by Knox Magee
CHAPTER XV
MICHAEL AND CATESBY
Though Harleston and I were both anxious to go at once unto theSanctuary, and see the girls, yet my friend, who thought it mightarouse suspicion were we to be seen there by the Cardinal and theBishop, persuaded me to wait until the following day. "For," said he,"I do believe that fellow Catesby already suspects us of being in someway connected with the Queen's flight. Methinks 'twas in reference tothat he whispered to Hastings, and which caused Lord William to look onus so unpleasantly."
"I believe that thou art right," I replied.
We were sitting in my room when this conversation took place. Justthen a knock came at the door. I feared that we might have beenoverheard, so I thought the best plan should be to open, without anyshow of mystery. I therefore called out, without changing myposition:--"Come in!" I scarcely know what I expected to see when thedoor should open; yet methinks I had not been surprised had it beeneither Lord Hastings himself, or a body of yeomen sent to arrest me.Remember, my dears, after the example I had seen as we were enteringStony Stratford my mind was in a fit state to expect something of thiskind. It was with a sigh of relief, therefore, that I did recognizemine Irish messenger, which had so well fulfilled his mission. Theenormous fellow completely filled the door, as he stood upon thethreshold, cap in hand, awaiting a further command ere he did enter.
"Ah! Michael, it is thou."
"Divil anither," he replied, without moving a muscle.
I smiled at his serious humour, and asked him to enter and close thedoor; for I knew from his manner that he had something to communicate."And now, Michael, I must thank thee for the speedy way in which thoudidst fulfil thy mission."
"Uh! yer honour, it's no thanks Oi desarve fer doin' moy dooty," and heshifted from one foot to the other and struck his boot with his cap, asthough my thanks but made him to feel uneasy. With all his giantstrength he was at heart but a great boy.
"But what is now thy business with me? If there be aught that I can dofor thee thou hast but to ask and it is done, Michael."
"No, yer honour, it is not that," he replied. "Oi came but to tillthee, sor, that thoine armour--which was rusted some--hath bin clainedand is now ridy fer wear," said he, quickly, as he eyed Harlestonclosely.
"What in the devil's name art thou talking about? Why, I have noarmour that is rusted."
"No, not now, sor," said he, with that same serene face. When he hadfinished this, however, and saw Harleston's head thrown back, as myfriend stared at the ceiling, in an effort to refrain from laughing,Michael raised his eyebrows, and jerked his head in Frederick'sdirection.
"Ah! so that is the difficulty," said I, laughing. "'Tis my friendthou fearest. Ah, Michael, I am proud of thy discretion," I continued,as I walked over to where he stood, and slapped him on that shoulderwhich stood out like a block of iron draped with cloth. And indeed onemight as well have struck a piece of steel as that shoulder with itsshirt of mail beneath the rough coarse jacket. "However, thou needstnot fear to speak out boldly before Sir Frederick, as I have no secretthat is unknown to him."
"In that case, sor, Oi must pray thoy pardon," said he, speaking toHarleston; "but in these toimes, whin great min, as will as the commonfolk, turn out to be divils it be moighty hard to pick out the honestsoul."
"Indeed thou art right, Michael, and it shall be well for thee tocontinue to trust but those that thou knowest full well to be true andhonest men," said my friend, which admired this frank admission ofsuspicion. "Thou art an honest fellow, and I like thee well; but becareful of this," he continued,--"be sure that thou dost practise thinehonesty with great caution. Honesty, now-a-days, seems to be theshortest road to the block; unless thou art cautious enough to behonestly dishonest."
"Oi understand not thoy wourds," said Michael, as he scratched hishead, with a puzzled look; but for a moment only. "Uh!" said he, "Oithink that Oi have a hould on what yer honour manes, and Oi'll profitby yer advice, sor."
"But come," said I, "What is it that thou wishest to tell me? For welldo I know that story about mine armour to be but a disguise."
"In faith it was, sor, and Oi now craves yer pardon fer the tillin' ofa loie to yer honour."
"It had been granted ere thou didst ask. Come, to thy news."
"Will, sor, it was jist after Oi had delivered thoy missage, and waswalkin' along the hall on moy way to look after moy horse, which wassore toired, that Oi mit his honour, Sor William Catesby. As Oi tookoff moy cap to him, he stops me, and sez he:--'Whare didst thou comefrom?'
"'From Oireland, yer honour,' sez Oi. This Oi said that Oi moight havetoime to git a good loie through moy thick skull.
"'Thou needst not have tould me that,' sez he, and he began to laugh,though fer the loife o' me Oi know not yit what so playzed him."
