Half an hour was gone by, and a very strange company had gathered roundthe big fire in the guest-chamber of the Temple, eating with appetite ofsuch food as its scanty larder could provide for them. First there wasRed Eve in a woollen garment, the Sunday wear of Mother Agnes for twentyyears past and more, which reached but little below her knees, and wasshaped like a sack. On her feet were no shoes, and for sole adornmenther curling black hair fell about her shoulders, for so she had arrangedit because the gown would not meet across her bosom. Yet, odd as itmight be, in this costume Eve looked wonderfully beautiful, perhapsbecause it was so scant and the leathern strap about her waist caused itto cling close to her shapely form.
By her stood Hugh, wearing a splendid suit of chain armour. It had beenSir Andrew Arnold's in his warlike years, and now he lent it to hisgodson Hugh because, as he said, he had nothing else. Also, it mayhave crossed the minds of both of them that such mail as this whichthe Saracens had forged, if somewhat out of fashion, could still turnswordcuts.
Then there was Grey Dick, whose garments seemed to consist of a sackwith holes in it tied round him with a rope, his quiver of arrows slungover it for ornament. He sat by the fire on a stool, oiling his blackbow with a rind of the fat bacon that he had been eating.
All the tale had been told, and Father Arnold looked very grave indeed.
"I have known strange and dreadful stories in my time," he said, "butnever, I think, one stranger or more dreadful. What would you do now,godson?"
"Take sanctuary for myself and Grey Dick because of the slaying of JohnClavering and others, and afterward be married by you to Eve."
"Be married to the sister with the brother's blood upon your handswithout absolution from the Church or pardon from the King; and you buta merchant's younger son and she to-night one of the greatest heiressesin East Anglia! Why, how may that be?"
"I blame him not," broke in Eve. "John, whom I never loved, strove tosmoke us out like rats because he was in the pay of the Norman, my Lordof Acour. John struck Hugh in the face with his hand and slandered himwith his tongue. John was given his life once, and afterwards slainin fair fight. Oh, I say, I blame him not, nor shall John's blood risebetween him and me!"
"Yet the world will blame him, and you, too, Eve; yes, even those wholove you both. A while must go by, say a year. At least I'll not marryyou at once, and cannot, if I would, with both your fathers living andunadvised, and the sheriff waiting at the gate. Tell me now, do any knowthat you have entered here?"
"Nay," said Dick, looking up from his bow. "The hunt came after us, butI hid these two in a bush and led it away past Hinton to the Ipswichroad, keeping but just ahead in the snow and talking in three voices.Then I gave them the slip and returned. They'll not guess that we havecome to Dunwich for a while."
"And when they do even the boldest will not enter this holy sanctuarywhile the Church has terrors for men's souls. Yet, here you must notstay for long, lest in this way or in that your lives pay the price ofit, or a bloody feud break out between the Claverings of Blythburgh andthe de Cressis of Dunwich. Daughter Eve, get you to bed with old Agnes.You are so weary that you will not mind her snores. To-morrow ere thedawn I'll talk with you, and, meanwhile, I have words for Hugh. Nay,have no fear, the windows are all barred, and Archer Dick shall watchthe door."
Eve went, unwillingly enough, although she could scarcely walk, flashinga good-night to her lover with her fine eyes. Presently Grey Dick alsowent to sleep, like a dog with one eye open, in the little ante-chamber,near to the great door.
"Now, Hugh," said Father Arnold, when they were left alone, "your caseis desperate, for if you stay here certainly these Claverings will haveyour blood. Yet, if you can be got away safely, there is still a shaftthat you may shoot more deadly than any that ever left Grey Dick'squiver. But yesterday I told you for your comfort--when we spoke of hiswooing of Red Eve--that this Norman, for such he is, although his motherwas English and he was English born, is a traitor to King Edward, whomhe pretends to serve."
"Ay, and I said as much to him this afternoon when he prated to me ofhis knightly honour, and, though I had no time to take note of faces, Ithought he liked it little who answered hotly that I was a liar."
"I am sorry, Hugh; it may put him on his guard, or perhaps he'll pay noheed. At least the words are said, and there's an end. Now hearken. Itold neither you nor any one all the blackness of his treachery. Haveyou guessed what this Acour is here to do?"
"Spy out the King's power in these parts, I suppose."
"More than that"--and he dropped his voice to a whisper--"spy out a safelanding-place for fifty thousand Normans upon our Suffolk coast. Theyare to sail hither this coming summer and set the crown of Englandupon their Duke John, who will hold it as vassal to his sire, Philip ofFrance."
