With Ring of Shield

by Knox Magee

  CHAPTER II

  THE MAIDENS

  The next morning after Harleston had come unto my rooms I called at hisapartments to see how he did like the way that he had been placed. Ifound him in the act of completing his toilet, and therefore, as he hadnot broken his fast, I invited him to come and breakfast with me; whichinvitation he did readily accept.

  During our meal he asked me many questions as to the manner in whichpeople conducted themselves at court, to which questions I gave himvery complete answers, so that he might be able to manage without anybreach of etiquette, which thing to do, at Edward's court, was not soeasy as one might imagine.

  "Now, in regard to your ladies," said he, "do they insist upon beingworshiped, as do the ones of France, or are they cold and chilling, asare the fogs of mine almost forgotten native land?"

  "Thou shalt have an opportunity for the satisfying of thyself as tothat same, to-day; for I am about to take thee with me to see two ofEngland's fairest primroses; the one, my cousin, Lady Mary Atherby, towhose tender care I will leave thee, and the other, Lady HazelWoodville, to whose mercy I do entrust my soul--if she be pleased totake the present at my hands."

  "Do these ladies live at court?"

  "Yes," I replied. "They are both ladies-in-waiting to the Queen. Andnow, having done all the damage we can to the present repast, what dostthou say to a stroll through the park, where we are like to meet theladies, and there satisfy thy curiosity as to their dispositions?"

  "With all my heart," said he. "I have never been known to be elsewherethan in the front rank in such an attack, though ever do I meet with arepulse."

  We then strolled forth into the park, and wandered through the walks,among the grand old trees, for some time, without meeting anyone.

  "I fear that we are not destined to fall in with the enemy," saidHarleston, after we had walked in silence for some time.

  "Fear not," I replied; "we shall soon commence the encounter; forthere, unless mine eyes do deceive me, is the first sign of danger."

  "Thou meanest that fair outpost yonder, where those two oaks do meetabove the path?"

  "The same," I replied; "but it now looketh as though there are othersthere before us."

  While this conversation was going on we had gradually approached abench, placed behind a clump of bushes, through which we saw some fair,fresh, faces, watching our approach. Upon the bench, and talking withthe girls, were two men, in which, as we drew closer, I recognized theDuke of Gloucester and the Duke of Buckingham. Richard was dressed--aswas his wont--in the extreme of fashion and in the richest ofmaterials. Buckingham, though not so showily attired, wasmagnificently dressed in black, figured velvet, with dark maroonfacings.

  After saluting the Prince, the ladies, and Buckingham, I introduced mynew friend to them all. I then said unto his Royal Highness--"SirFrederick, here, hath but yesterday been made a brother officer, by hisMajesty."

  "Yes," said Harleston, "the King did command me to report to your RoyalHighness for service with thee in your expedition into Scotland."

  "Much am I joyed, Sir Frederick, to have thy noble assistance in ourchastisement of the insolent Scot: for England can ill afford to spareany brave knight from her expeditions, now that they have become sothinned out by our late, unhappy wars," said the Prince, with thatheartiness he so well could use, and of which he knew the power.

  "But let me warn ye both," he continued, with a mock gravity and aquick glance at the maidens, "that ye shall have short time in which toenjoy the pleasures of the court; for we march next week. Thereforemake the most of your opportunities."

  Buckingham, who ever smiled, but said little, though he was no meanorator, merely agreed with the Prince's remark, and with a pleasant bowthey left us, the limping Prince leaning on the arm of Buckingham.

  "Thank God!" I cried, with a sigh, when the two were out of earshot.

  "Is he not most disrespectful?" laughed Hazel, as she turned toHarleston.

  "Nay, of that I cannot judge, fair lady," replied he, with a smile."The customs of the court I have yet before me to master. 'Tispossible that ere I have been here a week I will commend Sir Walter'sact."

  "Indeed thou shalt," cried both of the girls at once.

  "Oh! those two are simply unbearable," said Hazel with a force thatleft no doubt as to her opinion. But then she hath ever been one whichfeared not to express her dislikes, and they are ever as passionate asare her likes.

  "And so, Sir Frederick, thou hast come all the way from France merelyfor the pleasure of marching off to battle and slaughtering poorScotchmen, or of being killed thyself?" said gentle cousin Mary."Alas, when will ever you men learn that there are other things to livefor, in which there is more glory, far, than in the cruel wars andslaughters."

  Both Hazel and I did laugh at the little maid for the solemn way inwhich she said this; but Harleston did not smile, and on the contrarylistened with attention. Mary without noticing us continued--"Look atLord Rivers and behold what he hath accomplished: introduced printing,and by that one act hath done more real good for England than if he hadwon the greatest of all battles."

