by Tom Bevan
Chapter XXIII.
JOHNNIE SEES MANY SIGHTS.
The Queen left the audience chamber in company with hermaids-of-honour, and Raleigh held the curtains over the doorway asidefor them to pass through. He came back to where Morgan was standing,and looked him quizzingly up and down.
"Upon my faith as a knight! thou, John Morgan, art the biggest packetof surprises I have yet brought within the gray walls of WhitehallPalace. They do say that the air of this place is peculiarly suitablefor the breathing of west-country men. We thrive in it amazingly, tothe chagrin of better men born elsewhere. But thou hast developed fromclose bud to full-blown flower in a single afternoon. Who cut thestrings of thy tongue, and took the bands from thy wits? Thou didstspeak like a ten years courtier at the least. I will confess that Ihearkened to thee dumb with sheer amazement."
Johnnie rubbed his chin ruefully.
"I am sore afraid that my tongue hath undone me; yet, for the life ofme, I could put no bridle upon it when once her Majesty had me by theeyes. She willed the words out of me. Bones o' me! I pray I maynever have to face her with a secret locked in my bosom, and shesuspicious that I kept something hidden. 'Twould out, like murder.But her spirit compelled mine as that of a strong man compelling aweaker."
"There hast thou solved the royal riddle of England's governance. Weare swayed by the brain of a man behind the mask of woman's face. Tothe woman that we behold we pay that chivalrous deference and lovingdevotion that her sex and her station claim from true men; but when wewould treat her like a woman, with womanly weaknesses, then peeps theman from behind the mask, and we kneel to one stronger than ourselves.The 'woman' that appeals to us, and cries for our love, is at timescapricious as an April day. But the 'man' is ever firm and dominating,and with 'him' no one of us dares to trifle. Thy fortunate star shoneo'er thee to-day. Few men have made so excellent a first impression onEngland's maiden Queen. But be not froward because of a first success,nor hope too much from a royal smile. The east wind can blow bitingly,even on a sunny day. Come with me now to the royal buffet; 'tistreason to quit this roof after a first visit without drinking a bumperto the sovereign's health. Her Majesty is a very country housewife inthe matter of cakes and ale and clean sheets in the guest chamber."
Morgan quitted the audience chamber on Raleigh's arm, threaded numerouscorridors, sumptuously curtained and carpeted, and came at last to aspacious room where, on a huge sideboard of carven oak, constantprovision was maintained for bodily refreshment. Servants in royallivery stood about, and several gentlemen of the household, who hadjust been relieved from duty, or come in from running some royalerrand, stood sipping a cup of wine. All saluted Raleigh courteously,and bowed ceremoniously to his companion. Johnnie returned the bow,feeling considerably less at ease than he had done in his sovereign'spresence. The critical stare of so many resplendent gallants unnervedhim, and he was heartily glad to quit the chamber and get out into theair of the courtyard. Raleigh escorted him to the palace gate, whereJeffreys awaited him. Captain Dawe had gone to look in at the bowlinggreen, where some of the royal officers were playing bowls. Him theyfound; then, not caring for the walk back down Strand and Fleet Street,they went to Whitehall Stairs within the palace precincts, hailed awherry, and went down on the tide to the stairs at Blackfriars. Thesun was setting when they landed, and columns of smoke rising from ascore of points showed that the city watchmen were lighting the eveningpurifying fires at street corners and in the open spaces. The air onthe river had been cool and pleasant enough, but it was stifling in thenarrow lanes leading up from the stream to the hill of St. Paul's. Thepungent smoke from the newly-kindled wood piles came quite refreshinglyto the nostrils.
"We have had a most fortunate year in London," said Master Jeffreys."No case of plague, and very few of fever. The aldermen of the wardswere for stopping these fires a week ago, but the bishop resolved tokeep them going within his boundaries until October set in. 'Tiswonderful how the smoke and flames do take the noisome vapour from theair. If we could but get some good rains now to wash out the guttersand conduits, the city would be cleansed and sweetened for the winter."
"For my part," answered the forester, "I should always breathe butchokingly in these streets."
"Oh, the air is wholesome enough," said Jeffreys "and stout fellowsthrive on it. Just give an eye to yonder band of 'prentice lads. Iwould not wish to see better limbs, and I'll warrant that noforest-bred lad can give harder thwacks with oaken cudgel than canthese retailers of ribbons and fal-lals."
"The rogues are hearty enough," assented Johnnie, "and their lungs arelike bellows of leather. London is a fine place, and the air,doubtless, sweet enough to those who have not the lingering fragranceof the bracken in their nostrils. The scent of the woods or the saltof the sea for me."
"And the salt of the sea is the sweeter. Ah!" Master Jeffreys sniffedlongingly.
