by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER II.
A MEETING IN CHEPE.
A row of ten minutes took the boat with Master Lirriper and the twoboys alongside the ketch.
"How are you, Joe Chambers?" Master Lirriper hailed the skipper as heappeared on the deck of the _Susan_. "I have brought you two morepassengers for London. They are going there under my charge."
"The more the merrier, Uncle John," the young skipper replied. "Thereare none others going this journey, so though our accommodation is notvery extensive, we can put them up comfortably enough if they don'tmind roughing it."
"Oh, we don't mind that," Geoffrey said, as they climbed on board;"besides, there seems lots of room."
"Not so much as you think," the skipper replied. "She is a roomy craftis the _Susan_; but she is pretty nigh all hold, and we are cramped alittle in the fo'castle. Still we can sleep six, and that's just thenumber we shall have, for we carry a man and a boy besides myself. Ithink your flour will about fill her up, Master Lirriper. We have apretty full cargo this time."
"Well, we shall soon see," John Lirriper said. "Are you ready to takethe flour on board at once? Because, if so, we will begin to discharge."
"Yes, I am quite ready. You told me you were going to bring fortysacks, and I have left the middle part of the hold empty for them. SamHunter's bacon will stow in on the top of your sacks, and just fill herup to the beams there, as I reckon. I'll go below and stow them away asyou hand them across."
In an hour the sacks of flour were transferred from the barge to thehold of the _Susan_, and the sides of bacon then placed upon them.
"It's a pity we haven't all the rest of the things on board," theskipper said, "and then we could have started by this evening's tideinstead of waiting till the morning. The wind is fair, and I hatethrowing away a fair wind. There is no saying where it may blowto-morrow, but I shouldn't be at all surprised if it isn't round to thesouth, and that will be foul for us till we get pretty nigh up into themouth of the river. However, I gave them till to-night for getting alltheir things on board, and must therefore wait."
To the boys the _Susan_ appeared quite a large craft, for there was notwater up at Hedingham for vessels of her size; and though they had seenships at Harwich, they had never before put foot on anything largerthan Master Lirriper's barge. The _Susan_ was about forty feet long bytwelve feet beam, and drew, as her skipper informed them, near fivefeet of water. She was entirely decked. The cabin in the bows occupiedsome fourteen feet in length. The rest was devoted to cargo. Theydescended into the cabin, which seemed to them very dark, there beingno light save what came down through the small hatchway. Still itlooked snug and comfortable. There was a fireplace on one side of theladder by which they had descended, and on this side there were twobunks, one above the other. On the other side there were lockersrunning along the entire length of the cabin. Two could sleep on theseand two on the bunks above them.
"Now, young masters, you will take those two bunks on the top there.John Lirriper and I will sleep on the lockers underneath you. The manand the boy have the two on the other side. I put you on the topbecause there is a side board, and you can't fall out if she rolls, andbesides the bunks are rather wider than the lockers below. If the windis fair you won't have much of our company, because we shall hold ontill we moor alongside the wharves of London; but if it's foul, orthere is not enough of it to take us against tide, we have to anchor onthe ebb, and then of course we turn in."
"How long do you take getting from here to London?"
"Ah, that I can tell you more about when I see what the weather is likein the morning. With a strong fair wind I have done it in twenty-fourhours, and again with the wind foul it has taken me nigh a week. Takingone trip with another I should put it at three days."
"Well, now, we will be going ashore," John Lirriper said. "I will leavemy barge alongside till tide turns, for I could not get her back againto the jetty so long as it is running in strong, so I will be off againin a couple of hours."
So saying he hauled up the dingy that was towing behind the barge, andhe and Dick rowed the two boys ashore. Then he walked along with themto a spot where several craft were hauled up, pointing out to them thedifferences in their rig and build, and explained their purpose, andgave them the names of the principal ropes and stays.