  "I quite agree with thee, Lady Mary," Sir Frederick replied; "butbattles are also necessary, in order that our homes and country may beprotected, and that we may be permitted to enjoy those luxuries such asis the one which Lord Rivers hath taken the pains to introduce."

  "Mayhap thou art right; I never looked at it in that way before; butstill I do not like them," said Mary, wrinkling her little forehead,and shaking her pretty head in the most bewitching way, and causingsome little golden curls to dance and lightly kiss her cheeks. I couldtell by the look on Harleston's face, that he did envy those curlstheir position. And who would not? Had ye but seen Mary at that time,ye should have been changed from freemen into Mary's slave, and thatquite freely, that is, had the Lady Hazel not been there: for had shebeen ye would love the one on which your eyes first fell.

  Whilst the afore-put-down conversation was taking place we had beenwalking slowly through the park; and now Hazel and I began, gradually,to drop behind. Of course we had naught whatever to do with this; itmust have been that Harleston and Mary did quicken their pace.

  "What dost thou think of my new friend?" I asked, when they were out ofear-shot.

  "Quite an acquisition to the court," Hazel replied. "Indeed 'tis timewe had another handsome gentleman at court," (here my chest did beginto swell, and at least two inches were added unto my stature, which didnot need it;) "besides the King," she added.

  Since that day I have had the greatest sympathy with Lucifer. Verily,I never fell from such a height before, nor since. I have been thrownfrom my horse in battle, and had hundreds ride over me, yet have I feltbetter than I did that morning in the park. I stopped and stared ather, with my mouth open, like a bumpkin gazing at an army passing.

  Now at that time (and I say it without conceit) there were few men atcourt who would not have been glad to change their looks with WalterBradley; therefore the blow did fall with more stunning force. When Ihad somewhat recovered myself, I walked on, wishing every woman at thebottom of the sea, and swearing revenge on her, which was now walkingby my side; yet cursing myself, silently, for having made a fool ofmyself by showing my surprise. Hazel, instead of laughing, which wouldhave made me feel better, wore the most innocent look that it ispossible to imagine: yet methought the look was overdone. However, Iwas now determined not to show my disappointment any more; so Icontinued the conversation, using the same subject.

  "I do not believe Harleston need fear the Scottish arrows; for, unlessI be a false prophet, he will leave the most vital part of his body,namely, the heart, here at Windsor. And yet," I continued, becomingbolder, and heaving a heavy sigh, "he shall not be the only one to doso."

  "No," she replied; "the Duke of Gloucester said he was leaving hisheart here."

  "To whom said he that?" cried I, for the one danger of this accursedcourt life was the chance of men in high places casting a je
alous eyeon the maidens of the court.

  "I heard him tell the Queen that he would leave his heart with the Kingand his family," answered Hazel, and she laughed at my apprehension ofthe danger which I thought threatened her.

  "Why dost thou like to torment me so?" I asked.

  "Because thou art so easily teased."

  Why, oh why, did the Creator arm these fair creatures with such a powerto make us happy or miserable, good or bad, send us to Heaven or toHell, make us sensible men or the veriest of fools as best doth pleasetheir whims?

  "But look, here cometh the Queen," said my fair companion. "I fear Ishall get a scolding for leaving her, to walk with thee."

  "Tell her that the Duke of Gloucester kept thee talking with him, thewhich is the truth," I said.

  But when we met her Majesty, who was walking with her daughters andsome others of her suite, she most kindly did receive us, and nothoughts of scolding were in her gracious mind. When we had spoken forsome time, the Queen enquired as to where Mary was.

  "She came on ahead of us, your Majesty," replied I, "and I had surelythought that thou must have met her."

  "Do thou go, Hazel dear, and when thou hast found her, tell her that Iwish to speak to her."

  Hazel courtesied, I bowed, and we passed on, searching for Mary andHarleston.

  "The Queen is the best mistress that any servant could wish for," saidHazel, when we had gone a few paces. "She is never angry, and so kind;she treats both Mary and me as though we were her own daughters."

  I did not wonder that the Queen did use them both go well; for whocould help loving either of those dear, dainty maidens?

  We had not gone far ere we met Mary and Harleston returning.

  "They seem to be getting on famously," observed Hazel; "for they are sopreoccupied that they do not see us coming."

  When they came near, Mary, who had evidently been listening with greatattention to something that Harleston was telling to her, burst forthinto her rippling, childlike laugh. Then, as she caught sight of us,she stopped suddenly and said:--

  "Oh, here they come now!" Then, as we met them:--"We thought that yemust have turned back; so we were just coming to search for you."

