resting my tired head on her bosom, "the day you sayshe suffered, I now mind me, I was most ill, and you tended me ascheerfully as if you had no grief."
"Oh, 'tis no common grief," she answered, "no casting-down sorrow, herend doth cause me; rather some kind of holy jealousy, some over-eagerpining to follow her."
A waiting-woman then came in, and I saw her give a letter to Muriel,who I noticed did strive to hide it from me. But I detected it in herhand, and cried, "'Tis from Basil; how hath it come?" and took it fromher; but trembling so much, my fingers could scarce untie the strings,for I was yet very unwell from my sickness.
"Mr. Hodgson hath sent it," quoth Muriel; "God yield it be good news!"
Then my eyes fell on the loved writing, and read what doth follow:
"DEAR HEART AND SWEET WIFEsoon to be--God be praised, we are now safe in port at Calais, buthave not lacked dangers in our voyage. But all is well, I ween, thatdoth end well; and I do begin my letter with the tokens of that goodending that mine own sweet love should have no fears, only muchthankfulness to God, whilst she doth read of the perils we haveescaped. We carried Mr. Watson--Tom and I and two others--into theboat, on the evening of the day when I last saw you, and made for theDutch vessel out at sea near the river's mouth. The light was waning,but not yet so far gone but that objects were discernible; and we hadnot rowed a very long time before we heard a splashing of oars behindus, and turning round what should we see but one of the Queen'sbarges, and by the floating pennon at the stem discerned her majestyto be on board! We hastily turned our boat, and I my back toward thebank; threw a cloak over Mr. Watson, who, by reason of his brokenlimbs, was lying on a mattress at the bottom of it; and Tom and theothers feigned to be fishing. When the royal barge passed by, some onedid shout, railing at us for that we did fish in the dark, and a stormcoming up the river; and verily it did of a sudden begin to blow verystrong. Sundry small craft were coming from the sea into the river forshelter; and as they did meet as, expressed marvel we shouldadventure forth, jeering us for our thinking to catch fish and a stormmenacing. None of us, albeit good rowers, were much skilled in themariner's art; but we commended ourselves to God and went onward allthe night; and when the morning was breaking, to our unspeakablecomfort, we discovered the Dutch vessel but a few strokes distant atanchor, when, as we bethought ourselves nearly in safety, a hugerolling wave (for now the weather had waxed exceedingly rough) upsetour boat."
"O Muriel," I exclaimed, "that night I tossed about in a high fever,and saw Basil come dripping wet at the foot of my bed: I warrant you'twas second sight."
"Read on, read on," Muriel said; "nor delude yourself touchingvisions."
"Tom, the other boatman, and I, being good swimmers, soon regained theboat, the which floated keel upwards, whereon we climbed, butwell-nigh demented were we to find Mr. Watson could nowhere be seen.In desperation I plunged again into the sea, swimming at hazard, withdifficulty buffeting the waves; when nearly spent I descried the goodpriest, and seized him in a most unmannerly fashion by the collar, anddragging him along, made shift to regain the floating keel; and Tom,climbing to the top, waved high his kerchief, hoping to be seen by theDutchman, who by good hap did espy our signal. Soon had we the joy tosee a boat lowered and advance toward us. With much difficulty itneared us, by reason of the fury of the waves; but, God be thanked, itdid at last reach us; and Mr. Watson, insensible and motionless, washoisted therein, and soon in safety conveyed on board the vessel. Imuch feared for his life; for, I pray you, was such a cold, long bath,succeeding to a painful exposed night, meet medicine for broken limbs,and the fever which doth accompany such hurts? I wot not; but yet, Godbe praised, he is now in the hospital of a monastery in this town,well tended and cared for, and the leeches do assure me like to dowell. Thou mayest think, sweetheart, that after seeing him safelystowed in that good lodgment, I waited not for to change my clothes orbreak my fast, before I went to the church; and on my knees blessedthe Almighty for his protection, and hung a thank-offering on to ourLady's image; for I warrant you, when I was fishing for Mr. Watson inthat raging sea, I missed not to put up Hail Marys as fast as I couldthink them, for beshrew me if I had breath to spare for to utter. I donow pen this letter at my good friend Mr. Wells's brother's, and Tomwill take it with him to London, and Mr. Hodgson convey it to thee.Thy affectionate and humble obedient (albeit intending to lord it overthee some coming day) servant and lover, BASIL ROOKWOOD.
