The Lady of Loyalty House: A Novel

by Justin H. McCarthy

  XXVII

  THE KING'S IMAGE

  The melancholy King sat in the great room alone. His eyes were fixedon the map, but his mind was far away, over yonder in Holland whereshe was--she, the Queen. The thought of her beauty troubled him; hersoft voice seemed to be whispering at his ear in her pretty brokenEnglish. Some lines in a play he knew came into his mind, linesuttered by a king who, like himself, had known the horror of civilwar, lines which said that it were better to be a shepherd and tendsheep than to be an English king. He sighed and his handsome headdrooped upon his breast, and the brown hair that was graying so fasthid his cheeks. His eyes were wet and he could not see the map; itwas all a blur of meaningless criss-cross lines. This would not do;he must think, he must plan, he must decide; but his head remainedbent and the map remained a criss-cross puzzle.

  The image of himself, which faced him as he sat, that picture of aking, royal, joyous, unchallenged, seemed to move a little, as ifthe bright figure on the canvas sought to approach and reassure thedejected man who crouched over the map of a divided kingdom. It didmove, the serene Van Dyck portrait; it moved a little, and a little,and a little more; moved sideway as a door moves, yawned a foot ofspace between frame and wall, and through that foot of spaceBrilliana slipped into the room.

  "Your Majesty," she said, softly.

  The King gave a little start as he lifted his head and looked at her.She thought she had never seen so pitifully a weary face as the faceof her King, and her heart ached for him, but it ached most for herlover.

  Charles rose to his feet, flawlessly courteous, much wondering.

  "How did you come here, mistress?" he asked, and she sighed at thetired sound of his voice. "I understood from Sir Rufus that you werefor the time--"

  He paused, and Brilliana calmly finished the sentence.

  "Confined to my apartments. Yes, that was Rufus's plan. But thoughRufus calls himself captain of this castle he does not know it sowell as I do. There are ways of getting hither and thither that hedoes not dream of."

  "You are a determined young woman," the King said, with a faintsmile, "if you think so lightly of the privacy of your King."

  Brilliana flung herself on her knees in a moment, her hands clasped,her eyes shining with honest tears.

  "Your Majesty!" she cried; "your Majesty, I would never have daredthis if I were not a woman very deep in love, if my lover were not indanger, and if--"

  She paused.

  "And if?" Charles echoed, his fine, irresolute face neither smilingnor frowning. "Finish your sentence, lady."

  "And if I had not heard that your Majesty was a very perfect, truelover," Brilliana went on. "Your Majesty's love for the gracious ladynow in France is the admiration of your subjects."

  A faint color glowed on the King's pale cheeks. He was indeed theperfect, true lover of Henrietta Maria, and the greatest sorrow ofall the clustering sorrows that the civil war had brought him was herabsence from his side.

  "It would be strange indeed if I did not love such a lady," he said,gently; "but that lady is my queen, my wife, my comrade, my loyalfriend, while he you plead for is but an acquaintance of a few days,and, moreover, in all thoughts and deeds your enemy--and mine."

  Brilliana had now risen to her feet and she faced the king valiantly,for she knew that she would have to plead hard and well.

  "Your Majesty," she answered, "as for the acquaintanceship, one ofour poets has said, 'Whoever loves that loves not at first sight?'and though indeed at first sight I was far from giving this gentlemanmy love, I saw in him at once those qualities which in a man deservelove. As for his enmity, we are told that we should love ourenemies."

  A frown overspread the King's face and Brilliana faltered.

  "I cannot claim for myself that wealth of charity," Charles said,"that would make me love those that by rebellion and contumacy haveplunged poor England into war."

  "Sire, sire," Brilliana sighed, "if you will but pardon thisgentleman I will promise you that I will never love another of yourMajesty's enemies."

  Charles frowned.

  "I do not like your loyalty. Why do you plead for the life of arebel?"

  "I am your servant, none loyaller," Brilliana answered, boldly; "butI am a woman, and I plead for the man I love."

  "If you were truly loyal," Charles commented, "you could not love atraitor."

  Brilliana pressed her hands tightly against her breast and her faceflushed.

  "Captain Cloud is not a traitor. He is honest before God."

  Charles admired her pertinacity. Here was a woman who would notlightly lose heart or change purpose.

  "I will not wrangle with you," he said. "I think the gentlemandeserves death. But because I know very well what it is to lovetruly, why, I will let you save him if you can."

  Brilliana's voice was charged with gratitude. "Oh, your Majesty isalways noble. But how?"

  Charles looked at her fixedly, touching his chin with the feather ofhis quill. "Thuswise--only thuswise. You will persuade Captain Cloudto return to his allegiance."

  Brilliana's gratitude ebbed and her voice hardened. "I know he willnever change sides."

  An enigmatic smile passed over the fretful face of the King. "I thinkso, too," he agreed, and turned again to his papers. But Brillianawas not to be so rebuffed. Coming a little nearer to Charles, shefell on her knees and extended her hands in supplication. "Sire, mylover's life!"