"Now," he said, "it's getting on for supper-time, and it won't do tokeep them waiting, for Ann is sure to have got some cakes made, andthere's nothing puts a woman out more than people not being in to mealswhen they have got something special ready. After that I shall go outwith Dick and bring the barge ashore. He will load her up to-morrow,and take her back single-handed; which can be done easy enough in suchweather as this, but it is too much for one man if there is a strongwind blowing and driving her over to the one side or other of theriver."
As John Lirriper had expected, his daughter had prepared a pile of hotcakes for supper, and her face brightened up when she saw the partyreturn punctually. The boys had been up early, and had slept but littlethe night before, and were not sorry at eight o'clock to lie down onthe bed of freshly-cut rushes covered with home-spun sheets, forregular beds of feathers were still but little used in England. At fiveo'clock they were astir again, and their hostess insisted on theireating a manchet of bread with some cheese, washed down by a stoup ofale before starting. Dick had the boat at the jetty ready to row themoff, and as soon as they were on board the _Susan_ preparations weremade for a start.
The mainsail was first hoisted, its size greatly surprising the boys;then the foresail and jib were got up, and lastly the mizzen. Then thecapstan was manned, and the anchor slowly brought on board, and thesails being sheeted home, the craft began to steal through the water.The tide was still draining up, and she had not as yet swung. The windwas light, and, as the skipper had predicted, was nearly due south. Asthe ketch made its way out from the mouth of the river, and the wideexpanse of water opened before them, the boys were filled with delight.They had taken their seats, one on each side of the skipper, who was atthe tiller.
"I suppose you steer by the compass, Master Chambers?" Geoffrey said."Which is the compass? I have heard about it, always pointing to thenorth."
"It's down below, young sir; I will show it you presently. We steer bythat at night, or when it's foggy; but on a fine day like this there isno need for it. There are marks put up on all the sands, and we steerby them. You see, the way the wind is now we can lay our course for theWhittaker. That's a cruel sand, that is, and stretches out a long wayfrom a point lying away on the right there. Once past that we bear awayto the south-west, for we are then, so to speak, fairly in the courseof the river. There is many a ship has been cast away on the Whittaker.Not that it is worse than other sands. There are scores of them lyingin the mouth of the river, and if it wasn't for the marks there wouldbe no sailing in or out."
"Who put up the marks?" Lionel asked.
"They are put up by men who make a business of it. There is one boat ofthem sails backwards and forwards where the river begins to narrowabove Sheerness, and every ship that goes up or down pays themsomething according to her size. Others cruise about with long poles,putting them in the sands wherever one gets washed away. They have gotdifferent marks on them. A single cross-piece, or two cross-pieces, ora circle, or a diamond; so that each sand has got its own particularmark. These are known to the masters of all ships that go up and downthe river, and so they can tell exactly where they are, and what courseto take. At night they anchor, for there would be no possibility offinding the way up or down in the dark. I have heard tell from marinerswho have sailed abroad that there ain't a place anywhere with suchdangerous sands as those we have got here at the mouth of the Thames."
In the first three or four hours' sail Geoffrey and Lionel acquiredmuch nautical knowledge. They learned the difference between themainmast and the mizzen, found that all the strong ropes that kept themasts erect and stiff were called stays, that the ropes that hoistsails are called halliards, and that sheets is the name g
iven to theropes that restrain the sails at the lower corner, and are used to haulthem in more tightly when sailing close to the wind, or to ease themoff when the wind is favourable. They also learned that the yards atthe head of the main and mizzen sails are called gaffs, and those atthe bottom, booms.
"I think that's about enough for you to remember in one day, youngmasters," John Lirriper said. "You bear all that in your mind, andremember that each halliard and sheet has the name of the sail to whichit is attached, and you will have learnt enough to make yourselfuseful, and can lend a hand when the skipper calls out, 'Haul in thejib-sheet,' or 'Let go the fore-halliards.' Now sit yourselves downagain and see what is doing. That beacon you can just see right aheadmarks the end of the Whittaker Spit. When we get there we shall dropanchor till the tide turns. You see we are going across it now; butwhen we round that beacon we shall have it dead against us, and thewind would be too light to take us against it even if it were not fromthe quarter it is. You see there are two or three other craft broughtup there."