"God's name! Is that true?"
"Ay, though in such a devil's business that Name is best left out. Lookyou, lad, I had warning from overseas, where, although I am now nothingbut a poor old priest of a broken Order, I still have friends in highplaces. Therefore I watched and found that messengers were passingbetween Acour and France. One of these messengers, a priest, came a weekago to Dunwich, and spent the night in a tavern waiting for his ship tosail in the morning. The good wife who keeps that tavern--ask not hername--would go far to serve me. That night this priest slept sound,and while he slept a letter was cut from the lining of his cassock, andanother without writing sewn there in place of it, so that he'll neverknow the difference till he reaches John of Normandy, and then not wherehe lost it. Stay, you shall see," and he went to the wall and from somesecret place behind the hangings produced a writing, which he handed toHugh, who looked at it, then gave it back to him, saying:
"Read it to me, Father, English I can spell out, but this French puzzlesmy eyes."
So he read, Hugh listening eagerly to every word:
My Lord Duke:
This by a faithful hand that you know to tell you all goes well withyour Grace's business, and with that of your royal father. Whilepretending to hunt or hawk I have found three places along this seaboardat any one of which the army can land next summer with little resistanceto fear, for though the land is rich in cattle and corn, the people arefew.
These places of which I have made survey have deep water up to thebeach. I will tell you of them more particularly when I return.Meanwhile I linger here for sundry reasons, which you know, hoping todraw those of whom you speak to me to your cause, which, God aiding me,I shall do, since he of England has wronged one of them and slighted theothers, so that they are bitter against him, and ready to listen to thepromises which I make in your name.
As an excuse for my long stay that has caused doubts in some quarters, Ispeak of my Suffolk lands which need my care. Also I court the daughterof my host here, the Knight of Clavering, a stubborn Englishman whocannot be won, but a man of great power and repute. This courtship,which began in jest, has ended in earnest, since the girl is veryhaughty and beautiful, and as she will not be played with I propose,with your good leave, to make her my wife. Her father accepts my suit,and when he and the brother are out of the way, as doubtless may happenafter your army comes, she will have great possessions.
I thank your Grace for the promise of the wide English lands of which Ispoke to you, and the title that goes with them. These I will do my bestto earn, nor will I ask for them till I kneel before you when you arecrowned King of England at Westminster, as I doubt not God will bringabout before this year is out. I have made a map of the road by whichyour army should march on London after landing, and of the towns to besacked upon the way thither. This, however, I keep, since although notone in ten thousand of these English swine can read French, or any othertongue, should it chance to be lost, all can understand a map. Not thatthere is any fear of loss, for who will meddle with a priest who carriescredentials signed by his Holiness himself.
I do homage to your Grace. This written with my hand from Blythburgh, inSuffolk, on the twentieth day of February, 1346.
Father Arnold ceased reading, and Hugh gasped out:
"What a fool is this knave-Count!"
"Most men are, my son, in this way or in that, and the few wise profitby their folly. Thus this letter, which he thought so safe, will saveEngland to Edward and his race, you from many dangers, your betrothedfrom a marriage which she hates--that is, if you can get safe away withit from Dunwich."
"Where to, Father?"
"To King Edward in London, with another that I will write for you erethe dawn."
"But is it safe, Father, to trust so precious a thing to me, who havebitter enemies awaiting me, and may as like as not be crow's meat byto-morrow?"
Father Arnold looked at him with his soft and dreamy eyes, then said:
"I think the crow's not hatched that will pick your bones, Hugh, thoughat the last there be crows, or worms, for all of us."
"Why not, Father? Doubtless, this morning young John of Claveringthought as much, and now he is in the stake-nets, or food for fishes."
"Would you like to hear, Hugh, and will you keep it to yourself, evenfrom Eve?"
"Ay, that I would and will."
"He'll think me mad!" muttered the old priest to himself, then wenton aloud as one who takes a sudden resolution. "Well, I'll tell you,leaving you to make what you will of a story that till now has beenheard by no living man."
"Far in the East is the great country that we call Cathay, though intruth it has many other names, and I alone of all who breathe in Englandhave visited that land."
"How did you get there?" asked Hugh, amazed, for though he knew dimlythat Father Arnold had travelled much in his youth, he never dreamedthat he had reached the mystic territories of Cathay, or indeed thatsuch a place really was except in fable.
