CHAPTER XVI.
In the old castle of Hereford, which, according to the account ofLeland, was one of the largest and finest specimens of the militaryarchitecture of feudal times, were numerous courts and various detachedbuildings, so that the number of persons which it could contain wasimmense; and even when several hundred men were within the walls, manyof the open spaces and passages would be found silent and solitary.Thus, on the evening of Hugh de Monthermer's visit, the chief court,the halls, and the corridors around it, were crowded with not less thanseven or eight hundred persons; but as one turned one's steps to otherparts of the building, the throng decreased, the passers to and frobecame fewer and more few, and at length nothing presented itself butuntenanted courts and empty arcades.
In a dark corner of a long passage--which, traversing one side of thekeep under open cloisters, passed through a large mass of buildings,receiving no light but that which poured in at either end, and, afterbeing joined by two other arched corridors, led out into the court inwhich Prince Edward's lodging was situated--in a dark corner of thislong passage stood two men engaged in earnest conversation, just aboutthe time that Hugh de Monthermer quitted the Earl of Leicester. Theywere both covered with large cloaks, and both had their hoods drawn farover their heads, so that it would have been very difficult for any oneto recognise them, unless well acquainted with their air and figure.Nevertheless, they did not seem to feel themselves secure; for, theinstant that they heard a step coming from the direction of theprincipal court, they walked on a few paces, and then turned into oneof the lateral passages, near the mouth of which they again paused, andresumed their conversation in a low tone.
A moment after, the tall, graceful figure of Hugh de Monthermer passedacross, without appearing to excite their attention, so earnest werethey in the matter they were discussing. He, however, turned his head,and looked at them steadily, but still walked on without slackening hispace.
"Some means must be found," said one--the shorter and the slighter ofthe two--"some means must be found, and that right speedily, or ourlast chance is lost."
"You must have been playing some of your accursed tricks, Richard,"replied the other, "or De Montfort never would have taken such a step.The house of Ashby is of too much importance to any cause that itsmembers espouse, for even the lowest branch to be treated withindignity, without some strong occasion."
"Nonsense, Alured, I did nothing!" replied the other. "I tell you, itwas solely and simply upon this old Monthermer's charge against me."
"On your life and honour?" demanded his companion.
"On my life, honour, soul, and salvation!" replied the other. "Well,then, I am glad of it," said the taller speaker. "I am glad that it hashappened; for, first, I will take care it shall rouse my father's angeragainst De Montfort, and, secondly, it shall stir him up against theseMonthermers, and, I trust, induce him to break with them both. At allevents, it will make him forgive my joining Gloucester. So, I repeat, Iam glad that it has happened."
"I cannot say as much," rejoined the first speaker. "I never care, formy part, Alured, about an excuse for anything I am about to do. Oh,there is many a convenient point in having a bad reputation! Men do notexpect too much of you--you may do what you please, without anybodywondering; and then, when you are in the humour, and perform two orthree good actions, Lord! how you are praised! But, to the point--whatcan be done now? How can we give _him_ intimation of the scheme?"
"On my life! I know not," said the other.
"Could you not bribe some woman?" demanded the taller and more powerfulof the speakers; "They would not stop a woman, I suppose."
"Right, right!" cried his companion. "You have put me on the track, andI will not miss my game."
"But can you engage any woman you can trust?" asked the other. "It mustnot be some common hireling, some minstrel's wench, some follower ofcity fairs."
"Leave it to me, leave it to me!" cried the shorter man; "if I cannot_engage_, I can make her, and that ere another hour be over. There isno time to be lost. Farewell, for the present, for I must away fromHereford to-night; and, if you intend, good Alured, to hatch a quarrelwith my noble Lord Hugh, let it be speedy; for I do not think thattwenty-four hours will be over ere I have repaid him some trifles thatI owe him. I have some plans in my head, as well as you. So fare youwell, once more." And thus they parted.