  "And what has Sir Frederick been telling thee that was so amusing?" Iasked.

  "Oh!" replied Harleston, "the Lady Mary hath been completing mineeducation, which thou, Sir Walter, didst start last night, and then I,in order to, in some small way, repay part of the debt, was telling hersome of the stories that I had heard in France, where indeed they aremost expert in story-telling, though not so accomplished with regard tothe truth."

  Here Hazel delivered the Queen's message, and we all started back tothe Palace, laughing and chattering, like nothing more than schoolchildren. Upon reaching the castle I found some orders from DukeRichard, the fulfillment of which did keep me busy for the remainder ofthe day.

  The next few days, Harleston and I spent in making ready for the march;so we did not see much of the ladies. However, the morning before weleft Windsor, we met them in the park, whither we had gone in search ofthem. When they beheld us, they came forward to meet us, and methoughtthat Hazel did not look as happy as was her wont; but it may have beenthat I was hoping to see her look sorrowful, and therefore, I didimagine it.

  "We have come to receive the benediction," said Sir Frederick.

  "And also a charm that will give unto us both charmed lives," Ilaughingly put in.

  "Indeed thou needst not to laugh, Walter," said Mary, solemnly, andwith reproof in her tone and manner. "I know that thou dost notbelieve in such things, and therefore they are worthless to thee; forin order to be protected by these mysterious benefactors, one must haveunquestioned faith in their ability to protect. Now, Sir Frederick,"she continued, with a slight hesitation, "if thou art not so skepticalas Walter there, and if thou wilt promise to keep it safe, and not tolose it, I will lend thee a charm that will indeed protect thee fromall harm. I always have it with me, and nothing hath ever harmed me."

  "'Twould truly be a fiendish fate which could send harm unto one sofair," said he. Then, as she did hand unto him, the charm (which was ascarf of scarlet silk, and had been given to her by her father, who hadobtained it from a Turk,) he thanked her, and placing his hand over hisheart, he swore to protect it as he would his life, and never to permita thought of doubt, as to its ability to protect, to cross his mind.

  "Wilt thou not give unto me a charm that I may take with me, LadyHazel?" I asked, coaxingly, when we had gone some little way.

  "Thou dost not believe in them, and therefore, as Mary doth say, itwould do thee no good," she replied, with a toss of her pretty head, asmuch as to say, "Now, thou wouldst be skeptical."

  "Do but give it me, and I do hereby swear to trust in it, and no doubtas to its virtues shall ever cross my mind; yes, this do I swear by allthe saints of paradise." Now this did I consider an exceeding finespeech, and therefore I was not prepared for the reception that it didreceive, which was a burst of laughter, and clapping of the hands fromHazel.

  "Excellent! excellent!" laughed she; "Oh, Sir Walter, thou hast missedthy calling; thou wouldst have made such a splendid priest; thou saidstthose words with such a religious tone, and looked so saintly." Then,as I showed my disappointment and annoyance, "Come, come," she added,"do not sulk; here is my glove, which I do now command to protect theethrough all the dangers of this war. Now, am I not kind to thee?"

  I nearly went wild with delight. I kissed that glove so fondly thatHazel had to warn me not to eat it, as it would not protect me if Idid. And then I said a lot of things which all my male readers eitherhave said or are only awaiting an opportunity to say. Presently I wasinterrupted in my avowals by coming suddenly upon Harleston and Mary,who were sitting on a bench beside the path.

  "Is Sir Frederick telling thee some more stories, Mary?" asked Hazel,when we saw them.

  "Not the kind I heard Walter telling thee, just now," replied Mary, asshe looked at me, with a wicked little smile playing over her fairfeatures. Then, as I reddened to the ears, both Harleston and Maryburst out a-laughing, and I, after stammering out some explanationabout some messages I was leaving with Hazel, to deliver to theQueen,--which set them laughing louder than ever, thought it best tokeep quiet.

  However, as we were bidding good-by to the girls, Hazel said somethingthat made me to forget mine embarrassment. It was just as we wereleaving them that she called me back and said, as she kept her eyesstaring fixedly at the ground:--"Remember, Walter, I think a great dealof that same glove, and do not want any harm to come to it; thereforetry and keep it out of danger."

  "Oh, fear not; I now do know that I shall return again." And ere shecould prevent me I seized her hand and kissed it.

  I went back to my rooms with my toes scarce touching the ground.

  Our time was now but short; and soon we did mount our horses and setout in the train of the Duke of Gloucester, on our march to Scotland,and had soon left the castle behind.

  However, so long as we could see the left wing, we watched two scarfswaving, to which we waved our lances in return.

  And so we rode off to the wars.