Prentice Hugh

by Frances Mary Peard

day he departed, and Hugh witha swelling heart saw Sir Thomas ride away, and with him all chance ofchanging his condition. Still, he had got over the first pangs, wasmore content, and resolved that, whatever Franklyn might do, he wouldnot be discouraged. He made another resolve. As has been said, theapprentices had plenty of holidays, and Hugh cared nothing for thecock-fighting, which was a favourite amusement. He liked footballbetter, but he made up his mind that some of his holiday time should bespent in a stone carving of Agrippa. If it pleased Master Gervase,--why, then, his hopes flew high.

  He worked hard at his design, keeping it jealously hid from all but Wat,whom he would have found it difficult to shut out, and who wasprofoundly impressed by his ambition. Agrippa was not the easiest ofmodels, since to keep still was an impossibility, but Hugh managed toget him into clay very fairly, and in a good position. He wasdreadfully disheartened when he tried to reproduce it in stone; it fellfar short of his conception, and appeared to him to be lifeless.Indeed, had it not been for Wat, he might have given up his attempt indespair; but Wat's interest was intense, and he was never weary offoretelling what Master Gervase would say of it, and how even Franklynmight be compelled to admire in spite of grudging. How this might havebeen, it is impossible to say; Hugh was spared from making the trial,for, as it happened, just when Lent began Franklyn was seized withsevere rheumatic pains, which made it impossible for him to work, oreven come to the yard. Generally one of the other journeymen on such anemergency stepped into his place, but this time, for some reason orother, Master Gervase overlooked things himself. He made a very carefulexamination, and, for almost the first time in his life, Wat receivedactual praise.

  "Thou hast got a notion into thy head at last."

  Wat could not resist making a face expressive of his amazement.

  "'Twas thou hammered it there," he whispered to Hugh. "If I tell thegammer she will think all her prophecies are coming true. Now where'sthy work? Hast stuck it where he must needs see?"

  "Ay, see a failure," said Hugh, dolefully.

  But Wat was too intent upon watching Elyas to have an ear for thesemisgivings of the artist. He fidgeted about instead of working, and gota sharp rebuke from the master for wasting his time; indeed, Gervase wasso much taken up with seeing that the right vein of the Purbeck quarrywas being used for carrying on the delicate arcades of the triforium,that it was long before he left the men engaged upon it and came toHugh. His eye fell immediately upon the little figure.

  "When didst thou this?" he demanded, taking it up.

  "In holiday time, goodman."

  Long and silently the master examined it, and every moment Hugh'sfluttering hopes sank lower. He was sure it had never looked so illbefore. At last Elyas raised his head.

  "It doth credit to thine age," he said, warmly. "Faults there are, nodoubt: the head a little larger than it should be except in fashioningthe grotesque; the space across the forehead too broad. But whatpleases me is that thou heist caught the character of the creature,thine eye having reported it to thee faithfully. If Franklyn saw it hewould own," he added, raising his voice so that all might hear, "thatthou hadst earned advancement. Finish this moulding, and I will setthee on some small bosses which Dame Alicia de Mohun hath commanded forher private chapel, and if thou wilt thou mayest work Agrippa into oneof them."

  If Hugh were pleased, Elyas was hardly less so. He had been greatlydesirous to find some excuse by which, without seeming to set asideFranklyn's rule, he might give the boy a chance which he considered hewell deserved. He had understood something of Hugh's feelings when thehopes he had given up were once more dangled before his longing eyes,and the kindly master longed for an opportunity of encouraging him inhis present work. The carving of the monkey was clever enough to havereally surprised him. Franklyn's illness came at an excellent time, andno one could complain of favouritism. So he thought Oddly enough, theonly one who did was Roger, the elder prentice, who had hitherto seemedquite indifferent. He was manifestly out of temper, muttering that itwas enough to have the beast jabbering at you in life, without havinghim stuck up in stone, and for the first time doing his best in thesmall room the three apprentices shared to make things bad for Hugh.But Hugh was much too proud and happy to care for this, and he had Waton his side, so that Roger's enmity could not do much. Wat's greatdesire was to be himself perpetuated as a grinning mask in the centre ofa boss. He was for ever making horrible faces in order that Hugh mightjudge whether they were not grotesque enough, and poor little Joan,coming upon him one day with a mouth as it seemed to her stretching fromear to ear, and goggle saucer eyes, was so frightened that it was allthe boys could do to quiet her.