In the meanwhile, Hugh de Monthermer sped upon his way, traversed theother court, and approached a door at which stood two or three of DeMontfort's officers, guarding closely, though with an appearance ofprofound respect, the only entrance to the apartments of Prince Edward.
While he showed the pass which he had received, and mounted the long,narrow staircase, we shall take leave to precede him, for a fewminutes, to the apartment of the Prince. It consisted of a suite ofseveral rooms, all reached by the same ascent, and was in itself asconvenient and comfortable as any abode can be from which free egressis denied us. The principal chamber was a large and lofty one, with twowide windows, situated in deep bays, looking over the fair scenearound.
The casement was open; and, seated in a large chair, with his feetresting on a stool, sat the captive Prince, gazing down upon apart of the town of Hereford and the meadows and orchards beyond. Theapple-trees were all in blossom, and every shrub in the manifoldgardens had put on the blush of vegetable youth, promising rich fruitin the maturity of the year. Beyond the meadows and the orchards cameslopes and rising ground, and lines of deep wood, sheltering theintervening space, and then high hills were seen, fading off into thesky. On the left hand the scene was all open, but on the right, anangle of the cathedral, as it then appeared, bounded the view, whilethe tower of another church, of inferior dimensions, rose up under theeye, and cut the long, straight lines of the houses and otherbuildings.
Edward leaned his head upon his hand and gazed, while at a littledistance from him sat a gentleman, somewhat younger than himself,looking upon him, from time to time, with a glance of deep interest,but keeping silence out of respect for the Prince's musing mood.
The soft air of summer wafted to the window the scent of the blossomsfrom the fields beyond; and Edward thought it spoke of liberty. Up rosefrom the streets and houses of Hereford the manifold sounds of busylife, the buzz of talking multitudes, the call, the shout, the merrylaugh of idle boyhood; and still, to the captive's ears, they spoke ofliberty. The bells from the cathedral joined in, and rang complines;and turning his eyes thither, he thought how often he had heard thosesweet tones, at even-close, in the happy days of early youth, returningfrom the chase or any other or the free sports of the time. His sightwandered on, over tower and spire, round which the crows were wingingtheir airy flight, to the deep woods and blue hills, flooded with gloryfrom the declining sun. Still, still, it all spoke of liberty; andEdward's heart felt oppressed, his very breathing laboured, as heremembered the mighty blessing he had lost.
It was like the sight of a river to a man dying with thirst in thesands of Africa, without the strength to reach it.
He gazed, and perhaps for a moment might forget himself and his hardfate, in a dream of enjoyment; but if he did, it lasted not long--thedark reality soon came between him and the light of fancy, and lettinghis head droop, he turned away with a deep sigh, and gave up a briefspace to bitter meditation.
Then rising from his seat, taller by many an inch than the ordinaryrace of men, he threw back his magnificent head and his wide shoulderswith a sorrowful smile, saying, "I will walk up and down my chamber, DeClare, and fancy I am free!"
"I hope you feel better, my lord, to-night," said young Thomas deClare, the Earl of Gloucester's brother.
"Yes, good faith," replied the Prince, "I am better. The fever has leftme, but nothing will make me truly well but open air and strongexercise. However, I am better, and I thank you much; for I believe youlove me, De Clare, although you make yourself a sort of willing gaolerto me."
The young gentleman bent his head without reply, though
there was afaint smile upon his lip, which might have puzzled Edward had he seenit; and after a moment or two De Clare said, somewhat abruptly, "Now Icould wager your Grace is strong enough to ride some twenty or thirtymiles, if you were at liberty to do so."
"A hundred!" answered Edward, quickly; and then added, moreslowly--"were I at liberty."
At that moment some one knocked at the door, and on being told to comein, Hugh de Monthermer entered.
The face of the Prince instantly brightened--"Ah, Monthermer!" hecried, "right glad am I to see you, my friend!--yes, my friend--forthese factious times shall never make us enemies, though we draw ourswords on different sides. This is my state apartment, Hugh, and thatstaircase by which you came hither the extreme limit of myprincipality. I wonder that De Montfort suffered you to see me."