"Where have they come from do you think, Master Lirriper?"
"Well, they may have come out from Burnham, or they may have come downfrom London and be going up to Burnham or to Bricklesey when the tideturns. There is a large ship anchored in the channel beyond theWhittaker. Of course she is going up when tide begins to flow. Andthere are the masts of two vessels right over there. They are inanother channel. Between us and them there is a line of sands that youwill see will show above the water when it gets a bit lower. That isthe main channel, that is; and vessels coming from the south with alarge draught of water generally use that, while this is the one thatis handiest for ships from the north. Small vessels from the south comein by a channel a good bit beyond those ships. That is the narrowest ofthe three; and even light draught vessels don't use it much unless thewind is favourable, for there is not much room for them to beat up ifthe wind is against them."
"What is to beat up, Master Lirriper?"
"Well, you will see about that presently. I don't think we shall beable to lay our course beyond the Whittaker. To lay our course means tosteer the way we want to go; and if we can't do that we shall have tobeat, and that is tedious work with a light wind like this."
They dropped anchor off the beacon, and the captain said that this wasthe time to take breakfast. The lads already smelt an agreeable odourarising from the cabin forward, where the boy had been for some timebusily engaged, and soon the whole party were seated on the lockers inthe cabin devouring fried fish.
"Master Chambers," Geoffrey said, "we have got two boiled pullets inour basket. Had we not better have them for dinner? They were cookedthe evening before we came away, and I should think they had better beeaten now."
"You had better keep them for yourselves, Master Geoffrey," the skippersaid. "We are accustomed to living on fish, but like enough you wouldget tired of it before we got to London."
But this the boys would not hear of, and it was accordingly arrangedthat the dinner should be furnished from the contents of the basket.
As soon as tide turned the anchor was hove up and the _Susan_ got underway again. The boys soon learnt the meaning of the word beating, andfound that it meant sailing backwards and forwards across the channel,with the wind sometimes on one side of the boat and sometimes on theother. Geoffrey wanted very much to learn why, when the wind was sonearly ahead, the boat advanced instead of drifting backwards orsideways. But this was altogether beyond the power of either MasterLirriper or Joe Chambers to explain. They said every one knew that whenthe sails were full a vessel went in the direction in which her headpointed. "It's just the same way with yourself, Master Geoffrey. Yousee, when you look one way that's the way you go. When you turn yourhead and point another way, of course you go off that way; and it'sjust the same thing with the ship."
"I don't think it's the same thing, Master Lirriper," Geoffrey saidpuzzled. "In one case the power that makes one go comes from theinside, and so one can go in any direction one likes; in the other itcomes from outside, and you would think the ship would have to go anyway the wind pushes her. If you stand up and I give you a push, I pushyou straight away from me. You don't go sideways or come forward in thedirection of my shoulder, which is what the ship does."
John Lirriper took off his cap and scratched his head.
"I suppose it is as you say, Master Geoffrey, though I never thought ofit before. There is some reason, no doubt, why the craft moves upagainst the wind so long as the sails are full, instead of driftingaway to leeward; though I never heard tell of it, and never heardanyone ask before. I daresay a learned man could tell why it is; and ifyou ask your good father when you go back I would wager he can explainit. It always seems to me as if a boat have got some sort of sense,just like a human being or a horse, and when she knows which way youwants her to go she goes. That's how it seems to me--ain't it, Joe?"
"Something like that, uncle. Every one knows that a boat's got herhumours, and sometimes she sails better than she does others; and eachboat's got her own fancies. Some does their best when they are beating,and some are lively in a heavy sea, and seem as if they enjoy it; andothers get sulky, and don't seem to take the trouble to lift their bowsup when a wave meets them; and they groans and complains if the wind istoo hard for them, just like a human being. When you goes to a newvessel you have got to learn her tricks and her ways and what she willdo, and what she won't do, and just to humour her as you would a child,I don't say as I think she is actually alive; but every sailor willtell you that there is something about her that her builders never putthere."
