CHAPTER XXVIII. GASTON'S SEARCH.
"He would get better far more quickly could the trouble be removed fromhis mind."
Gaston raised his head quickly, and asked:
"What trouble?"
Father Paul's face, thin and worn as of old, with the same keen,kindling glance of the deep-set eyes, softened almost into a smile as hemet the questioning glance of Gaston's eyes.
"Thou shouldst know more of such matters than I, my son, seeing thatthou art in youth's ardent prime, whilst I wear the garb of a monk. Surethou canst not have watched beside thy brother's sickbed all these longweeks without knowing somewhat of the trouble in his mind?"
"I hear him moan and talk," answered Gaston; "but he knows not what hesays, and I know not either. He is always feeling at his neck, andcalling out for some lost token. And then he will babble on of things Iunderstand not. But how I may help him I know not. I have tarried long,for I could not bear to leave him thus; and yet I am longing to carry tothe King my tale of outrage and wrong. With every week that passes mychance of success grows less. For Peter Sanghurst may have been beforeme, and may have told his own false version of the tale ere I may havespeech with King or Prince. I know not what to do -- to stay besideRaymond, or to hasten to England ere time be farther flown. Holy Father,wilt thou not counsel me? I feel that every day lost is a day lived invain, ere I be revenged upon Raymond's cruel foes!"
The youth's eyes flashed. He clenched his hands, and his teeth setthemselves fast together. He felt like an eagle caged, behind theseprotecting walls. For his brother's sake he was right glad of thefriendly shelter; but for himself he was pining to be free.
And yet how was he to leave that dearly-loved brother, whose eyesfollowed him so wistfully from place to place, who brightened up intomomentary life when he entered the room, and took so little heed of whatpassed about him, unless roused by Gaston's touch or voice? Raymond hadbeen very, very near to the gates of death since he had been broughtinto the Monastery, and even now, so prostrated was he by the longattack of intermittent fever which had followed his wonderful escapefrom Saut, that those about him scarce knew how the balance would turn.The fever, which had at first run high and had been hard to subdue, hadnow taken another turn, and only recurred at intervals of a few days;but the patient was so fearfully exhausted by all he had undergone thathe seemed to have no strength to rally. He would lie in a sort of tranceof weakness when the fever was not upon him, scarce seeming to breatheunless he was roused to wakefulness by some word or caress from Gaston;whilst on the days when the fever returned, he would lie mutteringindistinctly to himself, sometimes breaking forth into eager rapidspeech difficult to follow, and often trying to rise and go forth uponsome errand, no one knew what, and struggling hard with those who heldhim back.
Father Paul had watched over the first stages of the illness with theutmost care and tenderness, after which his duties called him away, andhe had only returned some three days since. The long hot summer inBordeaux had been a very trying one for the patient, whose stateprohibited any attempt at removal to a cooler, fresher air. But asAugust was merging into September, and the days were growing shorter andthe heat something less oppressive, it was hoped that there might be afavourable change in the patient's state; and much was looked for alsofrom Father Paul's skill, which was accounted something very great.
Gaston and Roger had remained within the Monastery walls in closeattendance upon the patient; but the restraint had been terribly irksometo the temper of the young knight, and he was panting to be free topursue his quest, and to tell his story in the King's ears. He could notbut dread that in his absence some harm might befall his Constanza.Suppose those two remorseless men suspected her to be concerned in theflight of their victim, what form might not their vengeance take? It wasa thing that would scarce bear thinking of. Yet what could he do to saveher and to win her until he could make an organized attack upon Saut,armed with full authority from England's King?
And now that Father Paul was back, might it not be possible that thiscould be done? Gaston felt torn in twain betwixt his love for hisbrother and his love for his betrothed. Father Paul would be able toadvise him wisely and well.
The Father looked earnestly into the ardent and eager face of the youth,and answered quietly:
"Methinks thou hast been here long enough, my son. Thou mayest do betterfor Raymond by going forth upon the mission thou hast set thyself. Butfirst I would ask of thee a few questions. Who is this lady of whom thybrother speaks so oft?"
