CHAPTER XV
OF THE GALLERY OF THE GRIFFINS' HEADS
Bitterest remorse winged the young knight's feet; apprehension becamethe mother of audacity; and without any ceremonious ado he made forthat part of the castle which he knew was apportioned to the exclusiveuses of Lady Anna. Like a hawk winging its predatory flight against acovey of unprotected and gentle doves, he swooped down upon the lady'sretinue of serving-maids.
The contact, however, was as fugitive as it was tempestuousand violent, and beyond leaving them all of a-flutter, weepinghysterically, and earnestly protesting that this was an hour of themorning during which their mistress forbade the slightest interruptionor disturbance, he accomplished not a single point in the behalf of hisfriend.
While impatiently awaiting Lady Anna's appearance, he fell towandering through the wide, thronged halls, and narrow, lonely, anddeserted galleries. In opening a door leading from one of these, hestumbled upon a blind passageway, which, to all appearances, wasdevoted to no other purpose than that of a vantage-point, whence wereto be had a view of the open glades and forests, and the towers,turrets, barbecan, and walls commanding them. Gloomily he stood gazingthrough one of the deep embrasures, which pierced the outer wall ofthe gallery from end to end, upon the half drawn bridge. It seemed tohim ages gone since de Claverlok and he had thundered side by sideabove its moldering planks. "What a brave, unselfish fellow he was,"mused Sir Richard, "to cast his fortunes along with mine, when, by thesimple tugging of a rein, he might have ridden among his companions andinto safety. Well, ... I'll have him free. I vow I'll have him set atliberty. Or, by my soul, I'll lay my thoughtless, selfish head besidehis generous one upon the block."
Yet how good it was to live, Sir Richard thought: to be free; to markthe bright sunshine; to watch the sparkling hoar-frost disappearing infloating pennants of silvery mist against the purple shadows lurkingwithin the background of the firs. By thus enumerating to himself someof the joys of life he was not meaning to qualify the integrity of hisoath. He was sincere at the moment in his determination to free deClaverlok, or suffer the penalty of death along with him.
Sir Richard was leaning heavily against the outer wall, yielding to ahost of melancholy reflections; his shoulder disconsolately pressingagainst the casement of the embrasure. Quite by chance his eyes fellupon a row of bronze griffins' heads, each occupying the center ofa line of deep oaken panels, which extended along the opposite wallfrom the doorway through which he had entered to the end of the sealedpassageway. Doubtless it was the repellant hideousness of theirfaces that arrested and fixed his attention. Their curled tonguesprotruded in a series of abhorrent grimaces that tended to fascinatethe observer. The young knight singled out the head just across fromhim and fell to studying it minutely. He grew sensible of a boyishdesire to attempt to distort his features in a manner similar to it,to which desire he finally yielded, and talked to it, moreover, asthough its bronze ears were possessed of the power to take in his vainexpostulations.
Not infrequently does it fall out that an inane action is the parent ofa most happy result. This was true in the present case, for, throughlooking so long and intently upon the weird head of the griffin, SirRichard remarked that its tongue appeared to be more free within itsdistended maw than those of its neighbors. He stepped across and laidhis finger upon it. It moved. He tugged at it. There was the sound asof the lifting of a latch, and the griffin's head, which was secured tothe woodwork by a hinge, swung instantly free of the oaken panel.
Within the circular recess thus disclosed appeared a brass knob, which,upon being turned, released another fastening. The entire panel thenslid freely to the left, discovering a narrow, crevice-like passagewaythat stretched away beyond the range of the young knight's vision.
More with the aim of seeking a momentary distraction from his ruefulthoughts than in the hope of making any new or startling discoveries,he closed the griffin's head and clambered through the paneled opening.Upon assuring himself that there was a way of thrusting back the secretdoor from inside, he made everything fast and crept cautiously ahead inthe direction of a row of lights, which shone dimly through openingsupon his left hand and splashed against the wall to his right, thusserving vaguely to illuminate the dusty, cobwebby place.
