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

by Gilbert Parker

  VIII

  Five minutes later Lempriere of Rozel, as butler to the Queen, saw asight of which he told to his dying day. When, after varied troubleshereafter set down, he went back to Jersey, he made a speech beforethe royal court, in which he told what chanced while Elizabeth was atchapel.

  "There stood I, butler to the Queen," he said, with a large gesture,"but what knew I of butler's duties at Greenwich Palace! Her Majestyhad given me an office where all the work was done for me. Odd'slife! but when I saw the Gentleman of the Rod and his fellow get downon their knees to lay the cloth upon the table, as though it was analtar at Jerusalem, I thought it time to say my prayers. There wasnaught but kneeling and retiring. Now it was the saltcellar, theplate, and the bread; then it was a Duke's Daughter--a noble soul asever lived--with a tasting-knife, as beautiful as a rose; thenanother lady enters who glares at me, and gets to her knees as doesthe other. Three times up and down, and then one rubs the plate withbread and salt, as solemn as St. Ouen's when he says prayers in theroyal court. Gentles, that was a day for Jersey. For there stood I asmaster of all, the Queen's butler, and the greatest ladies of theland doing my will--though it was all Persian mystery to me, savewhen the kettle-drums began to beat and the trumpet to blow, and inwalked bareheaded the yeomen of the guard, all scarlet, with a goldenrose on their backs, bringing in a course of twenty-four gold dishes,and I, as Queen's butler, receiving them.

  "Then it was I opened my mouth, amazed at the endless dishes filledwith niceties of earth, and the Duke's Daughter pops onto my tongue amouthful of the first dish brought, and then does the same to everyyeoman of the guard that carried a dish--that her notorious Majestybe safe against the hand of poisoners. There was I, fed by a Duke'sDaughter; and thus was Jersey honored; and the Duke's Daughterwhispers to me, as a dozen other unmarried ladies enter, 'The Queenliked not the cut of your frieze jerkin better than do I, seigneur.'With that she joins the others, and they all kneel down and rise upagain, and, lifting the meat from the table, bear it into the Queen'sprivate chamber.

  "When they return, and the yeomen of the guard go forth, I am leftalone with these ladies, and there I stand with twelve pairs of eyesupon me, little knowing what to do. There was laughter in the facesof some, and looks less taking in the eyes of others; for my LordLeicester was to have done the duty I was set to do that day, and hethe greatest gallant of the kingdom, as all the world knows. Whatthey said among themselves I know not, but I heard Leicester's name,and I guessed that they were mostly in the pay of his soft words.But the Duke's Daughter was on my side, as was proved betimes whenLeicester made trouble for us who went from Jersey to plead the causeof injured folk. Of the earl's enmity to me--a foolish spite of agreat nobleman against a Norman-Jersey gentleman--and of how itinjured others for the moment, you all know; but we had him by theheels before the end of it, great earl and favorite as he was."

  In the same speech Lempriere told of his audience with the Queen,even as she sat at dinner, and of what she said to him; but since hiswords give but a partial picture of events, the relation must not behis.

  When the Queen returned from chapel to her apartments, Lempriere wascalled by an attendant, and he stood behind the Queen's chair untilshe summoned him to face her. Then, having finished her meal anddipped her fingers in a bowl of rose-water, she took up the papersLeicester had given her--the Duke's Daughter had read them aloud asshe ate--and said:

  "Now, my good Seigneur of Rozel, answer me these few questions:First, what concern is it of yours whether this Michel de la Foret besent back to France or die here in England?"

  "I helped to save his life at sea--one good turn deserves another,your high-born Majesty."

  The Queen looked sharply at him, then burst out laughing.

  "God's life, but here's a bull making epigrams!" she said. Then herhumor changed. "See you, my butler of Rozel, you shall speak thetruth, or I'll have you where that jerkin will fit you not so well amonth hence. Plain answers I will have to plain questions, or DeCarteret of St. Ouen's shall have his will of you and your preciouspirate. So bear yourself as you would save your head and yourhonors."

  Lempriere of Rozel never had a better moment than when he met theQueen of England's threats with faultless intrepidity. "I amconcerned about my head, but more about my honors, and most about myhonor," he replied. "My head is my own, my honors are my family's,for which I would give my head when needed, and my honor defends bothuntil both are naught--and all are in the service of my Queen."

  Smiling, Elizabeth suddenly leaned forward, and, with a glance ofsatisfaction towards the Duke's Daughter, who was present, said:

  "I had not thought to find so much logic behind your rampant skull,"she said. "You've spoken well, Rozel, and you shall speak by the bookto the end, if you will save your friends. What concern is it ofyours whether Michel de la Foret live or die?"

  "It is a concern of one whom I've sworn to befriend, and that is myconcern, your ineffable Majesty."

  "Who the friend?"

  "Mademoiselle Aubert."

  "The betrothed of this Michel de la Foret?"

  "Even so, your exalted Majesty. But I made sure De la Foret was deadwhen I asked her to be my wife."

  "Lord! Lord! Lord! hear this vast infant, this hulking baby of aseigneur, this primeval innocence! Listen to him, cousin," said theQueen, turning again to the Duke's Daughter. "Was ever the like of itin any kingdom of this earth? He chooses a penniless exile--he, abutler to the Queen, with three dove-cotes and the perquage--and aHuguenot withal. He is refused; then comes the absent lover oversea,to shipwreck; and our seigneur rescues him, 'fends him; and when yonmaster exile is in peril, defies his Queen's commands"--she tappedthe papers lying beside her on the table--"then comes to England withthe lady to plead the case before his outraged sovereign, with anoutlawed buccaneer for comrade and lieutenant. There is the case,is't not?"