"Lady?" questioned Gaston, his eyes opening wide in surprise. "Does heindeed speak of a lady?"
The Father smiled at the question.
"Thy thoughts must have been as wandering as his if thou dost not knowas much as that," he said, with a look that brought the hot blood intoGaston's cheek, for he well knew where his own thoughts had been whilsthe sat beside his brother, scarce heeding the ceaseless murmur whichbabbled from his unconscious lips.
It had never occurred to him that he could learn aught by striving tocatch those indistinct utterances; and his mind had been full tooverflowing with his own affairs.
"I knew not that he spoke of any lady," said the young knight, wonderingfor a moment, with love's irrational jealousy, whether Raymond couldhave seen his Constanza and have lost his heart to her.
Had she not spoken of having slipped once into his cell to breathe inhis ear a word of hope? Might not even that passing glimpse at such atime have been enough to subjugate his heart? He drew his breath hard,and an anxious light gleamed in his eye. But the Father continuedspeaking, and a load seemed to roll from his spirit with the next words.
"It is of a lady whose name is Joan that he speaks almost ceaselesslywhen the fever fit is on him. Sometimes he speaks, too, of his cousin,that John de Brocas who lost his life in the Black Death through hisceaseless labours amongst the sick. He is in sore trouble, as it seems,by the loss of some token given him by the lady. He fears that some fouluse may be made by his foes of this same token, which he would soonerhave died than parted from. If thou knowest who this lady is and whereshe may be found, it would do more for thy brother to have news of herthan to receive all the skilled care of the best physicians in theworld. I misdoubt me whether we shall bring him back to life without heraid. Wherefore, if thou knowest where she may be found, delay not toseek her. Tell her her lover yet lives, and bring him some message fromher that may give him life and health."
Gaston's eyes lighted. To be given anything to do -- anything but thisweary, wearing waiting and watching for the change that never came --put new life into him forthwith.
"It must sure be Mistress Joan Vavasour thou meanest, Father," he said."Raymond spoke much of her when we were on shipboard together. I knewnot that his heart was so deeply pledged; but I see it all now. It is ofher that he is dreaming night and day. It is the loss of her token thatis troubling him now.
"Stop! what have I heard? Methinks that this same Peter Sanghurst waswooing Mistress Joan himself once. Sure I see another motive in hisdastard capture of my brother. Perchance he had in him not only a rivalfor the lands of Basildene, but for the hand of the lady. Father, I seeit all! Would that I had seen it before! It is Peter Sanghurst who hasrobbed Raymond of his token, and he may make cruel use of what he hastreacherously filched away. I must lose not a day nor an hour. I must toEngland in the wake of this villain. Oh, why did I not understandbefore? What may he not have done ere I can stop his false mouth? TheKing shall hear all; the King shall be told all the tale! I trow he willnot tarry long in punishing the coward traitor!"
Father Paul was less certain how far the King would interest himself ina private quarrel, but Peter Sanghurst's recent action with regard toRaymond might possibly be such as to stir even the royal wrath. At leastit was time that some watch should be placed upon the movements of theowner of Basildene, for he would be likely to make a most unscrupuloususe of any power he might possess to injure Raymond or gain any holdover the lady they both loved.
/> Roger being called in to the conference, and giving his testimonyclearly enough as to the frequent intercourse which had existed betweenMistress Joan Vavasour and Raymond de Brocas, and the evident attractioneach bore for the other, the matter appeared placed beyond thepossibility of all doubt. Gaston's resolve was quickly taken, and heonly waited till his brother could be aroused to fuller consciousness,to start forth upon his double quest after vengeance and after Joan.
"Brother," he said, taking Raymond's hands in his, and bending tenderlyover him, "I am going to leave thee, but only for a time. I am going toEngland to find thy Joan, and to tell her that thou art living yet, andhow thou hast been robbed of thy token."