"That's so," John Lirriper agreed. "Look at a boat that is hove up whenher work's done and going to be broken up. Why, anyone can tell herwith half an eye. She looks that forlorn and melancholy that one'sinclined to blubber at the sight of her. She don't look like that atany other time. When she is hove up she is going to die, and she knowsit."
"But perhaps that's because the paint's off her sides and the ropes allworn and loose," Geoffrey suggested.
But Master Lirriper waved the suggestion aside as unworthy even of ananswer, and repeated, "She knows it. Anyone can see that with half aneye."
Geoffrey and Lionel talked the matter over when they were sittingtogether on deck apart from the others. It was an age when there werestill many superstitions current in the land. Even the upper classesbelieved in witches and warlocks, in charms and spells, in lucky andunlucky days, in the arts of magic, in the power of the evil eye; andalthough to the boys it seemed absurd that a vessel should have life,they were not prepared altogether to discredit an idea that wasevidently thoroughly believed by those who had been on board ships alltheir lives. After talking it over for some time they determined tosubmit the question to their father on their return.
It took them two more tides before they were off Sheerness. The windwas now more favourable, and having increased somewhat in strength, the_Susan_ made her way briskly along, heeling over till the water ranalong her scuppers. There was plenty to see now, for there were manyfishing-boats at work, some belonging, as Master Chambers told them, tothe Medway, others to the little village of Leigh, whose church theysaw at the top of the hill to their right. They met, too, several largecraft coming down the river, and passed more than one, for the _Susan_was a fast boat.
"They would beat us," the skipper said when the boys expressed theirsurprise at their passing such large vessels, "if the wind werestronger or the water rough. We are doing our best, and if the windrises I shall have to take in sail; while they could carry all theirsif it blew twice as hard. Then in a sea, weight and power tell; a wavethat would knock the way almost out of us would hardly affect them atall."
So well did the _Susan_ go along, that before the tide was much morethan half done they passed the little village of Gravesend on theirleft, with the strong fort of Tilbury on the opposite shore, with itsguns pointing on the river, and ready to give a good account of anySpaniard who should venture to sail up the Thames. Then at the end ofthe nex
t reach the hamlet of Grays was passed on the right; a milefurther Greenhithe on the left. Tide was getting slack now, but the_Susan_ managed to get as far as Purfleet, and then dropped her anchor.
"This is our last stopping-place," Joe Chambers said. "The morning tidewill carry us up to London Bridge."
"Then you will not go on with to-night's tide?" Geoffrey asked.
"No; the river gets narrower every mile, and I do not care to take therisk of navigating it after dark, especially as there is always a greatdeal of shipping moored above Greenwich. Tide will begin to run up atabout five o'clock, and by ten we ought to be safely moored alongsidenear London Bridge. So we should not gain a great deal by going on thisevening instead of to-morrow morning, and I don't suppose you are in aparticular hurry."
"Oh, no," Lionel said. "We would much rather go on in the morning,otherwise we should miss everything by the way; and there is theQueen's Palace at Greenwich that I want to see above all things."
Within a few minutes of the hour the skipper had named for theirarrival, the _Susan_ was moored alongside some vessels lying off one ofthe wharves above the Tower. The boys' astonishment had risen withevery mile of their approach to the city, and they were perfectlyastounded at the amount of shipping that they now beheld. The greatproportion were of course coasters, like themselves, but there weremany large vessels among them, and of these fully half were flyingforeign colours. Here were traders from the Netherlands, with the flagthat the Spaniards had in vain endeavoured to lower, flying at theirmast-heads. Here were caravels from Venice and Genoa, laden with goodsfrom the East. Among the rest Master Chambers pointed out to the ladsthe ship in which Sir Francis Drake had circumnavigated the world, andthat in which Captain Stevens had sailed to India, round the Cape ofGood Hope. There were many French vessels also in the Pool, and indeedalmost every flag save that of Spain was represented. Innumerablewherries darted about among the shipping, and heavier cargo boatsdropped along in more leisurely fashion. Across the river, a quarter ofa mile above the point at which they were lying, stretched LondonBridge, with its narrow arches and the houses projecting beyond it ontheir supports of stout timbers. Beyond, on the right, rising highabove the crowded roofs, was the lofty spire of St. Paul's. The boyswere almost awed by this vast assemblage of buildings. That London wasa great city they had known, but they were not prepared for so immensea difference between it and the place where they had lived all theirlives. Only with the Tower were they somewhat disappointed. It was verygrand and very extensive, but not so much grander than the statelyabode of the Veres as they had looked for.
