IX.
Showing how Morgan Fenwolf escaped from the Garter Tower.
Half-an-hour afterwards Fenwolf was visited by the Duke of Suffolk anda canon of the college; and the guard-chamber being cleared, the dukeenjoined him to make clear his bosom by confession.
"I hold it my duty to tell you, prisoner," said Suffolk, "that thereis no hope of your life. The king's highness is determined to make afearful example of you and all your companions in crime; but he does notseek to destroy your soul, and has therefore sent this holy man to you,with the desire that you may open your heart to him, and by confessionand repentance save yourself from eternal perdition."
"Confession will profit me nothing," said Fenwolf moodily. "I cannotpray if I would."
"You cannot be so utterly lost, my son," rejoined the canon. "Hell mayhave woven her dark chains round you, but not so firmly but that thehand of Heaven can burst them."
"You waste time in seeking to persuade me," returned Fenwolf.
"You are not ignorant of the punishment inflicted upon those condemnedfor sorcery, my son?" demanded the canon.
"It is the stake, is it not?" replied Fenwolf
"Ay," replied the canon; "but even that fiery trial will fail to purgeout your offences without penitence. My lord of Suffolk, this wretchedman's condition demands special attention. It will profit the Churchmuch to win his soul from the fiend. Let him, I pray you, be removed tothe dungeon beneath the Garter Tower, where a priest shall visit him,and pray by his side till daybreak."
"It will be useless, father," said Fenwolf.
"I do not despair, my son," replied the canon; "and when I see you againin the morning I trust to find you in a better frame of mind."
The duke then gave directions to the guard to remove the prisoner, andafter some further conference with the canon, returned to the royalapartments.
Meanwhile, the canon shaped his course towards the Horseshoe Cloisters,a range of buildings so designated from their form, and situated at thewest end of St. George's Chapel, and he had scarcely entered themwhen he heard footsteps behind him, and turning at the sound, beheld aFranciscan friar, for so his habit of the coarsest grey cloth, tiedwith a cord round the waist, proclaimed him. The friar was very talland gaunt, and his cowl was drawn over his face so as to conceal hisfeatures.
"What would you, brother?" inquired the canon, halting. "I have arequest to make of you, reverend sir," replied the friar, with a lowlyinclination of the head. "I have just arrived from Chertsey Abbey,whither I have been tarrying for the last three days, and whileconversing with the guard at the gate, I saw a prisoner brought into thecastle charged with heinous offences, and amongst others, with dealingswith the fiend."
"You have been rightly informed, brother," rejoined the canon.
"And have I also been rightly informed that you desire a priest to passthe night with him, reverend sir?" returned the friar. "If so, I wouldcrave permission to undertake the office. Two souls, as deeply laden asthat of this poor wretch, have been snatched from the jaws of Satan bymy efforts, and I do not despair of success now."
"Since you are so confident, brother," said the canon, "I commit himreadily to your hands. I was about to seek other aid, but your offercomes opportunely. With Heaven's help I doubt not you will achieve avictory over the evil one."
As the latter words were uttered a sudden pain seemed to seize thefriar. Staggering slightly, he caught at the railing of the cloistersfor support, but he instantly recovered himself.
"It is nothing, reverend sir," he said, seeing that the good canonregarded him anxiously. "Long vigils and fasting have made me liable tofrequent attacks of giddiness, but they pass as quickly as they come.Will it please you to go with me, and direct the guard to admit me tothe prisoner?"
The canon assented; and crossing the quadrangle, they returned to thegateway.
Meanwhile, the prisoner had been removed to the lower chamber of theGarter Tower. This fortification, one of the oldest in the castle, beingcoeval with the Curfew Tower, is now in a state of grievous neglect andruin. Unroofed, unfloored, filled with rubbish, masked by the yard wallsof the adjoining habitations, with one side entirely pulled down, anda great breach in front, it is solely owing to the solid androck-like construction of its masonry that it is indebted for partialpreservation. Still, notwithstanding its dilapidated condition, andthat it is the mere shell of its former self, its appearance is highlypicturesque. The walls are of prodigious thickness, and the deepembrasures within them are almost perfect; while a secret staircase maystill be tracked partly round the building. Amid the rubbish choking upits lower chamber grows a young tree, green and flourishing-a type, itis to be hoped, of the restoration of the structure.