"I almost wondered myself, my lord," said Hugh de Monthermer; "for myrequest was coupled with a remonstrance against your imprisonment."
"And yet," added the Prince, "you will remonstrate, but not aid to freeme."
"My lord, I cannot, without treason," replied Hugh de Monthermer.
"Treason to whom?" demanded Edward, somewhat sharply. "Treason to theland, my lord," answered Hugh de Monthermer, "and to those rights whichI know, when you are king, you will yourself willingly respect. I dobeseech you, my dear lord, press me not harshly on a matter where I canmake but one reply. You are here by the will of four-and-twenty noblegentlemen, appointed lawfully----"
"And by the _mise_ of Lewes," added the Prince, bitterly--"but say nomore, Monthermer; I do believe that if your voice might prevail, Ishould soon be at liberty."
"Upon my life, you would," replied the young nobleman; "indeed, younever should have been otherwise, for I would have taken yourword--your plighted word--to maintain the rights of Englishmen, and toaid in no act against them, and would have set you free at once."
"Well, it matters not," answered the Prince; "perhaps it is better asit is. I know not what I might have promised to buy my liberty, if menhad asked me; but now, though fettered in body, I am at large in mind,and events may yet come to open stronger doors than that.--How fares itwith your good uncle?" he continued. "He has been somewhat harsh andsudden with his king, but still he is a noble gentleman, and one ofwhom England may well be proud."
Hugh de Monthermer answered in general terms; and the conversation,having then taken a turn away from painful subjects of discussion,reverted pleasantly to brighter themes. Their boyish hours rose upbefore their eyes--the sports, the pastimes--the gay thoughts andheedless jests of youth were recollected--Edward's countenance unbent,his eyes sparkled, his lips smiled, the prison and its cares wereforgotten; and for the time he seemed to live once more in the sweetearly days of which they spoke.
The conversation proceeded almost entirely between the Prince and Hughde Monthermer, for though Thomas de Clare added a word or two now andthen, they were but few, and only served to break through one of thosemomentary pauses which would have given thought time to return from thepleasant past to the sad present.
The sun was, as I have said, going down when Hugh de Monthermer enteredthe Prince's chamber, and ere he had been there half an hour, thebright orb had sunk beneath the horizon; but in these northern climes,Heaven has vouchsafed to us a blessing which brighter lands do notpossess--the long, soft twilight of the summer evening--and the sky wasstill full of light, so that one might have read with ease in the highchamber of the Prince, nearly half an hour after the star of day haddisappeared. It was just at that moment that Hugh, who was sitting withhis face towards the door, saw it open slowly, and a beautiful girl,dressed in somewhat gay and sparkling attire, even for those gaudytimes, entered with a noiseless step, bearing a small basket in herhands.
An expression of some surprise on the young lord's countenance madeEdward himself turn round, and the sight suddenly produced signs ofgreater amazement in his face than even in Hugh de Monthermer's. Herose instantly, however, saying--"What would you, my fair lady?"
"Nothing, royal sir," replied the girl, "but to bring your Grace thissmall basket of early strawberries. You will find the flavour good,"she added, "_especially at the bottom_, where they have not been heatedby the sun."
As she spoke she put down the basket on the table, and was retreatingquickly, but Edward exclaimed--"Stay--stay; pretty one! tell me who youare, that I may remember in my prayers one who has thought upon hercaptive Prince, and striven to solace him in his imprisonment."
"It matters not," replied the girl, courtesying low and speakingevidently with a country accent--"it matters not. I promised not tostay a moment, but to give the strawberries and to come away. God sendyour Grace a happy even, and a happy morning to boot!" and thus saying,she retired, closing the door carefully behind her.
"This is strange," said the Prince, taking up the basket, and turningtowards Hugh de Monthermer.
But the young lord was buried in deep meditation.
"You seem surprised, Monthermer," said the Prince, "and, faith, so amI, too. I never saw the girl in all my days. Did you, De Clare?"