"I wouldn't change, if I were the earl, with the queen's majesty,"Geoffrey said. "Of course it is larger than Hedingham, but not sobeautiful, and it is crowded in by the houses, and has not like ourcastle a fair look-out on all sides. Why, there can be no hunting orhawking near here, and I can't think what the nobles can find to do allday."
"Now, young sirs," Master Lirriper said, "if you will get your walletswe will go ashore at once."
The boys were quite bewildered as they stepped ashore by the bustle andconfusion. Brawny porters carrying heavy packages on their backs pushedalong unceremoniously, saying from time to time in a mechanical sort ofway, "By your leave, sir!" but pushing on and shouldering passers-byinto the gutter without the smallest compunction. The narrowness anddinginess of the streets greatly surprised and disappointed the boys,who found that in these respects even Harwich compared favourably withthe region they were traversing. Presently, however, after passingthrough several lanes and alleys, they emerged into a much broaderstreet, alive with shops. The people who were walking here were for themost part well dressed and of quiet demeanour, and there was none ofthe rough bustle that had prevailed in the river-side lanes.
"This is Eastchepe," their conductor said; "we have not far to go now.The street in which my friend dwells lies to the right, between thisand Tower Street. I could have taken you a shorter way there, but Ithought that your impressions of London would not be favourable did Itake you all the way through those ill-smelling lanes."
In a quarter of an hour they arrived at their destination, and enteredthe shop, which smelt strongly of tar; coils of rope of all sizes werepiled up one upon another by the walls, while on shelves above themwere blocks, lanterns, compasses, and a great variety of gear of whoseuse the boys were ignorant. The chandler was standing at his door.
"I am right glad to see you, Master Lirriper," he said, "and have beenexpecting you for the last two or three days. My wife would have itthat some evil must have befallen you; but you know what women are.They make little allowance for time or tide or distance, but expectthat every one can so arrange his journeys as to arrive at the verymoment when they begin to expect him. But who have you here with you?"
"These are the sons of the worshipful Mr. Vickars, the rector of ourparish, and tutor to the Earl of Oxford and several of the young Veres,his cousins--a wise gentleman and a kind one, and much loved among us.He has entrusted his two sons to me that I might show them somewhat ofthis city of yours. I said that I was right sure that you and your gooddame would let them occupy the chamber you intended for me, while I canmake good shift on board the _Susan_."
"Nay, nay, Master Lirriper; our house is big enough to take in you andthese two young masters, and Dorothy would deem it a slight indeed uponher hospitality were you not to take up your abode here too. You willbe heartily welcome, young sirs, and though such accommodation as wecan give you will not be equal to that which you are accustomed to, Iwarrant me that you will find it a pleasant change after that pokylittle cabin on board the _Susan_. I know it well, for I supply herwith stores, and have often wondered how men could accustom themselvesto pass their lives in places where there is scarce room to turn, tosay nothing of the smell of fish that always hangs about it. But if youwill follow me I will take you up to my good dame, to whose care I mustcommit you for the present, as my foreman, John Watkins, is down by theriverside seeing to the proper delivery of divers stores on board aship which sails with the next tide for Holland. My apprentices, too,are both out, as I must own is their wont. They always make excuses toslip down to the river-side when there is aught doing, and I am far tooeasy with the varlets. So at present, you see, I cannot long leave myshop."
So saying the chandler preceded them up a wide staircase that led froma passage behind the shop, and the boys perceived that the house wasfar more roomy and comfortable than they had judged from its outwardappearance. Turning to the left when he reached the top of the stairsthe chandler opened a door.