I glanced at Harleston. His head was thrown back in his chair, as washis habit whilst sitting and listening to anything that interested him.I could see by his amused smile that he was not surprised at Catesby'slaughter. No more was I.
"What said you then?" asked I, as I saw Michael looking at me insurprise. No doubt he was wondering what I saw to so amuse me.
"Uh! thin Oi said:--'But yer honour axed me, so Oi had to till thee.'
"'Oi mint not whare wast thou born, but whare hast thou come from jistnow?' sez he.
"'Uh! yer honour manes whare am Oi jist after lavin', this minit?' sezOi.
"Thin he nodded, and still kipt on a smoilin'.
"'Bad luck to me fer a stoopid clown,' sez Oi. 'Oi moight have knownwhat yer honour mint, without kapin' ye standin, explainin' the houleo' this toime.'
"Now all this whoile, sor, Oi was warein' out what little brains thegood Lord gave me (and Oi think he moight have bin moure liberal orilse kape me out o' the way o' sich confusin' quistions) to troy andfoind a somethin' raisonable excuse fer bein' thare. At last Oi sawthat Oi had gained all the toime that moight be, without makin' himangry, so Oi said the first thing that came to moy tongue.
"'Uh! sor,' sez Oi, 'some wan's stray dawg came in at the oupen door,so Oi came after to troy and put the baste out.'
"'Thou lookest strangely besmeared with mud. Didst thou git that withchasin' of the dawg?' sez he, and he oyed me loike the divil.
"'Uh! sure, yer honour, Oi was jist a gittin off o' moy horse whin Oisaw the baste inter,' sez Oi.
"'And whare moight you have bin on thoy horse?' sez he.
"'Whoy, upon his back, sor,' sez Oi.
"'Nay, nay,' sez he, 'Oi mane from whare didst thou roide to-day, ferfrom thoy looks thou hast bin beyond the city gates?'
"'Yis, yer honour,' sez Oi, 'thou hast found me out; but Oi pray theedo not report me to moy master, whin he returns.'
"'And who is thoy master?' sez he.
"'Sor Walter Bradley, and it playze yer honour,' sez Oi.
"Now methought, sor, that this would put him off the scint; fer by theclose way he quistioned me Oi filt sure he must be on it. But whin Oimintioned thoy name, sor, he wint into a divil of a timper, indade hedid, yer honour. And thin he turned on me and called me sich avilnames as made it hard fer me to hould back moy hand from brakin' thehead o' the spalpeen; fer indade, sor, he is no gintlemin, with all hisfoine airs, and knoight though he be."
"And what said he of me?" I asked. "Surely he had a bad word for me."
"Uh! yer honour, Oi would not repate his insults fer the wourld.Indade its ashamed o' moysilf Oi am fer not crackin' his skull with moyfist, fer what he said o' thee. The raison Oi did not, was because Oifeared to do it without thoine order. Do but say the wourd and he is acorpse, sor."
"No, do the knave no harm, Michael; for it should but cause thy death.Indeed thou art right, he is a disgrace to knighthood; still, he is afriend of my Lord Hastings, whose vengeance would fall on thee."
"Sure methinks his lordship should thank me fer riddin' him o' sich anoosance," said Michael, with a shrug of his shoulders which clearlyshowed his contempt for Catesby.
; "But did he question thee any further?" I asked.
"Did he quistion me anny further, yer honour? Hivins, sor! Oi shouldthink he did that same," said Michael with a force that left no roomfor doubt in my mind.
"'Uh!' sez he, whin he had stopped his foul talk about thee, sor; 'Oibelave thou hast jist ridden from Northampton, thou villain,' sez he;as though he had anny roight to call an honest man a villain, Butthin, mayhap he gits other folks mixed up with hissilf, whin he gitsexcoited loike," added Michael with prodigious solemness.
I was compelled to laugh, despite the anxiety I felt about this matter.
"'Northampton?' sez Oi, in surprise loike, as though Oi had nivir heardo' sich a place.
"'Didst thou not roide from Ludlow to Northampton with the King?" sezhe.
"'From whare, sor?' sez Oi.
"'From Ludlow, thou stoopid varlet,' sez he; and he raised his hand asthough he filt loike hittin' me a blow on the ear.
"'Uh! yer honour,' sez Oi, 'it's makin' sport o' poor common souldierthou art doin'. Hivin knows, sor, whare that place ye spake o' may be;but fer moy part, yer honour, Oi nivir heard o' it afore.'
"'Oi know not what to make o' thee,' sez he, after he had stood astarin' at me whoilst a man moight brathe about the quarter o' a scoreo' toimes.