The lights proved to emanate from mere slits of windows set withmany-colored glass. He peered through the first, which was sufficientlytransparent to disclose to his view a room and everything that wastranspiring within.
The walls of this chamber were covered with the richest of hangings.Round about were scattered many massive cases filled with books.Indeed, Sir Richard noted that its furnishings were all patterned afteran exquisite fashion, and arranged, withal, in an uncommonly tastefuland pleasing manner.
In front of a cheerful fire burning briskly within the widechimney-place sat a fair-haired boy. He was reclining at ease upon adeep-seated chair, and the firelight, playing upon his ruffled, snowylinen upper garment, his pallid, handsome, aquiline features, and long,curly, yellow hair, set before the young knight one of the prettiestpictures he had ever looked upon.
Seated upon a stool beside the youth's knee was Lady Anna, who wasengaged upon reading to him out of a manuscript. That which she wasreading, Sir Richard thought, appeared to hold immeasurably less ofinterest for her distinguished looking auditor than the reader thereof,so greedily was his gaze devouring her. If ever love and devotion shonethrough the eyes from the heart, they were shining in that room andupon that woman then. The young knight became conscious of a feeling ofguilt. It was as though he had profaned a consecrated temple.
Since, however, an accident had brought him there, he regretted thathe was unable to hear what Lady Anna was reading. But he remained,gathering different impressions of the scene by looking through thevarious colored panes, till she arose to leave. This sentence, then,spoken aloud and firmly from her station beside the youth's chair, camedistinctly to his ears:
"To you," she was saying, "there shall be no such person in all theworld as Warbeck. You must forget even that there was ever such a name.Your future----"
Her concluding remarks were lost to Sir Richard's hearing. Lady Annathen brushed aside the drapery and disappeared out of the room. Formany minutes thereafter the youth's eyes remained fixed upon theswinging draperies, motionless and longingly, whilst down his pallidcheeks coursed many a bitter tear.
Leaving him to his sorrow, which would have been more poignant had hebeen enabled to look into that future that Lady Anna was holding beforehim as a lure, Sir Richard continued warily on his journey along thepinched passageway. By the squares of light thrown at long but regularintervals against the right wall, he divined that the secret exit waspierced with windows throughout its entire length. Through each ofthese he stole a look as he advanced, being obliged to stand always ontip-toe to make his brief surveys. He gathered the information thata suite of six large rooms had been set aside for the uses of thehandsome youth. There was an entrance giving upon the last from thesecret passageway. The young knight made no attempt to open it then,but crept onward and looked through the next window. Between the floorof the last room and the floor of the spacious hall into which he wasnow looking there was a sheer drop of thirty feet; perhaps even more.From the long table standing in its center and the chairs arrangedin tiers round about, he took it to be a council hall, a place offormal meetings of state. It was surmounted by a lofty, domed ceiling,decorated with multi-colored glass, corresponding with the panesthrough which he was having a view of the chamber.
Pursuing his way onward past the row of windows opening upon the hall,he arrived soon at the end of the passageway, which was marked by ayawning vent-hole, with the opening at his feet dropping into abysmaldepths of darkness, and the one above his head gaping like a sootyflue. Iron rungs set securely into the masonry of the wall furthestremoved from him disappeared into the swart obscurity above and below.
Consumed with curiosity and a desire to push his explorations to theend, he stepped across
, set his foot upon the ladder, and clamberedskyward. A trap-door, securely battened from within, stopped hisprogress at the top. Surmising that it opened upon a runway of one ofthe many embattled towers, he started downward. Past the floor of thepassageway he lowered himself, down, down, till it seemed to him thathe was penetrating into the very belly of the earth. At the bottom hecame upon a kind of square room, with a massive, barred door openingfrom one of its sides. The air here was excessively damp, chill, andfetid with noisome odors.
