A Gentleman Player; His Adventures on a Secret Mission for Queen Elizabeth
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CHAPTER VI.
AND THE GENTLEMAN PROVES HIMSELF A PLAYER.
"Let the world think me a bad counterfeit, if I cannot give him the slipat an instant."--_Every Man in His Humor._
There was a moment's silence in the chamber. Then--
"Play-acting!" muttered Anthony, with a dark frown, followed by anupturning of the eyes.
"Thou'lt pass, my son!" said the physician, his eyes alight withapproval and new-found hope. "Truly, I think he will, SirValentine,--with a touch of the scissors to shape his beard more like!"And he took up from the table a pair of scissors, doubtless used incutting bandages for the wounded man, and striding toward MasterMarryott, applied them with careful dexterity. "Behold," said he, whenhe had finished. "Thou'lt surely fool them in the lanthorn's light andthe haste. By close work thou mightst truly lead them off in the night,but in daylight the falseness of thy beard may easily be seen, for thestrings 'tis tied withal."
"But the officers shall not see my face after the starting. I'll notstay near enough to them for that. 'Tis by word of innkeepers andtownspeople and country-folk, of my passage through the country, that Ishall be traced. And mark: save to officers that keep note of Catholics,Sir Valentine is scarce known ten miles hence, so much hath he livedabroad. And I'm not known out of London and Oxfordshire. So who's to setthe pursuers right?"
"But what then?" said the physician. "Those same innkeepers and such canbut report the passage of a man with a false beard, at best. More like,they will cause thy detention as a questionable person, till thecouncil's men come up to thee. Either way, the pursuivant will see thetrick, and speed hotfoot back to this house."
"Why, look you," said Hal, "early in the morning I will hastily entersome inn, my face muffled as for cold. There, in a private chamber, Iwill take off the beard, and come forth as if I had but shaved. And soreport will remain of me, that I came bearded and departed shaven; andthe men in pursuit will take this very shaving as a means of disguise.They'll be the more convinced I'm the man."
"Ay, but there you risk their losing trace of you; for the absence ofthe beard will show your youth, and make you at odds with theirdescription of you."
"Why, the loss of a beard will sometimes give an elder man a look ofyouth. And the same companion shall ride with me,--he that now keepswatch without. By the description of him as my attendant, 'twill beknown I am the gentleman that rode from Fleetwood house. And to make mytrace the more certain, let a second accompany me,--one of SirValentine's servants that live here constantly and are better known thantheir master is. And he shall also guide me on the roads hereabouts, inmy first dash from the gates; for, look you, there will be fleet ridingfor an hour or two!"
"Thou hearest, Sir Valentine," said the physician, turning to thewounded gentleman.
"Ay," replied the knight, "and being weak of breath, have waited for abreach to put my word in. 'Tis all madness, this ye talk of! E'en were'tpossible. I should let no man risk life for me as this young gentlemanoffereth. Why, lad, they'd catch thee, of a surety--"
"I make question of that, Sir Valentine," quoth Hal.
"Some time or other, they would," said the knight. "And thou knowest thepenalty of aiding the escape of one accused of treason! The act itselfis treason."
"And what if I have already incurred penalties as grievous, on mine ownaccount? And what if I have some running away to do, for myself? May notone flight suffice for both? While I lead these men on a false chasefrom thee, I but put distance 'twixt myself and danger," said Hal, withless regard for truth than for leading Sir Valentine into his plans.
"What, Harry?" cried Sir Valentine. "Is it true? But still, thou'rt yetin good way to make thine own escape. To wait for these officers, and tokeep them at thy tail, will doubly imperil thee. Thou shalt not multiplythine own danger for me,--by Mary, thou shalt not!"
"But I mean not to be caught, Sir Valentine. Have I no skill, nohardihood? Shall youth serve nothing, and strong arms, and hard legs? Iwill elude them, I swear! But first I will keep them on my tail timeenough for thy removal. Ten days, the doctor said. An I lead off thesefellows a five days' ride from Fleetwood house, straight north towardScotland, and then drop them, 'twill take five days for them to rideback. And there, of but five days' work on my part, come the ten days'delay thou needest!"
"But thou canst not do it, Harry," persisted Sir Valentine, while thephysician silently paced the floor in thought, and the Puritan looked onwith outward indifference. "Why, bethink you! To escape thy pursuers,and yet not to let them lose trace of thee; to outride them ever, yetnever ride too far away from them; to elude them, yet not to drop them;this for five days, and then to break off the track and leave thembaffled, at the last! Tis impossible!"