  Charles, who had lost nothing of her actions, though he affected tobe wholly absorbed in his business, looked round and down at her withmuch assumption of surprise.

  "You are still there? You are a pertinacious maykin."

  "Sire, in the Queen's name!" Brilliana pleaded. The King sighed.

  "Well, one more concession, this is the last--the very last." Charlesprided himself on his firmness, and he struck the table as he spoketo emphasize his unalterable resolve. "If you win me his word ofhonor to take no more part in this war, to remain neutral till Kinghumble Commons or Commons murder King, why, it is enough; he lives."

  Brilliana shivered at the King's alternative. "Your Majesty cannotbelieve that the worst of your subjects would aim at your sacredlife?"

  The King's fine eyes were more than usual melancholy, and he openedand clasped his long fingers nervously.

  "I cannot choose but believe it. Their words are wild--that istrifling. But long ago, when I was young, there was a man, one ArthurDee, a wizard and the son of a wizard, he had a magic crystal--ah,Father in heaven!"

  Charles gave a groan and hid his face in his hands, Brillianathrilled with compassion. "Your Majesty!" she cried; "your Majesty!"

  Charles drew his hands away from his face. He rose, and, as he spoke,he stared fixedly before him as if he saw the sight he wasdescribing.

  "In that sphere I saw a platform hung with black. On it I seemed tosee myself staring at a sea of hateful faces. One with a mask stoodby my side who carried an axe. I have never forgotten it."

  He stood rigid, with clasped hands. Brilliana shuddered at his words.

  "Sire! sire! this was some lying vision."

  With an effort the King controlled himself; his features softened totheir habitual melancholy, his hands relaxed their clasp, and heseated himself again by the table.

  "Belike, belike; I am unwise to think upon it," he said, in a lowvoice. Leaning across the table, he struck a bell sharply. The dooropened and the soldier in immediate attendance upon the King entered.

  "Tell Sir Rufus to attend us," the King said. The soldier bowed andwithdrew. Charles looked up at Brilliana. "Sir Rufus will be loath tolose his prey," he said. "He is a fierce hawk that clings to hisquarry."

  "He was once my friend," Brilliana said, sadly. The King smiled hismelancholy smile.

  "If I were in his place," he said, gravely, "I think I might betempted to play his part. You are a very fair maiden."

  Brilliana shook her head. "The love that makes a man base is no goodlove. He will never be my friend again."

  "Here, a
s I think, he comes," Charles said. The door opened and SirRufus entered the room. He was so amazed at facing Brilliana that fora moment he forgot to render salutation to the King. Charles's eyesbrightened as they used to brighten at the playhouse. Here was aliving play being played before him, tragical, comical--man and womanfighting for a man's life.

  "Sir Rufus," he ordered, "send to our presence the prisoner, theParliament officer."

  Rufus glanced at Brilliana's stern, averted face; he read somethinglike mockery on the thin, royal lips. For an instant he ventured toprotest.

  "But, your Majesty--" he began, but he got no further. The Kingchecked him with a frown and a raised hand. It was easy to make himobstinate in crossing a follower.

  "You have heard my commands," he said, sternly.

  Sir Rufus bowed his head and retreated. There was nothing else forhim to do. He just glanced at Brilliana as he went out. If Brillianahad seen the glance she would have read his rage and hate in it. Butshe did not see it, for her head was still averted. The King saw it,however, and he felt that the situation was alive. He turned toBrilliana.

  "I am a complaisant monarch, as I think," he said. "Now, lady, doyour best to make your sweetheart see reason. Honestly, I do notthink he is worth so many words, but you think otherwise, and foryour sake I wish you a winning tongue."

  Brilliana bowed deeply. "I humbly thank your Majesty," she said, andfelt that the King had done much for her. From offering theimpossible he had come to offering the possible. It seemed a littletask to persuade a lover committed to a wrongful cause to lay asidehis sword and wait the issue.

  The King's eyes had fallen on his papers again, and he did not liftthem thence nor take heed of Brilliana again until the tread of feetwas heard in the corridor. In another moment Evander, escorted by tworoyal troopers, entered the room. There was a sudden gladness in hiseyes at the sight of Brilliana, but he at once saluted the King in amilitary fashion and stood quietly at attention waiting the royalword.

  Charles rose from his chair, and for a moment his melancholy eyestravelled from the beautiful girl standing by the window to thegallant soldier standing by the door. The face of Evander pleased hisscrutiny far more than the face of Rufus, and it came into his mindthat he would gladly enroll Evander under his standard and hand overRufus to the Crop-ears. Truly the Puritan soldier and the Lady ofLoyalty House made a brave pair.

  "Sir," he said, quietly, "this lady desires speech with you, and haspersuaded me to permit an interview." He turned to the troopers.

  "Wait outside the door, sirs," he commanded. When they had obeyed helooked again towards Brilliana, and there was a smile on his tiredface, a smile partly whimsical, partly pitying, as if encouraging toan adventure yet doubtful of the result. Then he gave her a gracioussalutation, and, without further notice of Evander Cloud, passed intothe adjoining room and left the lovers alone.