So noiselessly as might be he shot back the rusty bolts and made shiftto open the heavy door. Slowly it yielded to his violent exertions,its unused hinges shrilly protesting every inch of the way. When hehad swung it sufficiently wide to admit the passage of his body, hewas confronted by the flare of a single candle. Even this faint light,upon emerging from such dense darkness, completely dazzled his blinkingeyes, rendering them momentarily sightless.
"Well, ... by the rood!" the most welcome of voices then rang inhis ears. "I was looking to see a grisly phantom shape come glidingthrough yon creaking door to devour me! And certes 'tis your own goodself, Sir Dick, ... eh? Give you a very good-morrow, ... or a verygood-even.... I' faith, I know not down here the hours of the passingday. Everything, as 't were, being of a similar color. But fillip mefor a fat toad, an you're not a most pleasing apparition, Sir Dick; ...a most welcome ghost, ... eh!"
Sir Richard strode forward and took de Claverlok's hand in a firm grip.
"I'll wager, my boy," said the grizzled knight with his usual heartylaugh, "that you've fair turned this castle upside down in yourendeavors to unearth me, ... eh? But for long have I been conductinga quiet truce with Heaven, where, Sir Dick, I fancied that you hadsome days since preceded me. How comes it that you're still alive, andlooking as hearty, by my faith, as a prancing yearling. Did you deliverthe paper, ... eh?"
"Certes did I deliver it," replied Sir Richard. "And let us for alltime, my friend, drop the subject of King Henry's message between us.You can see that you have been led into a sad error as to its contents.I am now biding in Yewe as Douglas's guest till the business of mysovereign be completed."
"Guest, Sir Dick? God's sake!" blurted out de Claverlok. "An you're notas much prisoner as I, though in somewhat of a better case, I'll bartermy knighthood for a battered farthing, ... eh! Tell me, has nothinguntoward happened during your stay?" he added, earnestly. "Sit you downupon the feathery side of this stone and tell me your story--'tis thebest seat I have to offer, Sir Dick."
"Well, beyond the duels," Sir Richard rather reluctantly admitted,seating himself beside the grizzled knight upon the stone, "there hasbeen nothing unusual to mar a most pleasant visit, saving, of course,your own disappearance from my side," he hastened to add. "I bethoughtme though that you had long since fared southward to join your company."
"What--and leave you, Sir Dick? Not any! My knightly vow fetters mefast to your side. But when did you find out that I was still here, ...eh?"
"Only this morning. It was through a most fortunate train of accidentsthat I have stumbled upon your cell. I have been guilty of anunpardonable sin in thus long neglecting you, my friend."
"Nay--not so, Sir Dick. Am I not old enough to care for myself, ... eh?But how about these duels? I would hear you tell of them."
"I will, de Claverlok," agreed Sir Richard, "and a certain matterbesides that I have guarded even from your knowledge. 'Tis of a cuttingof cloth that I got me in the Red Tavern." Whereupon he proceeded totell, much to the grizzled knight's amusement, the tale of the piece ofsaffron velvet. "And about the duels," the young knight concluded, "Iam somewhat puzzled to know why they have been brought about. ThoughI believe that it is because of the many favors that Lady Douglascontinues ever to shower upon me. She is, in truth, a wonderful woman,my friend--and well worth fighting for. A wonderful woman!"
"Ah!" laughed the grizzled knight. "When love enters, wits leave, ...eh? But explain more in detail the circumstance of these duels. 'Tisthis that interests me, Sir Dick."
"Oh! 'tis a small enough matter at best, de Claverlok," protested SirRichard with a modest carelessness. "But ever since my tarry withinthese walls I have had always to keep my sword to the grit-wheel. Whatwith the spilling of the wine over the table, and the rough jostling ofthem against me through the halls and galleries, it has been 'Come outwith me, sirrah, into the castle yard,' from gray morning to twilighteventide. There was hazard of breaking old fox here on the tough Scot'shead of 'em. And I swear to you, my good friend, that my right armhas been kept full sore with the swinging of it against their flintynoddles."