"Dorothy," he said, "here is your kinsman, Master Lirriper, who hassuffered none of the misadventures you have been picturing to yourselffor the last two days, and he has brought with him these younggentlemen, sons of the rector of Hedingham, to show them something ofLondon."
"You are welcome, young gentlemen," Dame Dorothy said, "though whyanyone should come to London when he can stay away from it I know not."
"Why, Dorothy, you are always running down our city, though I knowright well that were I to move down with you to your native Essex againyou would very soon cry out for the pleasures of the town."
"That would I not," she said. "I would be well contented to live infresh country air all the rest of my life, though I do not say thatLondon has not its share of pleasures also, though I care but littlefor them."
"Ah, Master Lirriper," her husband said laughing, "you would not think,to hear her talk, that there is not a feast or a show that Dorothywould stay away from. She never misses an opportunity, I warrant you,of showing herself off in her last new kirtle and gown. But I must begoing down; there is no one below, and if a customer comes and findsthe shop empty he will have but a poor idea of me, and will think thatI am away gossiping instead of attending to my business."
"Are you hungry, young sirs?" the dame asked. "Because if so the maidshall bring up a manchet of bread and a cup of sack; if not, ourevening meal will be served in the course of an hour."
The boys both
said that they were perfectly able to wait until the mealcame; and Geoffrey added, "If you will allow us, mistress, as doubtlessyou have private matters to talk of with Master Lirriper, my brotherand I will walk out for an hour to see something of the town."
"Mind that you lose not your way," Master Lirriper said. "Do not gobeyond Eastchepe, I beg you. There are the shops to look at there, andthe fashions of dress and other matters that will occupy your attentionwell enough for that short time. To-morrow morning I will myself gowith you, and we can then wander further abroad. I have promised yourgood father to look after you, you know; and it will be but a badbeginning if you meet with any untoward adventure upon this the firstday of your arrival here."
"We will not go beyond the limits of Eastchepe; and as to adventures, Ican't see very well how any can befall us."
"Oh, there are plenty of adventures to be met with in London, youngsir; and I shall be well content if on the day when we again embark onboard the _Susan_ none of them have fallen to your share."
The two lads accordingly sallied out and amused themselves greatly bystaring at the goods exhibited in the open shops. They were lesssurprised at the richness and variety of the silver work, at the silksfrom the East, the costly satins, and other stuffs, than most boys fromthe country would have been, for they were accustomed to the splendourand magnificence displayed by the various noble guests at the castle,and saw nothing here that surpassed the brilliant shows made at thejousting and entertainments at Hedingham.
It was the scene that was novel to them: the shouts of the apprenticesinviting attention to their employers' wares, the crowd that filled thestreet, consisting for the most part of the citizens themselves, butvaried by nobles and knights of the court, by foreigners from manylands, by soldiers and men-at-arms from the Tower, by countrymen andsailors. Their amusement was sometimes turned into anger by theflippant remarks of the apprentices; these varlets, perceiving easilyenough by the manner of their attire that they were from the country,were not slow, if their master happened for the moment to be absent, inindulging in remarks that set Geoffrey and Lionel into a fever tocommit a breach of the peace. The "What do you lack, masters?" withwhich they generally addressed passers-by would be exchanged forremarks such as, "Do not trouble the young gentlemen, Nat. Do you notsee they are up in the town looking for some of their master's calves?"or, "Look you, Philip, here are two rustics who have come up to town tolearn manners."
"I quite see, Geoffrey," Lionel said, taking his brother by the arm andhalf dragging him away as he saw that he was clenching his fist andpreparing to avenge summarily one of these insults even more pointedthan usual, "that Master Lirriper was not very far out, and there is nodifficulty in meeting with adventures in the streets of London.However, we must not give him occasion on this our first stroll in thestreets to say that we cannot be trusted out of his sight. If we wereto try to punish these insolent varlets we should have them upon uslike a swarm of bees, and should doubtless get worsted in theencounter, and might even find ourselves hauled off to the lock-up, andthat would be a nice tale for Master Lirriper to carry back toHedingham."