"'Tis a glorious kind of sport, Sir Valentine!" cried Hal, his eyesaglow. "'Tis a game worth playing! Nay, 'tis a stage play, wherein Iundertake to act the part of Sir Valentine Fleetwood in flight anddisguise! Ods-body, I shall prove I am a player! Thou shalt not refuse,Sir Valentine! Do as thou wilt, I am for the gate, and when the officerscome up, the devil seize me an I do not lead them off again!"
"Sir Valentine doth not refuse," cried the physician, who had manifestlymade up his mind. "Thou need'st fresh horses? Anthony shall fetch themto the gate. And one of Sir Valentine's known servants, to show the roadand leave the better trace? Anthony shall go. Continual residence here,in his master's absence, hath made him as well known for Sir Valentine'sman as Sir Valentine is little known for Anthony's master. On your wayto the stable. Anthony, send Mary hither, and John. They shall help mehouse Sir Valentine yonder, with store of food and drink. Straight northtoward Scotland, sayest thou, Master Marryott? The right road for thywild-goose chase. We shall do our part, my son. Only gain us the tendays."
And the physician strode to the side of the chamber, put aside somefaded hangings, and began to loosen a section of the panelling.
Anthony, frowning haughtily at the physician's giving him orders, lookedinquiringly at Sir Valentine.
"But, my good father," began the knight, addressing the physician. Halshot a glance of discovery at the latter. My father! This "doctor" was adoctor of other than the body, then! Hal had wondered to see a physicianof such mien and manner in this country place, and had thought he mighthave been summoned from London. But now all was clear. He was a popishpriest, disguised in ordinary habit, to escape the severity of theElizabethan statutes; though, doubtless, he knew enough of surgery andmedicine for the treatment of Sir Valentine's wound.
"There is no time for talk, my son," said this doctor, interrupting SirValentine. "Remember those in France. And let Anthony do as I said."
"Thou hast heard, Anthony," said the knight, compliantly, after amoment's reflection. "Lead out the horses--"
"Three, Sir Valentine," put in Hal, to whom time was beginning to appearextremely precious, "as Anthony is to go with us. I shall leave my twofor thy use."
"And take money, Anthony," went on Sir Valentine, while the priestcontinued to open the way to the secret closet.
"I have money, sir," said Hal.
"But Anthony shall take some,--the half of what is in the chest,Anthony. The rest will serve me to France, an this plan indeed be notmadness."
"You have sure ways of going to France, I doubt not," said Hal to SirValentine.
"Ay," said the knight, with a smiling side glance at the busy priest,"we have made that voyage when ports were e'en closer watched than now.And hear this, Anthony, before you go,--Anthony will show thee, Harry,how to make for France on thine own account, if indeed thou dost ridefree of these messengers. And he will tell thee where in Paris I am tobe found. When we meet there,--the saints intercede that we may!--Ishall have a way of thanking thee, perchance. Go, Anthony!"
The servant left the room, with a glumness belonging rather to a generalhabit of surly disapproval than to any particular objection to the taskbefore him.
"This house and land," Sir Valentine went on, "will be confiscate, ofcourse, and myself outlawed. But
thou see'st how this estate hathfallen, Harry. I keep here but two servants besides Anthony, where onceI kept twenty. But in all these years I have built up some means ofliving, across the narrow seas; and thou shalt not want in France.Harry!"
"Think not of me, but of thyself, Sir Valentine. I'd best leave theenow, and hasten Anthony with the horses. I can find him by hislanthorn's light. We have lost much time."
But Sir Valentine would embrace him ere he left, as well as a man sowounded might; and the knight, touched with gratitude, wept as the youthbent over him. Hal then turned to take swift leave of the priest, whohad now caused a dark hole to gape in the wooden panelling. The latter,at this, took up a cloak from a chair, detached Hal's own shorter cloak,and put the other over the youth's shoulders, saying:
"'Tis Sir Valentine's own cloak, and more befitting the part thou hastto play, Master Actor! Take my blessing, and the saints watch overthee!"
With no more ado, Hal hastened from the room, and down to the hall,where Anthony, bearing the lanthorn, was ordering the two other servantsto their master's chamber. Hal held his cloak over his face till theywere gone up the stairs; then he bade Anthony show him quickly to thestables, adding:
"As for the money, if you must obey orders, you may get it while I amsaddling the horses."
The steward gave a grunt, and led the way out to the stables, where heindicated the three best horses. He then returned to the house, leavingthe lanthorn; but presently reappeared, in time to help Hal with thehorses, and to receive at the same time the player's explicit directionsfor the conduct of matters on the arrival of the officers.
