IV.
How Herne the Hunter showed the Earl of Surrey the Fair Geraldine in a Vision.
On the third day after Surrey's imprisonment in the keep, he was removedto the Norman Tower. The chamber allotted him was square, tolerablylofty, and had two narrow-pointed windows on either side, looking onthe one hand into the upper quadrangle, and on the other into the middleward. At the same time permission was accorded him to take exercise onthe battlements of the Round Tower, or within the dry and grassy moat atits foot.
The Fair Geraldine, he was informed, had been sent to the royal palaceat Greenwich; but her absence occasioned him little disquietude, becausehe knew, if she had remained at Windsor, he would not have been allowedto see her.
On the same day that Surrey was removed to the Norman Tower, the Dukeof Richmond quitted the castle without assigning any motive for hisdeparture, or even taking leave of his friend. At first some jealousmistrust that he might be gone to renew his suit to the FairGeraldine troubled the earl; but he strongly combated the feeling, ascalculated, if indulged, to destroy his tranquillity; and by fixinghis thoughts sedulously on other subjects, he speedily succeeded inovercoming it.
On that night, while occupied in a translation of the Aeneid which hehad commenced, he remained at his task till a late hour. The midnightbell had tolled, when, looking up, he was startled by perceiving a tallfigure standing silent and motionless beside him.
Independently of the difficulty of accounting for its presence, theappearance of the figure was in itself sufficiently appalling. It wasabove the ordinary stature, and was enveloped in a long black cloak,while a tall, conical black cap, which added to its height, andincreased the hideousness of its features, covered its head.
For a few minutes Surrey remained gazing at the figure in muteastonishment, during which it maintained the same motionless posture. Atlength he was able to murmur forth the interrogation, "Who art thou?"
"A friend," replied the figure, in a sepulchral tone.
"Are you a man or spirit?" demanded Surrey.
"It matters not--I am a friend," rejoined the figure.
"On what errand come you here?" asked Surrey.
"To serve you," replied the figure; "to liberate you. You shall go hencewith me, if you choose."
"On what condition?" rejoined Surrey.
"We will speak of that when we are out of the castle, and on the greensod of the forest," returned the figure.
"You tempt in vain," cried Surrey. "I will not go with you. I recognisein you the demon hunter Herne." The figure laughed hollowly--so hollowlythat Surrey's flesh crept upon his bones.
"You are right, lord of Surrey," he said; "I am Herne the Hunter. Youmust join me. Sir Thomas Wyat is already one of my band."
"You lie, false fiend!" rejoined Surrey. "Sir Thomas Wyat is in France."
"It is you who lie, lord of Surrey," replied Herne; "Sir Thomas Wyat isnow in the great park. You shall see him in a few minutes, if you willcome with me."
"I disbelieve you, tempter!" cried Surrey indignantly. "Wyat is too gooda Christian, and too worthy a knight, to league with a demon."
Again Herne laughed bitterly.
"Sir Thomas Wyat told you he would seek me out," said the demon. "He didso, and gave himself to me for Anne Boleyn."
"But you have no power over her, demon?" cried Surrey, shuddering.
"You will learn whether I have or not, in due time," replied Herne. "Doyou refuse to go with me?"
"I refuse to deliver myself to perdition," rejoined the earl.
"An idle fear," rejoined Herne. "I care not for your soul--you willdestroy it without my aid. I have need of you. You shall be back againin this chamber before the officer visits it in the morning, and no oneshall be aware of your absence. Come, or I will bear you hence."
"You dare not touch me," replied Surrey, placing his hand upon hisbreast; "I am armed with a holy relic."
"I know it," said Herne; "and I feel its power, or I would not havetrifled with you thus long. But it cannot shield you from a rival. Youbelieve the Fair Geraldine constant--ha?"
"I know her to be so," said Surrey.
A derisive laugh broke from Herne.
"Peace, mocking fiend!" cried Surrey furiously.
"I laugh to think how you are deceived," said Herne. "Would you beholdyour mistress now?--would you see how she conducts herself during yourabsence?"
"If you choose to try me, I will not oppose the attempt," repliedSurrey; "but it will be futile."
"Remove the relic from your person," rejoined Herne. "Place it upon thetable, within your grasp, and you shall see her."
Surrey hesitated; but he was not proof against the low mocking laugh ofthe demon.
"No harm can result from it," he cried at length, detaching the relicfrom his neck, and laying it on the table.
"Extinguish the light!" cried Herne, in a commanding voice.
Surrey instantly sprang to his feet, and dashed the lamp off the table."Behold!" cried the demon.
And instantly a vision, representing the form and lineaments of theFair Geraldine to the life, shone forth against the opposite wall of thechamber. At the feet of the visionary damsel knelt a shape resemblingthe Duke of Richmond. He was pressing the hand extended to him bythe Fair Geraldine to his lips, and a smile of triumph irradiated hisfeatures.
"Such is man's friendship--such woman's constancy!" cried Herne. "Areyou now satisfied?"
"I am, that you have deceived me, false spirit!" cried the earl. "Iwould not believe the Fair Geraldine inconstant, though all hell told meso."
A terrible laugh broke from the demon, and the vision faded away. Allbecame perfect darkness, and for a few moments the earl remained silent.He then called to the demon, but receiving no answer, put forth his handtowards the spot where he had stood. He was gone.
Confounded, Surrey returned to the table, and searched for the relic,but, with a feeling of indescribable anguish and self-reproach, foundthat it had likewise disappeared.
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