A new light shone suddenly in Raymond's eyes. It seemed as though someof the mists of weakness rolled away, leaving to him a clearercomprehension. He grasped his brother's hand with greater strength thanGaston believed him to possess, and his lips parted in a flashing smile.
"Thou wilt seek her and find her? Knowest thou where she is?"
"No; but I will go to seek her. I shall get news of her at Guildford. Iwill to our uncle's house forthwith. Sir Hugh Vavasour can easily be found."
"He has been wandering in foreign lands this long while," answeredRaymond. "I know not whether he may have returned home. Gaston, if thoufindest her, save her from the Sanghurst. Tell her that I yet live --that for her sake I will live to protect her from that evil man. He hasrobbed me of the pledge of her love; I am certain of it. It was atrinket not worth the stealing, and I had it ever about my neck. It wastaken from me when I was a prisoner and at their mercy, when I did notknow what befell me. He has it -- I am assured of that -- and what eviluse he may make of it I know not. Ah, if thou canst but find her ere hecan reach her side!"
"I will find her," answered Gaston, firmly and cheerfully. "Fear not,Raymond; I have had harder tasks than this to perform ere now. Be it thypart to shake off this wasting sickness. I will seek out thy Joan, andwill bring her to thy side. But let her not find thee in such sorryplight. Thou lookest yet rather a corpse than a man. Thou wouldst frighther by thy wan looks an she came to thee now."
Wan and white and wasted did Raymond indeed appear, as though a breathwould blow him away. Upon his face was that faraway, ethereal look ofone who has been lingering long beside the portal of another world, andscarce knows to which he belongs. It sometimes seemed as though theangel song of the unseen realm was oftener heard and understood by himthan the voices of those about him. But the fever cloud was slowlylifting from his brain, and today the first impulse to a real recoveryhad been given by these few words with his brother.
Raymond's recollection of past events was coming back to himconnectedly, and the thought of Joan acted like a tonic upon him. Forher sake he would live; for her sake he would make a battle for hislife. Had he not vowed himself to her service? and did any woman standmore in need of her lover's strong arm than the daughter of Sir HughVavasour?
Raymond had gauged the character of that knight before, and knew that hewould sell his daughter without scruple to any person who would make itworth his while. It had been notorious in old days that the Sanghurstshad some peculiar hold upon him, and was it likely that Peter Sanghurst,who was plainly resolved to make Joan his wife, would allow that powerto rest unused when it might be employed for the furtherance of hispurpose? To send Gaston forth upon the quest for Joan was much; but hehimself must fight this wasting sickness, that he might be ready to goto her when the summons came that she was found, and was ready towelcome her faithful knight.
From that hour Raymond began to amend; and although his progress wasslow, and seemed doubly slow to his impatience, it was steady and sure,and he was as one given back from the dead.
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"Mistress Joan Vavasour, boy? why, all the world is making that inquiry.How comes it that thou, by thine own account but just home from Gascony,shouldst be likewise asking the same question?"
Master Bernard de Brocas turned his kindly face towards Gaston with alook of shrewd inquiry in his eyes. His nephew had arrived but a shorthalf-hour at his house, somewhat jaded by rapid travelling, and afterhurriedly removing the stains of the journey from his person, was seatedbefore a well-supplied board, whilst the cleric sat beside him, alwayseager for news, and exceedingly curious to know the history of the twinbrothers, who for the past six months seemed to have vanished from theface of the earth. But for the moment Gaston was too intent upon askingquestions to have leisure to answer any.
"How?" he questioned; "what mean you, reverend Sir? Everybody askingnews of her? How comes that about?"
"Marry, for the reason that the lady hath disappeared these last threeweeks from her father's house, and none can tell whither she has fled,or whether she has been spirited away, or what hath befallen her. SirHugh is in a mighty taking, for he had just arranged a marriage betwixther and Peter Sanghurst, and the lady had given her consent (or so it issaid, albeit there be some who doubt the truth of that), and he issorely vexed to know what can have become of her."