Conducted to a low vaulted chamber in this tower, the prisoner was castupon its floor-for he was still hound hand and foot-and left alone andin darkness. But he was not destined to continue in this state long. Thedoor of the dungeon opened, and the guard ushered in the tall Franciscanfriar.
"What ho! dog of a prisoner," he cried, "here is a holy man come to passthe night with you in prayer."
"He may take his Ave Maries and Paternosters elsewhere-I want them not,"replied Fenwolf moodily.
"You would prefer my bringing Herne the Hunter, no doubt," rejoined theguard, laughing at his own jest; "but this is a physician for your soul.The saints help you in your good work, father; you will have no easytask."
"Set down the light, my son," cried the friar harshly, "and leave us; mytask will be easily accomplished."
Placing the lamp on the stone floor of the dungeon, the guard withdrew,and locked the door after him.
"Do you repent, my son?" demanded the friar, as soon as they were alone.
"Certes, I repent having put faith in a treacherous fiend, who hasdeserted me-but that is all," replied Fenwolf, with his face turned tothe ground.
"Will you put faith in me, if I promise you deliverance?" demanded thefriar.
"You promise more than you can perform, as most of your brethren do,"rejoined the other.
"You will not say so if you look up," said the friar.
Fenwolf started at the words, which were pronounced in a different tonefrom that previously adopted by the speaker, and raised himself as faras his bonds would permit him. The friar had thrown hack his cowl, anddisclosed features of appalling hideousness, lighted up by a diabolicalgrin.
"You here!" cried Fenwolf.
"You doubted me," rejoined Herne, "but I never desert a follower.Besides, I wish to show the royal Harry that my power is equal to hisown."
"But how are we to get out of this dungeon?" asked Fenwolf, gazing roundapprehensively.
"My way out will be easy enough," replied Herne; "but your escape isattended with more difficulty. You remember how we went to the vaultedchamber in the Curfew Tower on the night when Mark Fytton, the butcher,was confined within it?"
"I do," replied Fenwolf; "but I can think of nothing while I am tiedthus."
Heme instantly drew forth a hunting-knife, and cutting Fenwolf's bondsasunder, the latter started to his feet.
"If that bull-headed butcher would have joined me, I would haveliberated him as I am about to liberate you," pursued Herne. "But toreturn to the matter in hand. You recollect the secret passage we thentracked? There is just such another staircase in this tower."
And stepping to the farther side of the chamber, he touched a small knobin the wall, and a stone flew hack, disclosing an aperture just largeenough to allow a man to pass through it.
"There is your road to freedom," he said, pointing to the hole. "Creepalong that narrow passage, and it will bring you to a small loophole inthe wall, not many feet from the ground. The loophole is guarded by abar of iron, but it is moved by a spring in the upper part of the stonein which it appears to be mortised. This impediment removed, you willeasily force your way through the loophole. Drop cautiously, for fear ofthe sentinels on the walls; then make your way to the forest, and ifyou 'scape the arquebusiers who a
re scouring it, conceal yourself in thesandstone cave below the beech-tree."
"And what of you?" asked Fenwoif.
"I have more to do here," replied Herne impatiently-"away!"
Thus dismissed, Fenwolf entered the aperture, which was instantly closedafter him by Herne. Carefully following the instructions of his leader,the keeper passed through the loophole, let himself drop softly down,and keeping close to the walls of the tower till he heard the sentinelsmove off, darted swiftly across the street and made good his escape.
Meanwhile Herne drew the cowl over his head, and stepping to the door,knocked loudly against it.
"What would you, father?" cried the guard from without.
"Enter, my son, and you shall know," replied Herne.
The next moment the door was unlocked, and the guard advanced into thedungeon.
"Ha!" he exclaimed, snatching up the lamp and looking around, "where isthe prisoner?"
"Gone," replied Herne.
"What! has the fiend flown away with him?" cried the man, in mixedastonishment and alarm.
"He has been set free by Herne the Hunter!" cried the demon. "Tell allwho question thee so, and relate what thou now seest."
At the words a bright blue flame illumined the chamber, in the midst ofwhich was seen the tall dark figure of Herne. His Franciscan's gown haddropped to his feet, and he appeared habited in his wild deer-skin garb.With a loud cry, the guard fell senseless on the ground.
A few minutes after this, as was subsequently ascertained, a tallFranciscan friar threaded the cloisters behind Saint George's Chapel,and giving the word to the sentinels, passed through the outer doorcommunicating with the steep descent leading to the town.
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