"It would take from now till morning to tell, son, nor even then wouldyou understand the road. It is enough to say that I went on a pilgrimageto Jerusalem, where our blessed Saviour died. That was the beginning.Thence I travelled with Arabs to the Red Sea, where wild men made aslave of me, and we were blown across the Indian Ocean to a beauteousisland named Ceylon, in which all the folk are black.
"From this place I escaped in a vessel called a junk, that brought meto the town of Singapore. Thence at last, following my star, I came toCathay after two years of journeyings. There I dwelt in honour forthree more years, moving from place to place, since never before had itsinhabitants seen a Western man, and they made much of me, always sendingme forward to new cities. So at length I reached the greatest of themall, which is called Kambaluc, or Peking, and there was the guest of itsEmperor, Timur.
"All the story of my life and adventures yonder I have written down, andany who will may read it after I am dead. But of these I have no time tospeak, nor have they anything to do with you. Whilst I dwelt in Kambalucas the guest of the Emperor Timur, I made study of the religion of thismighty people, who, I was told, worshipped gods in the shape of men. Ivisited a shrine called the Temple of Heaven, hoping that there I shouldsee such a god who was named Tien, but found in it nothing but splendidemptiness.
"Then I asked if there was no god that I could see with my eyes,whereon the Emperor laughed at me and said there was such a god, buthe counselled me not to visit him. I prayed him to suffer me to do so,since I, who worshipped the only true God, feared no other. Whereon,growing angry, he commanded some of his servants to 'take this fool tothe house of Murgh and let him see whether his God could protect himagainst Murgh.' Having said this he bade me farewell, adding that thoughevery man must meet Murgh once, few met him twice, and therefore he didnot think that he should see me again.
"Now, in my heart I grew afraid, but none would tell me more of thisMurgh or what was likely to happen to me at his hands. Still, I wouldnot show any fear, and, strong in the faith of Christ, I determined tolook upon this idol, for such I expected him to be.
"That night the servants of Timur bore me out of the city in a litter,and by the starlight I saw that we travelled toward a hill through greatgraveyards, where people were burying their dead. At the foot of thehill they set me down upon a road, and told me to walk up it, and thatat dawn I should see the House of Murgh, whereof the gates were alwaysopen, and could enter there if I wished. I asked if they would wait formy return, whereon they answered, smiling, that if I so desired theywould do so till evening, but that it seemed scarcely needful, sincethey did not suppose that I should return.
"'Do yonder pilgrims to the House of Murgh return?' asked their captain,pointing towards those graveyards which we had passed.
"I made no answer, but walked forward up a broad and easy road,unchallenged of any, till I came to what, even in that dim light, Icould see was a great and frowning gateway, whereof the doors appearedto be open. Now, at first I thought I would pass this gateway at onceand see what lay beyond. But from this I was held back by some greatfear, for which I could find no cause, unless it were bred of whatthe Emperor and his servants had said to me. So I remembered theirwords--namely, that I should tarry till dawn to enter the house.
"There, then, I tarried, seated on the ground before the gateway, andfeeling as though, yet alive, I had descended among the dead. Indeed,the silence was that of the dead. No voice spoke, no hound barked, noleaf stirred. Only far above me I heard a continual soughing, as thoughwinged souls passed to and fro. Never in my life had I felt so muchalone, never so much afraid.
"At length the dawn broke, and oh, glad was I to see its light, for fearlest I should die in darkness! Now I saw that I was on a hilltopwhere grew great groves of cedar trees, and that set amid them was ablack-tiled temple, surrounded by a wall built of black brick.
"It was not a great place, although the gateway, which was surmounted bytwo black dragons of stone or iron, was very great, so great that a tallship could have sailed through it and left its arch untouched.
"I kneeled down and prayed to the blessed Saints and the guardian angelsto protect me. Then I arose, crossed myself to scare off all evil thingsby that holy sign, and set forward toward the mighty gateway. Oh, never,never till that hour had I understood how lowly a thing is man! On thatbroad road, travelling toward the awful, dragon-guarded arch, beyondwhich lay I knew not what, it seemed to me that I was the only manleft in the world, I, whose hour had come to enter the portals ofdestruction.
"I passed into the cold shadow of the gateway, unchallenged by anywatchman, and found myself in a courtyard surrounded by a wall alsobuilt of black brick, which had doors in it that seemed to be of darkstone or iron. Whither these doors led I do not know, since the wall cutoff the sight of any buildings that may have lain beyond. In the centreof this courtyard was a pool of still, black water, and at the head ofthe pool a chair of black marble."