"Peter Sanghurst! that arch-villain!" cried Gaston, involuntarily layinghis hand on the hilt of his dagger. "Mine uncle, I have come to askcounsel of thee about that same miscreant. I am glad that he at leasthas not fled the country. He shall not escape the fate he so richly merits."
And then, with flashing eyes and words eloquent through excess offeeling, Gaston related the whole story of the past months: theappearance on board the vessel of the Black Visor; the concerted actionagainst Raymond carried out by Sanghurst, thus disguised, and the Sieurde Navailles; and the cruelty devised against him, from which he hadescaped only by something of a miracle.
And as Master Bernard de Brocas listened to this tale of treachery,planned and carried out against one of his own name and race, ananswering light shone in his eyes, and he smote his palms together,crying out in sudden wrath:
"Gaston, the King shall hear of this! Thou shalt tell to him the tale asthou hast told it to me. He will not hear patiently of such indignitiesoffered to a subject of his, not though the King of France himself haddone it! That Sieur de Navailles is no friend to England. I know himwell, and his false, treacherous ways. I have heard much of him ere now,and the King has his eye upon him. Gaston, this hollow truce cannot longcontinue. The nobles and the King are alike weary of a peace which is nopeace, and which the King of France or his lords are continuallybreaking. A very little, and the flame of war will burst out anew. Itmay be that even this tale of thine may put the spark to the train (asthey say of these new artillery engines that are so astonishing men bytheir smoke and noise), and that the Prince, when he hears of it, willurge his father to march once more into France, and put an end to thepetty annoyances and treacherous attacks which are goading the royallion of England to wrath and fury."
"Pray Heaven it may!" cried Gaston, starting to his feet and pacing upand down the hall. "Thou knowest, uncle mine, how the Prince and theKing did long ago confirm to me the rights of the De Brocas to theancient Castles of Orthez and Saut. If he would but give me his royalwarrant for mustering men and recovering mine own, I trow, be the wallsof Saut never so strong, that I would speedily make mine entrance withinthem! Uncle, the Sieur de Navailles is hated and feared and reviled byall men for miles around his walls. I trow that, even amongst those whobear arms for him, some would be found who would gladly serve anothermaster. Stories of the punishments he is wont to inflict upon all whofall beneath his displeasure have passed from mouth to mouth, and bitteris the rage burning in the breasts of those whose helpless kinsfolk havesuffered through his tyrant cruelty. I trow an armed band, coming in thename of the English King, could soon smoke that old fox out of his hole;whilst all men would rejoice at his fall. Let me to the King -- let metell my tale! I burn to be on the wing once more! Where may his Majestybe found?"
"Softly, softly, boy! We must think somewhat more of this. And we havetwo foes, not one alone, to deal with. Peter Sanghurst is, as it
were,beneath our very hand. He is at Basildene, fuming like a wild thing atthe sudden disappearance of Mistress Joan. There be, nevertheless, somewho say that this wrath is all assumed; that he has captured the lady,and holds her a prisoner in his hands, all the while pretending to knownaught of her. I know not what truth there may be in such rumours. TheSanghurst bears an evil name, and many are the stories whispered about him."
"What!" almost shouted Gaston, in the fierceness of his excitement,"Mistress Joan a prisoner in Basildene, the captive of that miscreant!Uncle, let us lose not an hour! Let us forthwith to the King. He willgive us his royal warrant, and armed with that we will to Basildene, andsearch for her there, and free her ere the set of sun. Oh, it would belike him -- it would be all in a piece with his villainy! I cannot restnor breathe till I know all. Uncle, may we not set forth this very day-- this same night?"
The worthy ecclesiastic laid a hand upon Gaston's shoulder.