  "If only I could round my eyes and yet frown fearfully!" cried Wat,making ineffectual struggles to carry out his aspiration. "There, isthat better? What do I look like now?"

  "Like a grinning cat," said Hugh, bursting into a laugh.

  "Not a demon? Perchance if I squinted?"

  "Hearken, Wat, I will not spoil my bosses by such an ill-favouredcountenance, but the very first gargoyle the master sets me to make,thou shalt be my model. That is a pact."

  "I shall?"

  "Ay, truly."

  "I will practise the most fearsome faces," cried Wat, joyfully. "Thereshall be no such gargoyle for miles around! Where do you think it willbe placed? There is a talk of a new Guildhall in the High Street, andit would be fine to stare down and grin at the citizens. Then, wheneverhe saw it, it would remind the master of Prentice Wat. Art thou comingout on Refreshment Sunday?"

  "Where?"

  "I never saw such a boy as thou, thou knowest naught! Why, we make afigure of straw--Hugh, you could make it finely!"

  "What to represent?"

  "Nay, I know not--oh, ay, I remember me, it is Winter, only the countrypeople will have it 'tis Death, 'tis so gruesome and grisly, and theyhate to have us bring it to their houses, and give us cakes to keep itaway. A party of us are going as far as Topsham and Clyst this time.Wilt come?"

  "'Tis naught but mumming!"

  Nevertheless Hugh consented to shape the figure, which representedWinter in the last stage of decrepitude, and Wat begged an old tatteredcloak and hood, so that it really gave not a bad idea of a tottering oldman, when about twenty apprentices, sinking their constant rivalries,set out in high glee to visit the neighbouring hamlets, and, when allwas done, burn Winter in the meadows outside the walls, Agrippa, bycommon consent, of the party.

  They had great merriment, though not by any means universal welcome, forsome of the country folk were so frightened that they closed the doorsof their huts, and stuffed up the window lest the hateful thing shouldbe thrust in that way. Others, seeing them in the distance, ran outwith cakes and spiced ale, and even pennies, begging them to come nonearer. The boys were very scornful of such fears.

  "What harm could it bring thee, goody?"

  "Alack, alack, young sirs, I know not, but this I know, that come lastMarch Snell the smith would have it into his house, and before the yearwas out, the goodwife, who had been ailing for years, and never diedbefore, was a corpse. Here's as good a simnel cake as you will find formiles round, and welcome, but, prithee, bring the thing no nearer."

  Others there were, however, who made the boys welcome, and feasted themso bountifully that Hugh vowed he had never eaten so much in his life,and Agrippa grew to treat his dainties with scorn. They took their wayat length back to the meadows, bestowed the cloak and hood upon a blindbeggar, who, guessing what was going on, besought the charity of a fewrags, and built a grand bonfire, on the top of which Winter was seated,in order, as they said, that he might be warm for once. There wereother groups of the same sort scattered about the fields, and manyelders had ridden out to see the fun, which reminded them of their ownboyish days. Joan was perched in front of her father on thebroad-backed grey, insisting upon keeping as near to Hugh's bonfire asthe grey could be induced to go, and crying out with delight as thetongues of fire leapt up, and the brushwood
crackled, and at last, oldWinter's straw being reached, a tall and glorious pyramid of fire rushedupwards; the lads shouted, and the reign of Winter was held to be ended.

  Before Lent finished, Franklyn hobbled back to the yard. Hugh expectedthat he would have been very angry at finding him put to really advancedwork, but it is possible that Franklyn was himself not sorry that thingshad changed without his having had to give way. He muttered grufflythat the boy was no wonder, but had improved with teaching; and heshowed no spite, for though always strict with Hugh, he took pains tocorrect his faults carefully, so that his training was thoroughly good,and Gervase was well satisfied with the two bosses which were Hugh'sshare of Dame Alicia's work. Agrippa peeped from one, half concealed byfoliage, and the