Sir Andrew paused, and Hugh said:
"A plain place for a temple, Father, without adornments or images. Butperhaps this was the outer court, and the temple stood within."
"Ay, son, the plainest temple that ever I saw, who have seen many inall lands, though what was beyond it I do not know. And yet--terrible,terrible, terrible!--I tell you that those black walls and that blackwater were more fearsome to look on than any churchyard vault grimwith bones, or a torture-pit where victims quiver out their soulsmidst shrieks and groanings. And yet I could see nothing of which to beafraid, and hear nothing save that soughing of invisible wings whereof Ihave spoken. An empty chair, a pool of water, some walls and doors, and,above, the quiet sky. What was there to fear in such things as these?Still, so greatly did I fear that I sank to my knees and began to prayonce more, this time to the blessed Saviour himself, since I was surethat none else could help me.
"When I looked up again the chair was no longer empty. Hugh, a man satin it, of whom I thought at first only one thing--that he must be verystrong, though not bigger than other men. Strength seemed to flow fromhim. I should not have wondered if he had placed his hands upon themassive sides of that stone chair and torn it asunder."
"What was he like, Father? Samson or
Goliath?"
"I never saw either, son, so cannot say. But what was he like? Oh, Icannot say that either, although still I see him in my heart. My mortallips will not tell the likeness of that man, perhaps because he seemedto be like all men, and yet different from all. He had an iron brow,beneath which shone deep, cold eyes. He was clean-shaven, or perchancehis face grew no hair. His lips were thick and still and his featuresdid not change like those of other men. He looked as though he could notchange; as though he had been thus for infinite ages, and yet remainedneither young nor old. As for his dress, he wore a cloak of flaming red,such a cloak as your Eve loves to wear, and white sandals on his feet.There was no covering on his shaven head, which gleamed like a skull.His breast was naked, but across it hung one row of black jewels.From the sheen of them I think they must have been pearls, which aresometimes found of that colour in the East. He had no weapon nor staff,and his hands hung down on either side of the chair.
"For a long while I watched him, but if he saw me he took no note. AsI watched I perceived that birds were coming to and leaving him incountless numbers, and thought that it must be their wings which madethe constant soughing sound that filled all the still and dreadful air."
"What kind of birds were they, Father?"
"I am not sure, but I think doves; at least, their flight was straightand swift like to that of doves. Yet of this I am not sure either,since I saw each of them for but a second. As they reached the man theyappeared out of nothingness. They were of two colours, snow-white andcoal-black. The white appeared upon his right side, the black uponhis left side. Each bird in those never-ceasing streams hovered for aninstant by his head, the white over his right shoulder, the black overhis left shoulder, as though they whispered a message to his ear, andhaving whispered were gone upon their errand."
"What was that errand, Father?"
"How can I know, as no one ever told me? Yet I will hazard a guess thatit had to do with the mystery of life and death. Souls that were borninto the world, and souls departing from the world, perchance, makingreport to one of God's ministers clothed in flesh. But who can say? Atleast I watched those magic fowls till my eyes grew dizzy, and a sort ofslumber began to creep into my brain.
"How long I stayed thus I do not remember, for I had lost all sense oftime. In the end, however, I was awakened by a cold, soft voice, thesound of which seemed to flow through my veins like ice, that addressedme in our own rough English tongue, spoken as you and I learned it atour nurses' knees.
"'To what god were you praying just now, Andrew Arnold?'
"'Oh, sir,' I answered, 'how do you, who dwell in Cathay, where I am astranger, know my language and my name?'
"He lifted his cold eyes and looked at me, and I felt them pierce intothe depths of my soul. 'In the same way that I know your heart,' hesaid. 'But do not ask questions. Answer them, that I may learn whetheryou are a true man or a liar.'
"'I was praying to Christ,' I faltered, 'the Saviour of us all.'
"'A great God, Andrew Arnold, and a pure, though His followers are fewin the world as yet. But do you think that He can save you from Me, asyou were asking Him to do?'
"'He can save my soul,' I replied, plucking up courage, who would notdeny the Lord even in a devil's den.
"'Ah! your soul. Well, I have nothing to do with souls, except to countthem as they pass through my dominion, and you are quite right to prayto one of the lords of that into which you go. Now, man, what is yourbusiness with me, and why do you visit one of whom you are so muchafraid?'
"'O Murgh!' I began, then ceased, for I knew not what to answer.
