The Constant Prince
Page 12
Nella, summoningall her courage, quitted Harry's hand--as no two people could, it wassupposed, approach the witch together--and followed the little creature,which now turned and ran back into the wood. Nella, child as she was,was of the stuff that makes heroes. She conquered her terrors, andclasping her cross tight, she followed the mysterious summons. It didnot occur to her that the animal was pulled by a string attached to itsneck. It did not lead her very far, for she soon found herself in frontof a low hut, under the door of which the rabbit disappeared. Nellatapped timidly, the door was flung back, and she stepped into a tinyroom, very full of smoke, since the chimney consisted only of a hole inthe roof. Neither in that respect nor in any other did it differ fromthe huts of the peasantry round, except that a torch was stuck into awooden stand of peculiar shape in the centre. The roof was so low thatthe tall Nella could have touched it with her hand, and on the floorunder the torch sat a very little woman, with black eyes, sharpfeatures, and a red cloak over her head. She rose as Nella entered, andstood upright, even then hardly reaching to the girl's shoulder, andsaid a few words in a language which Nella recognised, though she didnot quite understand. "I cannot speak Cornish," she said.
Perhaps the witch was not accustomed to visitors with their wits so muchabout them, though the old Cornish language still crossed the borderinto Devon, and was not unknown there among the peasantry. Still, itadded to the mystery of the witch's proceedings in the eyes of some ofher visitors, and increased the confidence of those to whom it wasfamiliar.
"And what do you want of me then, maiden?" she said in English.
"I am Eleanor Northberry; I want to know where my sister is who wasstolen away by the Moors, and I will give you these pearls if you willtell me," said Nella, who had rehearsed her little speech. She lookedat the witch as she spoke, in full confidence of receiving an answer,and with less fear than she had expected. Somehow, there was somethingvery commonplace about the witch now that she had found her.
"You have asked a hard question, my lady," said the witch in a much morerespectful tone. She knew her position too well to frighten the younglady of the Manor to death, aware that, though feared and tolerated, alittle too much licence would bring the laws against witchcraft in fulloperation upon her. She turned her back on Nella, and mumbled andmuttered a little to herself, and then facing round, said in a wheedlingtone, "Sure, it's the face of the lovely young lady herself, I read inthe stars. Wouldn't you like to hear what suitors you will have, mypretty lady--about the great lord across the sea?"
"No," said Nella, though a little reluctantly. "I want to hear aboutCatalina. For," she thought, "I shall not be able to pay her to tell me_too_ much, and besides,"--Nella's thoughts here became hazy even toherself; but they were to the effect that she would not use this sinfulmeans of information more than she could help.
"I see," said the witch, after a moment, "a maiden like this one beforeme!"
"Yes," said Nella, "we were both of an age, and alike exactly."
"Her eyes are blue, and her face is fair," looking at her visitor's."Those around are--dark--dark."
"Yes--for the Moors are black," eagerly said Nella. "Oh, is she aliveand happy?"
"The prisoners of the Moors live far away," said the witch. "One dayshall there be a great ransom--and a great deliverance. Friends shallmeet across the sea--a talisman will save the lost."
"Why, I come from across the sea," said Nella. "A talisman! would it bethe cross that Prince Fernando gave us?"
"Ay, the fate of a prince is in the balance," said the witch,mysteriously.
"But shall I ever see my sister again?" urged Nella.
"Across the sea--across the sea," repeated the witch. "I can tell nomore, my lady--no more."
"Then I think I had better go home," said Nella, hardly knowing whethershe were impressed or disappointed, but a good deal less frightened thanwhen she came in.
"Give me the pearls, and keep the secret of your visit, else will thetalisman work for ill. But now go home, Mistress Nella, go home withMaster Harry, and don't you be coming into the forest at night; 'tisn'tfitting for young ladies like you, and will anger his honour, SirWalter, sure enough."
The different tone in which these last words were spoken startled Nella,for the witch dropped all her mysterious solemnity, and spoke, withhalf-coaxing command, in a voice that sounded strangely familiar.