"Never!" replied the young noble.
"Methinks, I have," observed Hugh de Monthermer, gravely, "and that,many a mile hence. But I will now leave you, my lord; the gates willsoon be shut."
"Nay, stay, and take some of this sweet food," said Edward, "which hasbeen brought me, not by ravens but by doves."
"Not so, sir," replied Hugh, staying the Prince's hand, as he was aboutto empty the basket on the table. "May the fruit prove propitious toyour Grace and to England!--Adieu, my lord!" and thus saying, hequitted the room abruptly.
"He is right, he is right!" cried Thomas de Clare; "there is more thanfruit in that basket, or I am much mistaken."
Edward laid his hand upon it firmly, and fixed a keen and searchingglance upon the young nobleman, saying, "Whatever there be in it, ismine, and for my eye alone, Thomas de Clare."
But his companion passed round the table, bent one knee before him,and, kissing his hand respectfully, said, "My noble lord and futureKing, you have mistaken me; but it is now time to tell you that I am nogaoler. If I be not very wrong, there are in that basket tidings whichshall soon set you free as the wind. I have already gained from sternDe Montfort permission for you to ride forth, accompanied by sixgentlemen of his choosing, and followed by a train of spears. I said,that it was the only means of restoring you to health.--I might haveadded had I pleased, and to liberty. Now, my lord, see what that basketdoes contain; and believe me, if it cost me my head to keep yoursecret, I would not reveal it."
"Thanks, De Clare, thanks," replied Edward. "We often suspect thehonest of being guilty; but, this time, suspicion has taken a differentcourse, and I have long suspected thee of being honest.--Now supposeall your hopes are false?" and he overturned the basket on the table.
Nothing fell from it except the fruit; but, fastened to the bottom by apiece of wax, appeared, on closer inspection, a small billet, folded soas to take the form of the basket.
It was speedily drawn forth and opened, as the reader may suppose; butthe first words which met the eye of the Prince puzzled him not alittle. The note was to the following effect:--
"MY LORD,"
"One of your horses has been stolen from your stable, namely, thebright bay Norman charger; but, as some compensation, in its place hasbeen put a large-boned, long-legged grey. He is not beautiful to lookupon, though a skilful eye will see fine points in him; but he isstrong and enduring, and no horse in Europe can match him for speed.Your lordship may try him against what horse you will, you will be sureto win the race; and should you be disposed to try to-morrow, you willfind spectators in Monington Wood who will receive you at the winningpost. Mark this, for it is from
"A FRIEND."
"Would that I knew his name," cried Edward, as he concluded the letter.
"I can tell you, my lord," replied Thomas de Clare. "It is Richard deAshby."
"Ha!" said Edward, as if not w
ell pleased--"Ha! Richard de Ashby. He isa faithful subject of my father's, I believe, but that is all the goodI know of him. However, I must not be ungrateful--Hark! There is a stepupon the stairs. Get the fruit into the basket--quick!" and concealingthe note, Edward cast himself into the chair which he had previouslyoccupied.
De Clare had scarcely replaced the strawberries and set down thebasket, when a heavy, stern-looking man, one of the chief officers whomthe Earl of Leicester had placed in attendance, as he called it, uponthe Prince, entered the room, with a silver dish in his hand.
"Seeing that a fair lady has carried you some strawberries, my lord,"he said, "I have brought you a dish to put them in;" and taking thebasket, he emptied it slowly into the silver plate.
"Thanks, Ingelby, thanks," replied the Prince with a look of totalindifference as to what he did with the fruit. "Methinks, if you hadbrought me some cream also it would have been as well."
"Your lordship shall have it immediately," answered the officer. "Theyare fine berries, so early in the season."
"They will refresh me, after the fever," said Edward; "for still mymouth feels dry."
"You shall have the cream directly, my good lord," rejoined theofficer, and left the room.
Edward and De Clare looked at each other with a smile, and the note wassoon re-read and totally destroyed.
Forest Days: A Romance of Old Times Page 16