denominated the "black hole."
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