The two men then led the horses to the front gate, where Anthony tied apair of them, that he might take Hal's London horse to the stable.Master Marryott mounted and rode toward the village to acquaint CaptainBottle with what was to be done. On perceiving Kit's stalwart figure,black against the dim night, Hal called out to him to follow back to themansion. While the two were covering the distance thereto, Hal brieflyput the soldier in possession of what it was needful for the latter toknow. Anthony had now returned from the stable, and the lanthornrevealed Hal's transformation, which the captain viewed with criticalapproval while transferring himself from his tired horse to one of thefresh ones.
"And the Puritan rides with us?" queried Bottle, while Anthony was gonewith the second horse to the stable. "Sad company, sad company! An thedull rogue sermon me upon the sins of the flesh, I'll knock in his teethto shut up his throat withal! Well, well! This mixing in matters ofstate maketh strange bedfellows. I mind me once--lend ear. Hal! Hoofsyonder, or I'm an owl else!"
Hal listened. Yes, horses were crossing the wooden bridge of the brookon the Londonward side of the village.
"Should these be the men?" whispered Hal in a low voice. "They comeslowly."
"Who else should be on the road at this hour?" replied Kit. "They knownot any reason for haste."
"A red murrain on that Puritan, then!" said Hal. "What holds him so longat the stable? All is lost, without his lanthorn. I'll ride in and fetchhim."
"Nay, they must use time enough in coming hither. Hark! They have haltedin the village. Mayhap they must needs ask the way to Fleetwood house."
"'Tis well, then. They will learn of Sir Valentine's hurt."
There was then a very trying time of silence and waiting, during whichHal's heart beat somewhat as it had beaten in the tiring-room before theperformance of "Hamlet."
"Hear them again," he said at last, through his teeth. "And that rascalPuritan--"
"Save thy breath! Here he comes."
Anthony indeed now appeared with the light, crossing the yard withlonger strides than he had previously taken; he, too, had heard theapproaching horses.
"Into thy saddle, dog!" muttered Hal. "And a plague on thee for thyslowness! Now do as I bid, or I'll give thee a bellyful of steel!"
The steward having got on horseback, Hal led the way back into the yard.The three then wheeled about, and stood just within the now wide-opengate. Anthony at Hal's right and bearing the lanthorn in his left hand,Kit at Hal's left. Hal measured with his ears the constantly decreasingdistance of the hoof-beats on the hard road, as they advanced at asteady walking pace. Through the silence came the sound of a far-offclock striking eight, and then of the approaching horsemen talking toone another in low tones.
At last Hal said, "Now!" and rode forth into the road, which was here ofexceptional width. The three, riding abreast, turned toward London, asif intending to ride southward. Had they continued, they would soon havemet the approaching horsemen face to face. But suddenly Hal, as if henow for the first time discovered the presence of newcomers, stoppedshort, as did also his two attendants. Anthony, in pretence of enablingthe make-believe Sir Valentine to perceive who the horsemen were, heldthe lanthorn up, a little to the right and rear of Hal's body, so thatit revealed his attitude and left his face in shadow. Leaning forward,as in pain, yet with head stiffly set, shoulders forced back, hat low onbrow, left elbow thrust out, and beard well outlined against the light,Hal peered anxiously into the gloom. Out of that gloom there came, aftera startled exclamation and a hush of low voices, the clear greeting:
"Give you good even, Sir Valentine!"
Hal uttered a swift order to his men. Anthony instantly wheeled around,to take the lead, and rode northward. Hal did likewise, and wasimmediately followed by Captain Bottle. As soon as Hal made sure thatKit had turned, he called to the steward ahead to make speed; and amoment later the three were galloping over the frozen road at thedevil's gait.
"Halt! In the queen's name!" rang out of the darkness behind, in thevoice that had been heard before.
"Go to hell, Roger Barnet!" shouted back Kit Bottle, to Hal'sastonishment.
"You know him?" queried Hal, as the horses flew onward.
"Yes, and a taker of traitors he is, sure enough!" growled Kit throughthe night. "A very hell-hound, at a man's heels! Hear him cursing, backyonder, for his pistol will not go off! They have whipped up; the wholepack is on the scent!"
"Good!" cried Hal. "Sir Valentine and the priest will have plainsailing. The chase is begun, old Kit! Five days of this, and the houndsmust neither lose nor catch us! Ods-body, the Puritan's lanthorn is out!I hope he knows the road in the dark!"