"'Mither-o'-Gawd!' sez Oi, a prayin' loike, 'dount lit him make me intoanny thing loike hissilf.'"
This was too much for Harleston. He lay doubled up in his chair like awizzled leaf in the fall of the year, and shaking as though the leaf heresembled was an aspen. He made no sound, but I could see it was allthat he could do to refrain from bursting forth into one roar.
"Go on, Michael," said I, when I had somewhat recovered myself; for Itoo was bursting with pent up laughter, "What did he then say?"
"Uh! sure sor, he saw that Oi was but a poor fool, and that he couldnot git anny news out o' me, so he shrugged his shoulders loike adamned Frinchmin and walked on. But still he kipt alookin' back asthough he didn't know whither to belave me or not."
"Ah, Michael, thou art indeed a true soldier and a faithful servant.From this time forth I do desire thee to attend me as my squire. Infield of battle, or in the lists, do thou attend me; for well do I knowthat a truer heart or a stronger arm in England there is not."
"Thou art right, Bradley," said Harleston, with a hearty warmth, "andhadst thou not made this man the offer that thou hast just made I wouldhave asked him to serve me."
Poor Michael stood speechless before us. First would he look at me,and then to my friend. He could not speak his thanks in words; but hedid it with such an eloquence by his looks as had been more thansufficient, even had I done him the greatest favour in my power. But Ibelieve to this day that I could not have better pleased him had I beenthe King and made him my Lord High Chancellor.
"But, sor," said Michael, when he had somewhat recovered himself, andknelt and, despite mine efforts to prevent him, kissed my hand, "Oi 'amnot wourthy o' sich an honour. Sure, sor, Oi can lay on a hard blowand sich loike, but as fer attindin' on a gintlemin, in a proper wayloike, uh! bad luck to me, Oi'd be but a disgrace to thee, sor."
"Come, come, Michael, thou must not be too modest," said I.
"Remember this advice that now I give thee," said Harleston. "If thouwouldst rise in this world that is filled with the gusts ofopportunities do not let modesty nor fear close up thy wings ofadvantage. But spread them rather, that they may catch these eddyinggusts, and thou be borne upon them to the heights of greatness."
Michael stood and stared at Harleston, with his mouth open, for abreathing space. Then said he in surprise:--"But, yer honour, divil awing have Oi to moy name, and Oi dount want thim jist yit, seein' thatone must go through purgatory ere he begins to grow thim."
Evidently Harleston's speech was beyond the depth of Michael'sunderstanding.
"Uh! sor," said he, when he had expressed his opinion of the wings ofadvantage, "Oi was about to finish about Sor William whin yer honoursspoke to me so koindly.
"What, was there more?"
"Thare was, sor. Oi walked down the hall till Oi came to a corner,and, as he had koind o' made me inquisitive loike, by his quistioningo' me so close, Oi jist stipped around the corner and stopped to lookback to see whare he wint, sor."
"Yes, and where did he go?" I asked with interest.
"Sure, sor, he wint straight up to the door whare the ladies came outo', and he stops thare, sor, and he looks back to see if thare was annyone behoind him loike. Will, sor, Oi was out o' soight by the toimehis eyes had rached the place whare Oi was hidin'. Whin Oi looks outagin he was not thare; but the ladies' door was open."
"Death and damnation!" I almost shrieked. Then turning toMichael:--"Go on, go on!" I cried.
"He was ounly in fer the space o' whoilst ye moight brathe about a halfa score o' toimes, thin out he comes, with a koind o' disappintment onhis face.
"'Must be in the park,' sez he, as he started fer the door. 'Damned ifshe'll escape me this toime.'
"Oi gits out as fast as moy long legs could carry me. But Oi waitedoutsoide and saw him go into the park, astrollin' along at his aiseloike.
"As soon as he had got out o' soight Oi takes after him, afollowin' thesame path that he took. He wint all over the houle damned place,alookin' here and alookin' thare, as though he ixpicted to foind somewan. Mither-o'-Gawd! sor, had the ladies bin thare he'd o' found somewan behoind him afore anny harm could o' come to thim fair craters;fer, yer honour, avin though he be a knoight, Oi'd not trust him as faras Oi could throw him with a browken arm."
"Thou art right there," said Harleston; "he hath fallen to the lowestdepths, and needs must soon be called upon to answer for his conduct."
"Fallen! Harleston; dost thou say fallen?" I cried; "Why, the dog hathnever been aught but what he is. 'Tis but the influence that he hathobtained with Lord Hastings that is now lending him more audacity."