"Pricked you them sore or easy, Sir Dick? Marry, but you must havea-many an enemy in Yewe, ... eh?"
"Well, I gave it them as easy as might be," replied Sir Richard, "andit perplexes me much to observe that each of them is now my friend.Never had I divined, de Claverlok, that there could transpire such around of mysterious events. My brain has been fair addled ever since mycoming into Scotland."
"Fret not, Sir Dick," said de Claverlok encouragingly, "these mysterieswill clear away soon enough. But you had better betake yourself nowwhence you came. 'Twill eftsoons be time for them to bring me my breadand sour tipple. Ug-gh! Such food as I've been bestowing within mybelly, Sir Dick. 'Tis unfit for swine, ... eh! But, get you gone, boy,and deliver me from this dank hole when you can do it in safety toyourself. There must be two passageways hither, as yon door throughwhich you came has not before been used. 'Tis through this other thatthey bear me food. Good-bye and good luck to you, Sir Dick."
Upon the grizzled knight's reaffirmation of his assurances that hewould possess himself in patience till Sir Richard could hit upon asafe means of bringing him again into the daylight of freedom, and hisbelief that his young friend was as much a prisoner as was he, theyoung knight parted from him, secure in the belief that no harm couldbefall the veteran till the return of Douglas, before which time, heswore to himself, he would contrive to have him free.
Once Sir Richard had emerged into the upper and outer gallery he madeeverything secure, observing the precaution of counting the number ofgriffins' heads intervening between the sliding panel and the door,whereupon he hurried down to the inner bailey and commanded an equerryto saddle and bring him his stallion.
"God!" the hostler exclaimed, reddening to the line of his stubby hair,"an' 'a canna do such for 'e, Sir Richard. Snip, snap! would 'a headgo ... here," touching his neck, "an' 'a did. 'Tis the lord's orders,worshipful knight, ... the lord's orders. Anything else would 'a do for'e, sir knight. God wot, an' 'a----"
Sir Richard did not wait to hear the conclusion of the hostler'sapologies, but tossed him a coin and took his way back into the castle.De Claverlok had been right, after all. The young knight was, like hisfriend, a prisoner in Yewe.
Without stopping to plan out a wise course of action, he rushedstraightway into the presence of Lady Anna and impetuously claimed hisright to know the reason for his forcible detention.
"How doth the moth flutter," said she, laughing gaily, "when theglittering, golden home doth suddenly become a cage! Marry--marry!"she added, changing her tone, and bestowing upon Sir Richard the mostlanguishing of glances, "are you tired of my company, dear Richard?"she asked.
If it had not been for the picture of the fair-haired youth impressedindelibly upon the young knight's mind, she would doubtless soon havewon him over to her again. As it was, however----
"'Tis not that, Lady Anna," he answered firmly; "but I am dooms wearyof playing the wooden pawn upon the squared board--with no kind ofconception of where or why I am being moved this and that way about!Yea--or even the kind of game in which I am playing such a stupid andinvoluntary part."
"Say not thus, Sir Richard," Lady Anna murmured softly, laying her warmhand upon his. "Tell me, I pray you, and what becomes of the pawn afterit be advanced from square to square above the breadth of the board tothe farther rank? Tell me, what becomes of it, I say?"
"But scant knowledge have I of the game of chess," Sir Ric
hardgrumbled. "I' faith, madam, I neither know nor care."
"Ah! But you should both know and care, dear friend," Lady Annapursued. "Let me tell you then that it gains power according to thewish of the mind that picked out its zig-rag course. Even it maybecome a royal piece, Richard. Have patience yet a little while, ...but have patience. Worse predicaments there are than that of playingthe moving pawn, I give you warrant."
