A Ladder of Swords: A Tale of Love, Laughter and Tears

by Gilbert Parker

  IV

  Thus began the friendship of the bragging Seigneur of Rozel for thethree Huguenots, all because he had seen tears in a girl's eyes andmisunderstood them, and because the same girl had kissed him. Hispride was flattered that they should receive protection from him, andthe flattery became almost a canonizing when De Carteret of St.Ouen's brought him to task for harboring and comforting the despisedHuguenots; for when De Carteret railed he was envious. So henceforthLempriere played lord protector with still more boisterous unction.His pride knew no bounds when, three days after the rescue, Sir HughPawlett, the governor, answering De la Foret's letter requestingpermission to visit the Comtesse de Montgomery, sent him word tofetch De la Foret to Mont Orgueil Castle. Clanking and blowing, hewas shown into the great hall with De la Foret, where waited Sir Hughand the widow of the renowned Camisard. Clanking and purring like anenormous cat, he turned his head away to the window when De la Foretdropped on his knees and kissed the hand of the comtesse, whose eyeswere full of tears. Clanking and gurgling, he sat at a mighty meal ofturbot, eels, lobsters, ormers, capons, boar's head, brawn andmustard, swan, curlew, and spiced meats. This he washed down withbastard, malmsey, and good ale, topped with almonds, comfits,perfumed cherries with "ipocras," then sprinkled himself withrose-water and dabbled his face and hands in it. Filled to theturret, he lurched to his feet, and, drinking to Sir Hugh's toast,"Her sacred Majesty!" he clanked and roared "Elizabeth!" as thoughupon the field of battle. He felt the star of De Carteret decliningand Rozel's glory ascending like a comet. Once set in a course,nothing could change him. Other men might err, but, once right, theSeigneur of Rozel was everlasting.

  Of late he had made the cause of Michel de la Foret and Angele Auberthis own. For this he had been raked upon the coals by De Carteret ofSt. Ouen's and his following, who taunted him with the saying, "Savea thief from hanging and he'll cut your throat." Not that there wasill feeling against De la Foret in person. He had won most hearts bya frank yet still manner, and his story and love for Angele hadtouched the women folk where their hearts were softest. But theisland was not true to itself or its history if it did not divideitself into factions, headed by the seigneurs, and there had been noground for good division for five years till De la Foret came.

  Short of actual battle, this new strife was the keenest ever known,for Sir Hugh Pawlett was ranged on the side of the Seigneur of Rozel.Kinsman of the Comtesse de Montgomery, of Queen Elizabeth's ownProtestant religion, and admiring De la Foret, he had given everycountenance to the Camisard refugee. He had even besought the royalcourt of Jersey to grant a pardon to Buonespoir the pirate, oncondition that he should never commit a depredation upon aninhabitant of the island--this he was to swear to by the littlefinger of St. Peter. Should he break his word he was to be banishedthe island for ten years, under penalty of death if he returned. Whenthe hour had come for Buonespoir to take the oath he failed toappear, and the next morning the Seigneur of St. Ouen's discoveredthat during the night his cellar had been raided of two kegs ofcanary, many flagons of muscadella, pots of anchovies and boxes ofcandied "eringo," kept solely for the visit which the Queen hadpromised the island. There was no doubt of the misdemeanant, forBuonespoir returned to De Carteret from St. Brieuc the gabardine ofone of his retainers, in which he had carried off the stolendelicacies.

  This aggravated the feud between the partisans of St. Ouen's andRozel, for Lempriere of Rozel had laughed loudly when he heard of therobbery, and said: "'Tis like St. Ouen's to hoard for a queen andglut a pirate. We feed as we get at Rozel, and will feed the courtwell, too, when it comes, or I'm no butler to Elizabeth!"

  But trouble was at hand for Michel and for his protector. The spiesof Catherine de Medici, mother of the King of France, wereeverywhere. These had sent word that De la Foret was now attached tothe meagre suite of the widow of the great Camisard Montgomery, nearthe Castle of Mont Orgueil. The Medici, having treacherously slainthe chief, became mad with desire to slay the lieutenant. She was setto have the man, either through diplomacy with England, or to end himby assassination through her spies. Having determined upon his death,with relentless soul she pursued the cause as closely as though thisexiled soldier were a powerful enemy at the head of an army inFrance.

  Thus it was that she wrote to Queen Elizabeth, asking that "thisarrant foe of France, this churl, conspirator, and reviler of thesacraments, be rendered unto our hands for well-deserved punishmentas warning to all such evil-doers." She told Elizabeth of De laForet's arrival in Jersey, disguised as a priest of the Church ofFrance, and set forth his doings since landing with the Seigneur ofRozel. Further she went on to say to "our sister of England" that"these dark figures of murder and revolt be a peril to the soft peaceof this good realm."

  To this Elizabeth, who had no knowledge of Michel, who desired peacewith France at this time, who had favors to ask of Catherine, and whoin her own realm had fresh reason to fear conspiracy through theQueen of the Scots and others, replied forthwith that, "If this De laForet falleth into our hands, and if it were found he had in truthconspired against France its throne, had he a million lives, not oneshould remain." Having despatched this letter, she straightway sent amessenger to Sir Hugh Pawlett in Jersey, making quest of De la Foret,and commanding that he should be sent to her in England at once.

  When the Queen's messenger arrived at Orgueil Castle, Lemprierechanced to be with Sir Hugh Pawlett, and the contents of Elizabeth'sletter were made known to him.

  At the moment Monsieur of Rozel was munching macaroons and washingthem down with canary. The governor's announcement was such a shockthat he choked and coughed, the crumbs flying in all directions, andanother pint of canary must be taken to flush his throat. Thuscleared for action, he struck out.

  "'Tis St. Ouen's work," he growled.

  "'Tis the work of the Medici," said Sir Hugh. "Read," he added,holding out the paper.

  Now Lempriere of Rozel had a poor eye for reading. He had wit enoughto wind about the difficulty.

  "If I see not the Queen's commands, I've no warrant but Sir HughPawlett's words, and I'll to London and ask 'fore her Majesty's faceif she wrote them, and why. I'll tell my tale and speak my mind, Ipledge you, sir."

  "You'll offend her Majesty. Her commands are here." Pawlett tappedthe letter with his finger.

  "I'm butler to the Queen, and she will list to me. I'll not smirk andcaper like St. Ouen's; I'll bear me like a man not speaking forhimself. I'll speak as Harry her father spoke--straight to thepurpose.... No, no, no, I'm not to be wheedled, even by a Pawlett,and you shall not ask me. If you want Michel de la Foret, come andtake him. He is in my house. But ye must _take_ him, for _come_ heshall not!"

  "You will not oppose the Queen's officers?"

  "De la Foret is under my roof. He must be taken. I will give him upto no one; and I'll tell my sovereign these things when I see her inher palace."

  "I misdoubt you'll play the bear," said Pawlett, with a dry smile.

  "The Queen's tongue is none so tame. I'll travel by my star, getsweet or sour."

  "Well, well, 'give a man luck, and throw him into the sea,' is theold proverb. I'm coming for your friend to-night."

  "I'll be waiting with my fingers on the door, sir," said Rozel, witha grim vanity and an outrageous pride in himself.