"Will, sor," continued Michael, when again I told him to proceed withhis story, "he discouvered not the ladies in the park. Thin, yerhonour, he starts back, and it did give me the divil o' a toime to kapeout o' soight o' the varmint. Jist as he come in soight o' the courtyard he yills out as though some wan had struck him with a dagger--badluck that some wan didn't--'What the divil manes this?' sez he, so loudthat Oi could hear him, and he starts off at a run, as though the houlePalace was afoire.
"'Uh! murther!' sez Oi, and Oi takes after him.
"Whin Oi came close enough, Oi saw the Quane, Gawd bliss her, and allo' the Princesses, and the little Dooke o' York and his Hoighness, theMarquis o' Dorset, and the Lady Hazel and the Lady Mary, and thare wasa strong body o' souldiers walkin' all around thim and protictin' thimloike.
"Sor William stood alookin' after thim as they wint across the yard,and all the whoile he was standin' he was acursin' and aswearin' aswill as a bitter man moight.
"Oi lift him astandin' thare whoilst Oi wint and took care o' moy horse.
"Whin Oi came back near the place whare he had bin, Hivin hilp me if hewasn't still astandin' thare, with his head down, alookin' at his fate!"'Uh!' sez he, as Oi came within ear-shot o' his tongue, 'the Dook willgive me the divil fer this. It must have bin that knave o' anOirishman that brought her the news o' her brother's and son's fate.It would not be so bad if they hadn't taken little York,' sez he, stillatalkin' to hissilf, though he ought to be ashamed o' hissilf ferspakin' to sich a knave.
"Thin Oi thought it was toime fer me to git out o' soight, as he moightnot loike to be caught atalkin' to hissilf loike--and Oi dount blamehim a bit nather. So Oi jist gits behoind the gate that goes down thatsoide alley, and Oi waits fer anny thing more that's comin'.
"'Bradley shall pay for this,' sez he; 'he must be the wan which hathwarned the Quane,' sez he. 'Oi had bitter go and till Hastin's,' sezhe, after he had agin stood soilent fer some toime. 'Oi wounder whatLord William will think o' Richard's plan.'
"'If it's wan that thou dost agray with,' sez Oi to moysilf, the sameas Sor Wi
lliam sez to hissilf, 'and he be an honest man, he'll have adamned poor opinion o' it,' sez Oi.
"Thin Sor William goes on agin, amumblin' to hissilf, so that Oi couldhardly hear him. 'If he knows what is good fer him he'll agray withDook Richard, and lind him his support. Still,' sez he, after stoppin'agin, 'if Hastin's was remouved loike Oi moight some day be theChancellor moysilf,' sez he, and he straightens hissilf up and rachedup into the air as though he was a-tryin' to catch a floy, thoughagoin' so slow that anny smort baste, loike a floy, could git awayafore he got within soight o' it. Thin, whin he thought he hadwhativir he was after, he straightins his arm out to the houle o' itslingth, and houlds it thare, with his head athrown back, as though hewas his Houliness the Pope at Rome.
"'Ah! wilth, power, and ivirythin',' sez he, and he smoiled loike thedivil.
"'Ah! Bradley, thoy toime is drawin' short. Whin Oi till Richard thepart that thou hast takin aginst him methinks Oi see thoy head upon theblock, whare Rivers', Grey's and Vaughan's soon shall be.'
"Lord, sor, Oi did have the divil's own toime to kape from killin' themurtherin' spalpeen!
"Whin he had finished his big talk he started off, and had his sarvantgit his horse ridy, and he sits out fer somewhare as though the divilhissilf was at his hales--and its moysilf that am thinkin' he's in thevarmint's heart.
"Oi thin waited with fear and trimblin' fer yer honour to return, andas soon as Oi saw thee come to thoy rooms Oi followed thee at once,sor, that Oi moight warn thee not to trust that knave, who is full,intoirely, of all that belongs to Hill, as is plainly seen by his manelookin' face."
When Michael had finished his somewhat lengthy, yet to me theinterestingest story that I might hear, both Harleston and I sat forsome time without speaking. At length I addressed Michael. "Thou hastdone better than I could have wished for, and indeed thine informationis of the greatest use to me. I cannot thank thee, nor repay thee,sufficiently for this service; but if I fall not into the snares ofthis scheming villain thou shalt lack for naught that is in my power togive thee."
"Uh! sor, thou hast given thanks that Oi do not desarve; for Oi havebut done my dooty to moy master. But Oi till thee this, sor,--In caseannything should go amiss with thee, through that spalpeen, Oi haretake moine oath that Oi'll have the loife o' that varmint fer it."