So far as any definite understanding of his position was concerned,this was the beginning and the end of everything he was able to achievethrough Lady Anna. He tried his bravest before leaving her to impressupon her the idea that he was willing to reconcile himself with thecircumstances of his surroundings. Indeed, he entertained somethingof a shrewd suspicion that this was not far from true. His positioncertainly partook of a most fascinating admixture of unreality andromance that came near to capturing his imaginative fancy. He was nowinclined to regard the entire series of events as something in thenature of a gay lark, to which each exciting incident was contributingits separate thrill of enjoyment. To effect the release of de Claverlokand make his own escape would furnish a capital finish to the whole.In order to carry out these purposes he determined in the futureto conduct himself with the utmost circumspection. "An it is to bea game," he said to himself, "I'll take a hand in the playing of itmyself."
After leaving Lady Anna he strolled carelessly into the tilting-yard,for the ostensible purpose of viewing the elaborate preparations forthe approaching tournament, which were now nearly completed. He made amental calculation of the height of the eastern tower, which was theone accessible from the secret passageway. He estimated it roughly tobe nearly one hundred and fifty feet.
A line over the battlements would be the only way down. It would bemanifestly impossible to carry a rope of that length through the hallsand galleries. So he hit upon the scheme of concealing lengths of itbeneath his cloak and splicing them together after reaching the secretexit. By allowing the knotted ends to dangle down the well leading tode Claverlok's dungeon, he concluded that they would be safe enoughfrom discovery.
He accordingly started his pilfering expeditions on the next morningat the hour when Lady Anna was engaged with her pupil. Day after daySir Richard kept at his task, and always he would see her beside theboy, at the same hour and in the same attitude; and always he wouldsteal a long glance within the room as he crept cautiously by. Twiceduring this time he lowered himself down the ladder to visit with deClaverlok, taking with him a flagon of wine and a few dainties from theDouglas's table. But the grizzled knight warned him to discontinue hissubterranean excursions, as there was danger of running into the guardregularly administering to his needs.
Following out the veteran's advice, Sir Richard made, after that, butone trip in the day, carrying each time something like ten feet ofstout hemp. On but one occasion did he come near to being discovered,and his escape was then of the narrowest.
While he was in the ordinance room one morning he was startled byits tubby little keeper coming suddenly upon him just after he hadhidden a rather more generous length of rope than usual beneath hisshoulder-cape. Sir Richard made out to be examining one of the brasscannons.
"That are a bonnie piece, worshipful knight," said the keeper proudly."A right bonnie piece, Sir Richard. She'll a-come you through atwo-foot wall, sir, as smooth as a tup-ny whistle-pipe." Here hepaused, scratching his bullet head, and taking up the end of the coilof rope from which Sir Richard had cut the piece inside his cape. "'Tisa muckle strange thing how the good hemp do vanish," he pursued in apuzzled way, "a muckle strange thing. Once 'a be a-thinkin' as whatevery rogue in the castle were a-stealin' o' rope's-ends to chokentheir knavish throats. But every rag-tailed son of 'em do answer to thedaily roll. Not one of 'em be a-missin'; not one, sir."
"Mayhap you'll be in trouble for not keeping a closer watch," observedSir Richard. "Here will be money enough to buy you a new coil the nexttime you get you into Bannockburn."
It was on the morning that the young knight was carrying up the lastsplicing of rope but one that he missed Lady Anna from her accustomedplace beside the youth's knee. Hastily knotting and securing the ropearound a rung of the iron ladder he hurried back along the passageway.Pausing beside the youth's room he again looked through the window.The boy was still alone, and pacing back and forth across the roomin that which seemed to be a paroxysm of grief and anger, clenchinghis blue-veined hands, throwing pillows madly about the floor, andsoliloquizing with a bitter and impassioned vehemence. Experiencing anindescribable sort of fascination, Sir Richard stopped to listen.
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