"That is true enough, Lionel; but it is not easy to keep one's temperwhen one is thus tried. I know not how it is they see so readily thatwe are strangers, for surely we have mixed enough with the earl'sfamily and friends to have rubbed off the awkwardness that they say iscommon to country folk; and as to our dress, I do not see muchdifference between its fashion and that of other people. I suppose itis because we look interested in what is going on, instead of strollingalong like those two youths opposite with our noses in the air, as ifwe regarded the city and its belongings as infinitely below our regard.Well, I think we had best be turning back to Master Swindon's; it willnot do to be late for our meal."
"Well, young sirs, what do you think of our shops?" Dame Swindon askedas they entered.
"The shops are well enough," Geoffrey replied; "but your apprenticesseem to me to be an insolent set of jackanapes, who take strangeliberties with passers-by, and who would be all the better forchastisement. If it hadn't been that Lionel and I did not wish tobecome engaged in a brawl, we should have given some of them lessons inmanners."
"They are free in speech," Dame Swindon said, "and are an impudent setof varlets. They have quick eyes and ready tongues, and are norespecters of persons save of their masters and of citizens in aposition to lay complaints against them and to secure them punishment.They hold together greatly, and it is as well that you should notbecome engaged in a quarrel with them. At times they have raisedserious tumults, and have even set not only the watch but the citizensat large at defiance. Strong measures have been several times takenagainst them; but they are a powerful body, seeing that in every shopthere are one or more of them, and they can turn out with their clubsmany thousand strong. They have what they call their privileges, andare as ready to defend them as are the citizens of London to upholdtheir liberties. Ordinances have been passed many times by the fathersof the city, regulating their conduct and the hours at which they maybe abroad and the carrying of clubs and matters of this kind, but theapprentices seldom regard them, and if the watch arrest one for abreach of regulations, he raises a cry, and in two or three minutes aswarm of them collect and rescue the offender from his hands. Thereforeit is seldom that the watch interferes with them."
"It would almost seem then that the apprentices are in fact themasters," Geoffrey said.
"Not quite as bad as that," Master Swindon replied. "There are therules which they have to obey when at home, and if not they get awhipping; but it is difficult to keep a hand over them when they areabroad. After the shops are closed and the supper over they have fromtime immemorial the right to go out for two hours' exercise. They aresupposed to go and shoot at the butts; but archery, I grieve to say, isfalling into disrepute, and although many still go to the butts thepractice is no longer universal. But here is supper."
Few words were spoken during the meal. The foreman and the twoapprentices came up and sat down with the family, and it was not untilthese had retired that the conversation was again resumed.
"Where are you going to take them to-morrow, Master Lirriper?"
"To-morrow we will see the city, the shops in Chepe, the Guildhall, andSt. Paul's, then we shall issue out from Temple Bar and walk along theStrand through the country to Westminster and see the great abbey, thenperhaps take a boat back. The next day, if the weather be fine, we willrow up to Richmond and see the palace there, and I hope you will gowith us, Mistress Dorothy; it is a pleasant promenade and afashionable, and methinks the river with its boats is after all theprettiest sight in London."
"Ah, you think there can be nothing pretty without water. That is allvery well for one who is ever afloat, Master Lirriper; but give meChepe at high noon with all its bravery of dress, and the bright shops,and the gallants of the court, and our own citizens too, who if notquite so gay in colour are proper men, better looking to my mind thansome of the fops with their silver and satins."
"That's right, Dorothy," her husband said; "spoken like the wife of acitizen."
All these plans were destined to be frustrated. As soon as breakfastwas over the next morning Master Lirriper started with the two boys,and they had but just entered Chepe-side when they saw two young menapproaching.
"Why, Lionel, here is Francis Vere!" Geoffrey exclaimed. "I thought hewas across in Holland with the Earl of Leicester." They doffed theircaps. Captain Vere, for such was now his rank, looked at them insurprise.
"Why!" he exclaimed, "here are Mr. Vickars' two sons. How came youhere, lads? Have you run away from home to see the wonders of London,or to list as volunteers for the campaigns against the Dons?"