Chepe was pretty full of leisurely pedestrians; the doorways of thetaverns were crowded; jugglers balanced themselves in the dusty gutter,and merry maidens tripped it neatly in the inn courtyards to the soundof pipe and tabor. The merchants' parlours over their shops were oftenthe scene of a friendly or family gathering, and more than onesweetly-sung madrigal floated harmoniously out on the evening air.Elizabethan London was a musical city, and part-singing was cultivatedbeneath the rooftree of every well-to-do burgher. The fresh voices ofthe young girls and the mellower notes of journeyman or apprenticemingled tunefully together. The great city was resting from thelabours of the day, and soothing its spirit to enjoy the deeper restand tranquillity of the night. There was a little horseplay amongstthe lads gathered round the tumblers and tavern doors, but it hardlydisturbed the calm peacefulness of the scene. The side streets werepractically deserted, Chepe and St. Paul's Churchyard being thefashionable promenades. Not a solitary figure blotted the narrow vistaof Wood Street when the three friends turned their wearied legs intoit. They found "Ye Swanne" in charge of the tapster and theserving-wench, and with Paignton Rob for its solitary guest. He hailedhis hosts of the previous day with delight, and hastened to inform themthat Dame Fortune was "smiling upon him with both eyes." Whilstlounging in the aisles of St. Paul's he had been recognized by aDartmouth skipper under whom he had once crossed the Atlantic on apiratical expedition against Spain. The venture had failed, and thegolden visions dangled before Rob's eyes had vanished. But theDartmouth captain had tried again, and had been eminently successful,bringing home a shipload of rich booty. Hearing Rob's story ofOxenham's expedition, and seeing for himself the marks of Spanishcruelty on the seaman's body, the generous skipper had made Rob apresent of ten crowns, and had also given the Johnsons--whom he hadnever seen before--a couple of crowns apiece, and offered all three aberth aboard his ship, which was leaving for Dartmouth on the nextmorning's tide. The Johnsons had accepted, but Rob had declined, beingresolved to see Raleigh and some other gentlemen adventurers concerninghis plans for a recovery of Oxenham's buried treasure.
"And now," added the sailor, "I owe ye a debt of hospitality, and amcome hither to pay it. The tapster hath my orders, and ye will notrefuse to take bite and sup with me this night."
Not one of the company said "Nay," for Rob was evidently bent uponplaying the host. But Captain Dawe asked where his daughter andMistress Stowe had hidden themselves, and got for answer the tidingsthat they had gone out into the Moorfields to take the air and see anarchery contest, the heat in the city having been well-nigh intolerablethat afternoon.
The twilight was growing faint, the narrow street was in semi-darkness.Johnnie inquired which way the ladies would return, and getting thedirection started out to meet them and give them escort. He had notgone far before he saw two ladies hurrying along, huddled ratherclosely together, and a couple of city gallants bowing and smirkingbeside them in the roadway. The young fellow's face flushed; for, evenin the growing darkness, he recognized one slight, graceful figure asthat of Dorothy. He hastened forward, and soon got n
ear enough todistinguish the faces of the four, and to perceive that the ladies werebeing annoyed by the unwelcome attentions of the two fops, who,attracted doubtless by Dolly's beauty and apparent rusticity, wereendeavouring to force acquaintance upon the buxom hostess of the"Swanne." Johnnie seized both the situation and the offenders in amoment. Grasping the youths by the nape of the neck, he cracked theircurled heads together until they yelled with pain. Then he forcedtheir noses down to their knees.
"Bow low, ye rascals," he cried. "Lower still; ye are not doingsufficient homage to beauty and innocence yet."
The two collapsed, toppled forward, and lay prone on their stomachs inthe thick, foul dust.
"Kiss the ground they walk on," pursued the relentless Johnnie; "'tiswhat ye mouthing apes profess to do. Kiss it--let me hear ye," and heheld them in his grip until two resounding smacks rewarded his efforts."Now," he said, "maybe ye will not annoy womenfolk again for an eveningor two. I'll lout the heads of both of you together if I see yoursmirking faces in this street any more."
The forester straightened himself, offered an arm to each of theladies, and led them home.
Lights shone from the parlour window of "Ye Swanne" that night longafter they were douted in the other houses of Wood Street. Johnnie hadto recount all the incidents of his visit to the court; and Dorothy andthe hostess asked him a hundred questions about the Queen, many of themconcerning her dress and her jewels, and quite beyond his powers ofanswering. He said nothing about the promise given to his sovereign ina moment of loyal enthusiasm, a promise that pledged him to voyage andadventure on the Spanish Main.
"Time enough for that," he said to himself. "I'll talk at greaterlength to Bob to-morrow; and as no ships will be sailing westward ho!until the spring comes again, I may as well leave talking for a laterday, and make my plans now in silence."
The party from the forest spent another week in London, and during thattime Johnnie went twice to Whitehall, on the second occasion takingDorothy with him. The Queen was very gracious to her pretty subjectfrom the west, and praised her beauty openly. Yet, in spite of theroyal condescension, Dolly felt terribly afraid, and owned to Raleighthat she was very glad to get outside the palace doors again.
On another day the knight took them to the play on the other side ofthe river, where they saw a comedy of Ben Jonson's. After the play thecaptain went to see the bear-baiting in the bear-pit hard by, but thetwo young people preferred a trip on the river as far as Chelsea. Thiswas a very busy and momentous day, for in the evening Master Jeffreystook Morgan down to the "Mermaid Tavern" between Wood Street and MilkStreet, where Raleigh was presiding over a gathering of the "MermaidClub," and there the young countryman found himself in a very nest ofpoets--Shakespeare, Jonson, Marlowe, Sidney, and Raleigh himself. Inafter years he hardly knew which to call the most notable moment in hislife--the one when he kissed his Queen's hand, or the one when he dranka cup of sack with the greatest wits and geniuses of his age.
When the Severn-side folks went westwards again, Paignton Robaccompanied them; for Johnnie had invited the mariner to make his homewith him during the winter, purposing in the spring to go with him on afirst voyage to the New World.