  "I swore to be her friend," answered Lempriere, stubbornly, "and Ihave done according to my word."

  "There's not another nobleman in my kingdom who would not havethought twice about the matter, with the lady aboard his ship on thehigh seas--'tis a miraculous chivalry, cousin," she added to theDuke's Daughter, who bowed, settled herself again on her velvetcushion, and looked out of the corner of her eyes at Lempriere.

  "You opposed Sir Hugh Pawlett's officers who went to arrest this Dela Foret," continued Elizabeth. "Call you that serving your Queen?Pawlett had our commands."

  "I opposed them but in form, that the matter might the more surely bebrought to your Majesty's knowledge."

  "It might easily have brought you to the Tower, man."

  "I had faith that your Majesty would do right in this, as in allelse. So I came hither to tell the whole story to your judicialMajesty."

  "Our thanks for your certificate of character," said the Queen, withamused irony. "What is your wish? Make your words few and plain."

  "I desire before all that Michel de la Foret shall not be returned tothe Medici, most radiant Majesty."

  "That's plain. But there are weighty matters 'twixt France andEngland, and De la Foret may turn the scale one way or another. Whatfollows, beggar of Rozel?"

  "That Mademoiselle Aubert and her father may live without let orhindrance in Jersey."

  "That you may eat sour grapes ad eternam? Next?"

  "That Buonespoir be pardoned all offences and let live in Jersey onpledge that he sin no more, not even to raid St. Ouen's cellars ofthe muscadella reserved for your generous Majesty."

  There was such humor in Lempriere's look as he spoke of themuscadella that the Queen questioned him closely upon Buonespoir'sraid; and so infectious was his mirth as he told the tale thatElizabeth, though she stamped her foot in assumed impatience, smiledalso.

  "You shall have your Buonespoir, seigneur," she said; "but for hisfuture you shall answer as well as he."

  "For what he does in Jersey Isle, your commiserate Majesty?"

  "For crime elsewhere, if he be caught, he shall march to Tyburn,frien
d," she answered. Then she hurriedly added: "Straightway go andbring mademoiselle and her father hither. Orders are given for theirdisposal. And to-morrow at this hour you shall wait upon me in theircompany. I thank you for your services as butler this day, Monsieurof Rozel. You do your office rarely."

  * * * * *

  As the seigneur left Elizabeth's apartments he met the Earl ofLeicester hurrying thither, preceded by the Queen's messenger.Leicester stopped and said, with a slow, malicious smile, "Farming isgood, then--you have fine crops this year on your holding?"

  The point escaped Lempriere at first, for the favorite's look was allinnocence, and he replied: "You are mistook, my lord. You willremember I was in the presence-chamber an hour ago, my lord. I amLempriere, Seigneur of Rozel, butler to her Majesty."

  "But are you, then? I thought you were a farmer and raised cabbages."And, smiling, Leicester passed on.

  For a moment the seigneur stood pondering the earl's words andangrily wondering at his obtuseness. Then suddenly he knew he hadbeen mocked, and he turned and ran after his enemy; but Leicester hadvanished into the Queen's apartments.

  The Queen's fool was standing near, seemingly engaged in the lightoccupation of catching imaginary flies, buzzing with his motions. AsLeicester disappeared he looked from under his arm at Lempriere. "Ifa bird will not stop for the salt to its tail, then the salt isdamned, Nuncio; and you must cry _David!_ and get thee to thequarry."

  Lempriere stared at him swelling with rage; but the quaint smiling ofthe fool conquered him, and, instead of turning on his heel, hespread himself like a Colossus and looked down in grandeur. "Andwherefore cry _David!_ and get quarrying?" he asked. "Come, whatsense is there in thy words when I am wroth with yonder nobleman?"

  "Oh, Nuncio, Nuncio, thou art a child of innocence and withouthistory. The salt held not the bird for the net of thy anger,Nuncio; so it is meet that other ways be found. David the ancient puta stone in a sling, and Goliath laid him down like an egg in anest--therefore, Nuncio, get thee to the quarry. Obligato, which isto say Leicester yonder, hath no tail--the devil cut it off and wearsit himself. So let salt be damned, and go sling thy stone!"

  Lempriere was good-humored again. He fumbled in his purse and broughtforth a gold-piece. "Fool, thou hast spoken like a man born sensibleand infinite. I understand thee like a book. Thou hast not folly, andthou shall not be answered as if thou wast a fool. But in terms ofgold shalt thou have reply." He put the gold-piece in the fool's handand slapped him on the shoulder.

  "Why now, Nuncio," answered the other, "it is clear that there is afool at court, for is it not written that a fool and his money aresoon parted? And this gold-piece is still hot with running 'tweenthee and me."

  Lempriere roared. "Why, then, for thy hit thou shalt have anothergold-piece, gossip. But see"--his voice lowered--"know you where ismy friend, Buonespoir the pirate? Know you where he is in durance?"

  "As I know marrow in a bone I know where he hides, Nuncio; so comewith me," answered the fool.

  "If De Carteret had but thy sense we could live at peace in Jersey,"rejoined Lempriere, and strode ponderously after the light-footedfool, who capered forth, singing:

  "Come hither, O come hither, There's a bride upon her bed; They have strewn her o'er with roses, There are roses 'neath her head: Life is love and tears and laughter, But the laughter it is dead-- Sing the way to the valley, to the valley!-- Hey, but the roses they are red!"