"Oh, how the days do creep till I be out of my wardship! Methinks I dofeel somewhat like Mrs. Helen Ingoldsby, who doth hate patience, shesaith, by reason that it doth always keep her waiting. I would not bepatient, sweet one, I fear, if impatience would carry me quicker tothy dear side."
"Well," said Muriel, sweetly smiling when I had finished reading thiscomfortable letter, "the twain which we have accompanied this pastfortnight with our thoughts and prayers have both, God be praised,escaped from a raging sea into a safe harbor, albeit not of the samesort--the one earthly, the other heavenly. Oh, but I am very glad,dear Constance, thou art spared a greater trial than hath yet touchedthee!" and so pure a joy beamed in her eyes, that methought no onemore truly fulfilled that bidding, "to rejoice with such as rejoice,as well as to weep with such as weep."
This letter of my dear Basil hastened my recovery; and three dayslater, having received an invitation thereunto, I went to visit theCountess of Surrey, now also of Arundel, at Arundel House. The troubleshe was in by reason of her grandfather's death, and of my LadyLumley's, who had preceded her father to the grave, exceeded anythingshe had yet endured. The earl her husband continued the same hardusage toward her, and never so much as came to visit her at that timeof her affliction, but remained in Norfolk, attending to his sports ofhunting and the like. Howsoever, as he had satisfied her uncles, Mr.Francis and Mr. Leonard Dacre, Mr. James Labourn, and also LordMontague, and his own sister Lady Margaret Sackville, and likewiseLord Thomas and Lord William Howard, his brothers, that he put not inany doubt, albeit words to that effect had once escaped him, thevalidity of his marriage, she, with great wisdom and patience, andprudence very commendable in one of her years, being destitute of anyfitting place to dwell in, resolved to return to his house in London.At the which at first he seemed not a little displeased, but yet tookno measures for to drive her from it. And in the ordering of thehousehold and care of his property manifested the same zeal, andobtained the same good results, as she had procured whilst she livedat Kenninghall. Methought she had waxed older by some years, notweeks, since I had seen her, so staid and composed had become thefashion of her speech and of her carriage. She conversed with me onmine own troubles and comforts, and the various and opposite hapswhich had befallen me; which I told her served to strengthen in me myearly thinking, that sorrows are oftentimes so intermixed with joysthat our lives do more resemble variable April days than the cloudlessskies of June, or the dark climate of winter.
Whilst we did thus discourse, mine eyes fell on a quaint piece of workin silk and silver, which was lying on a table, as if lately unfolded.Lady Arundel smiled in a somewhat sad fashion, and said:
"I warrant thou art curious, Constance, to examine that piece ofembroidery; and verily as regards the hands which hath worked it, andthe kind intent with which it was wrought, a more notable one shouldnot easily be found. Look at it, and see if thou canst read theingenious meaning of it."
This was the design therein executed with exceeding great neatness andbeauty: there was a tree framed, whereon two turtle-doves sat, oneither side one, with this difference, that by that on the right handthere were two or three green leaves remaining, by the other none atall--the tree on that side being wholly bare. Over the top of the treewere these words, wrought in silver: "Amoris sorte pares." At thebottom of the tree, on the side where the first turtle-dove did sit bythe green leaves, these words were also embroidered: "Haec ademptum,"with an anchor under them. On the other side, under the other dove,were these words, in like manner wrought: "Illa peremptum," withpieces of broken board underneath.
"See you what this doth mean?" the countess asked.
"Nay," I answered; "my wit is herein at fault."
"You will," she said, "when you know whence this gift comes to me.Methought, save by a few near to me in blood, or by marriageconnected, and one or two friends--thou, my Constance, being thechiefest--I was unknown to all the world; but a sad royal heart havinghad notice, in the midst of its own sore griefs, how the earl myhusband doth, through evil counsel, absent and estrange himself fromme, partly to comfort, and partly to show her love to one she oncethought should be her daughter-in-law, for a token thereof she sent methis gift, contrived by her own thinking, and wrought with her ownhands. Those two doves do represent herself and me. On my
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