"I wish we were, Mr. Francis," Geoffrey said. "You promised when youwere at Hedingham a year and a half since that you would some day takeus to the wars with you, and our father, seeing that neither of us havea mind to enter the church, has quite consented that we shall becomesoldiers, the more so as there is a prospect of fight
ing for thepersecuted Protestants of Holland. And oh, Mr. Francis, could it benow? You know we daily exercise with arms at the castle, and we areboth strong and sturdy for our age, and believe me you should not seeus flinch before the Spaniards however many of them there were."
"Tut, tut!" Captain Vere laughed. "Here are young cockerels, Allen;what think you of these for soldiers to stand against the Spanishpikemen?"
"There are many of the volunteers who are not very much older than theyare," Captain Allen replied. "There are two in my company who must bebetween seventeen and eighteen."
"Ah! but these boys are three years younger than that."
"Would you not take us as your pages, Mr. Francis?" Lionel urged. "Wewould do faithful service, and then when we come to the age that youcould enter us as volunteers we should already have learnt a little ofwar."
"Well, well, I cannot stop to talk to you now, for I am on my way tothe Tower on business. I am only over from Holland for a day or twowith despatches from the Earl to Her Majesty's Council, and am lodgingat Westminster in a house that faces the abbey. It is one of my cousinEdward's houses, and you will see the Vere cognizance over the door.Call there at one hour after noon, and I will have a talk with you; butdo not buoy yourselves up with hopes as to your going with me." Sosaying, with a friendly nod of his head Francis Vere continued his wayeastward.
"What think you, Allen?" he asked his comrade as they went along. "Ishould like to take the lads with me if I could. Their father, who isthe rector of Hedingham, taught my cousin Edward as well as my brothersand myself. I saw a good deal of the boys when I was at home. They aresturdy young fellows, and used to practise daily, as we did at theirage, with the men-at-arms at the castle, and can use their weapons. Acouple of years of apprenticeship would be good schooling for them. Onecannot begin to learn the art of war too young, and it is because wehave all been so ignorant of it that our volunteers in Holland have notdone better."
"I think, Vere, that they are too young yet to be enlisted asvolunteers, although in another two years, perhaps, you might admit theelder of the two. But I see no reason why, if you are so inclined, youshould not take them with you as pages. Each company has its pages andboys, and you might take these two for the special service of yourselfand your officers. They would then be on pretty well the same footingas the five gentlemen volunteers you have already with you, and wouldbe distinct from the lads who have entered as pages to the company. Isuppose that you have not yet your full number of boys?"
"No; there are fifteen boys allowed, one to each ten men, and I amseveral short of this number, and have already written my brother Johnto get six sturdy lads from among our own tenantry and to send themover in the first ship from Harwich. Yes, I will take these lads withme. I like their spirit, and we are all fond of their father, who is avery kindly as well as learned man."
"I don't suppose he will thank you greatly, Francis," Captain Allenlaughed.
"His goodwife is more likely to be vexed than he is," Captain Veresaid, "for it will give him all the more time for the studies in whichhe is wrapped up. Besides, it will be a real service to the boys. Itwill shorten their probation as volunteers, and they may getcommissions much earlier than they otherwise would do. We are all merechildren in the art of war; for truly before Roger Morgan first tookout his volunteers to fight for the Dutch there was scarce a man inEngland who knew how to range a company in order. You and I learnedsomewhat of our business in Poland, and some of our leaders have alsohad a few lessons in the art of war in foreign countries, but most ofour officers are altogether new to the work. However, we have goodmasters, and I trust these Spaniards may teach us how to beat them intime; but at present, as I said, we are all going to school, and theearlier one begins at school the sooner one learns its lessons.Besides, we must have pages, and it will be more pleasant for me havinglads who belong in a sort of way to our family, and to whom, if I amdisposed, I can talk of people at home. They are high-spirited and fullof fun, and I should like to have them about me. But here we are at theTower. We shall not be long, I hope, over the list of arms andmunitions that the earl has sent for. When we have done we will takeboat back to Westminster. Half an hour will take us there, as the tidewill be with us."