Perhaps she was afraid of losing the doles of bread that Dame AgnesNorthberry dispensed in the courtyard of the Manor, and which old Bess,as she was called, came to claim without any one guessing at heridentity with the witch of the forest, who was visited in darkness andmystery. The young lady of Northberry was a client with whom she wasafraid to deal.
On the whole, Harry, standing without in the darkness, listening to thestrange cries of bird and beast, and watching the awful shadows changeand sway in the rising wind, had the hardest time of it. He hadfollowed Nella almost to the door of the hut, and was unspeakablythankful when she ran out alive and unhurt and ready to hurry home asfast as possible.
She hardly spoke, till they were safe out of the forest shades and inthe familiar home fields, and then Harry said, in a subdued tone, "Wasit very terrible, Nell?"
"No--no," said Nella, with hesitation. "She said Catalina was acrossthe sea, and had a talisman--the cross, you know--and that if I saw herit would be across the sea. But I was not much frightened,--and I don'tthink there was anything--wicked. There were no--demons." Nella sunkher voice a little, and spoke in a tone of slight disappointment mingledwith relief.
"Well," said Harry, breaking the spell with a laugh, "for all she toldyou, you might as well have stayed at home, Nell."
"No, not when I had said I would go."
But they both thought it rather remarkable that the next morning HarryHartsed received a letter from his relations at Lisbon, duly favoured bya ship bearing despatches to the court, inviting him to come to Portugaland try his fortunes "across the sea."
CHAPTER TEN.
HIS HEART'S DESIRE.
"He greatly longed some land that now did feel The yoke of misbelieving men once more To his Redeemer's kingdom to restore."
Harry Hartsed arrived in Lisbon while the court was still in mourningfor the death of the great and good King Joao the First. He borevarious despatches to Sir Walter Northberry from his English cousins,and from his daughter; and was kindly received by his own distantcousin, Sir James Hartsed, and by him placed in the household of theMaster of Avis, who showed him much kindness, and made many inquiriesafter his little favourite, Nella Northberry. There were enough Englishabout the Court of Lisbon to prevent Harry from feeling lonely, and thelife there was full of interest and energy. Not that Harry'sdisposition led him to emulate the Portuguese princes in their love ofliterature and science; but he did ardently desire to make as graceful afigure in the tilt-yard as Dom Fernando, and to be able to pick up a nutwith the point of his lance when his horse was at full gallop, ascleverly as King Duarte himself. He succeeded beyond his hopes in theseaims, growing from an uninformed country lad into an accomplishedgentleman; and, moreover, in the atmosphere of earnest piety and strictperformance of duty in which he found himself, he could not but perceivethat something more than good horsemanship and skill in arms, or even inlearning, went to the making of these splendid princes.
The years since the disappearance of Katharine Northberry had been fullof changes. The marriage of Dom Pedro had been followed by that of DomDuarte to Leonora of Aragon. The Princess Isabel had been given by herfather to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy; and Dom Joao had also founda wife for himself. These various royal households added greatly to thegaiety of the court; and when the period of mourning for King Joao wasover, it proved that the young Queen Leonora loved state and ceremony,and inaugurated many festivities. She was at this time very popularwith the people, and every one rejoiced in the presence of a lady at thehead of affairs.
Duarte, meanwhile, with an industry and talent equal to his fat
her's,and with an even greater purity of action and intention, devoted himselfto schemes for the good of his subjects, and by so doing made up for theloss of his father's great minister, Alvarez de Pereira, who had died afew months before the king, and who had long ago put into shape theyoung princes' plans for the tithing of Ceuta.
Dom Enrique had been but little at Lisbon, his great undertakings filledup his time, and he had of late joined the King of Aragon in a war withthe Duke of Milan, during which he had been taken prisoner, to the greatalarm and distress of his brothers; but he had soon regained hisliberty, and now, at the end of 1435, was at the court.
Fernando's health had become somewhat less delicate,