"Boy," he said, "I will myself to the King this very day. The moon willsoon be up, and the way is familiar to me and my men. But thou shalttarry here. Thou hast travelled far today, and art weary and in need ofrest. Perchance, in this matter of the Sanghurst, I shall do betterwithout thee. Thou shalt see the King anon, and shalt tell him all thytale; but methinks this matter of Basildene had best be spoken ofbetwixt him and me alone. Thou knowest that I have for long been in theKing's favour and confidence, and have managed many state matters forhim. Thou mayest therefore leave thy cause in my hands. I have all thepapers safe that thou broughtest from Gascony long since, and have leftin my care these many years. I have been awaiting my opportunity to laythe matter of Basildene before the King, and now I trow that the hourhas come."
Gaston stopped short in his restless pacing, a bright light in his eyes.
"Thou thinkest to oust the Sanghurst thence -- to gain Basildene forRaymond?"
"Ay, verily I do. It is your inheritance by right; the papers prove it.Ye were deprived of it by force, and now the hour of restitution hascome. As to thee are secured the Gascon lands, when they can be wrestedfrom the hand of the foe, so shall Basildene be secured to Raymond,albeit he has not won his spurs as thou hast done, boy, and that rightlustily. But I know much good of Raymond. He will worthily fill hisplace. Go now to rest, boy, and leave this matter in mine hands. Iwarrant thee the cause shall not suffer for being intrusted to me. Getthee to rest. Fear not; and ere two days be passed thou shalt havetidings of some sort from me."
Gaston would fain have been his uncle's companion on the road, but heknew better than to insist. Master Bernard de Brocas well knew what hewas about, and was plainly deeply interested in the story he had heard.Raymond had long been high in his favour. To cause to recoil upon thehead of the treacherous Sanghurst the vengeance he had plotted againsthis own nephew, to punish him for his treachery -- to wrest from hisrapacious grasp the lands and the Manor of Basildene, was a taskpeculiarly agreeable to the statesman, who knew well what he was aboutand the master whom he served. Basildene was no great possession, but itmight be greatly increased in value, and there was rumour of buriedhoards there which might speedily restore the old house to more than itsformer splendour. At any rate, its lands and revenues would be a modestportion for a younger son, who still had the flower of his life beforehim, and was like to rise in the King's favour. The romantic story ofhis love, his sufferings, his rescue from the two foes of his house, wascertain to appeal to the King and his son, whilst the treachery of thosefoes would equally rouse the royal wrath.
Master Bernard departed for Windsor with the rising of the moon; andGaston passed a restless night and day wondering what was passing atWindsor, and feeling, when he retired to rest upon the second night, asthough his excitement of mind must drive slumber from his eyes. Nor didsleep visit him till the tardy dawn stole in at the window, and when hedid sleep he slept long and soundly.
He was aroused by the sound of a great trampling in the courtyard below;and springing quickly from his couch, he saw the place full ofmen-at-arms, all wearing either the badge of the De Brocas or else thatof the Prince of Wales.
Throwing on his clothes in great haste, and scarce tarrying to buckle onhis sword, Gaston strode from his chamber and hastened down the greatstaircase. At the foot of this stood one whom well he knew, and with aninarticulate exclamation of delight he threw himself upon one kneebefore the young Prince, and pressed his lips to the hand graciouslyextended to him.
"Nay, Gaston; thy friend and comrade, not thy sovereign!" cried thehandsome youth gaily, as he raised Gaston and looked smilingly into hisface, his own countenance alight with satisfaction and excitement. "Ah,thou knowest not how glad I am to welcome thee once more! For the daysbe coming soon when I must needs rally all my brave knights about me,and go forth to France for a new career of glory there. But todayanother task is ours, and not as thy Prince, but thy good comrade, haveI come. I will forth with thee to the den of this foul Sanghurst, andtogether will we search his house for the lady men say he has socunningly spirited away; and if she be found indeed languishing incaptivity there, then in very truth shall the Sanghurst feel the wrathof the royal Edward. He shall live to feel the iron hand of the King hehas outraged and defied! But he shall pay the forfeit of his life.England shall be rid of one of her greatest villains when PeterSanghurst feels the halter about his neck!"
In the Days of Chivalry: A Tale of the Times of the Black Prince Page 28