"'So they have told you my name? Now I will tell you one of itsmeanings. It is "Gate of the Gods." Why did you dare to visit Gate ofthe Gods? You fear to answer. Listen! You came forth to see some paintedidol, or some bedizened priest muttering rites he does not understand tothat which is not; and lo! you have found that which is behind all idolsand all priests. You sought an incensed and a golden shrine and youhave found only the black and iron portals which every man must pass butwhich few desire to enter until they are called. Well, you are young andstrong, come try a fall with Murgh, and when he has thrown you, rise andchoose which of those ways you will,' and he swept his hand toward thedoors around him. 'Then forget this world and enter into that which youhave chosen.'
"Now, because I could not help myself, I rose from my knees andadvanced, or was drawn toward that dreadful man. As I came he, too, rosefrom his chair, stretching out his arms as a wrestler does, and I knewthat within the circle of those arms lay my death. Still I, who in myyouth was held brave, went on and rushed, striving to clasp him. Nextmoment, before ever I touched him--oh, well was it for me that I touchedhim not!--some strength seized me and whirled me round and round as adead leaf is whirled by the wind, and tossed me up and cast me down andleft me prone and nerveless.
"'Rise,' said the cold voice above me, 'for you are unhurt.'
"So I rose, and felt even then that I who thought that every bone in mybody must be broken, was stronger than I had ever been before. It was asthough the lamp which had burnt low was filled suddenly with a new andpurer oil.
"'Man,' said mine adversary, and I thought that in his cold eyes therewas something like a smile, 'did you think to touch Murgh and live? Didyou think to wrestle with him as in a book of one of your prophets acertain Jacob wrestled with an angel, and conquered--until it was histurn to pass the Gate of the Gods?'
"Now I stared at this dweller in Cathay, who spoke my tongue and knewthe tale of Jacob in the ancient Book, then answered:
"'Sir Murgh, or Sir Gate, or whatever your name may be, I thought to donothing. You drew me to you, you challenged me and, since by the ruleof my Order I may refuse no challenge from one who is not a Christian,I came on to do my best. But before ever I laid hand on you I was castdown by a wind. That is all the story, save that it has pleased you tolet me live, who evidently could have slain me, for which I thank you.'
"'You are wrong, Sir Andrew,' he answered, 'I did not draw you to me.Men come to Murgh at their appointed hour; Murgh does not come to them.You sought him before your hour, and therefore he refused you. Yet youwill meet him again, as all flesh must when its hour comes, and becauseyou are bold and have not cringed before my strength, for your comfortI will show you when and how. Stand by me, but lay no hand on me or myrobe, and look into my glass while for a moment, for your sake, I staythe stream of time and show you what lies beneath its foam that blindsthe eyes of men.'
"He waved his arms and the black doves and the white doves ceased toappear and disappear, and the eternal soughings of their wings wassilent. He pointed to the water at his feet and I saw, not a picture,but a scene so real that I could have sworn it was alive about me. Yes,those who took part in it stood in front of me as though the pool weresolid ground that their feet pressed. _You_ were one of them, son, _you_were one of them," and the old knight paused, supporting himself againstthe mantel-shelf as though that recollection overcame him.
"What did you see?" whispered Hugh.
"By God's holy name, I saw the Blythburgh Marshes deep in snow that wasred, blood-red with the light of sunrise. Oh! I could not be mistook,and there ran the wintry river, there the church tower soared, therewere the frowning, tree-clad banks. There was the rough moorland overwhich the east wind piped, for the dead bracken bent before it, and nottwenty paces from me leaped a hare, disturbed suddenly from its form bya hungry fox, whose red head peeped through the reeds. Yes, yes, I sawthe brute's white teeth gleam as it licked its disappointed lips, andI felt glad that its prey had beaten it! When you look upon that scene,Hugh, as one day you shall, remember the hare and the head of the hungryfox, and by these judge my truth."
"A fox and a hare!" broke in Hugh. "I'd show you such to-morrow; wasthere no more?"
"Ay, much. For instance, a hollow in the Marsh, an open grave, and anaxe; yes, an axe that had delved it where the bog was soft beneath thesnow. Grey Dick held the axe in one hand and his black bow in the oth
er,while Red Eve, your Eve, stood at its edge and stared into it like onein a dream. Then at the head of the grave an old, old man clad in mailbeneath his priestly robes, and that man _myself_, Hugh, grown veryancient, but still myself, and no other.
"And at the foot of the grave _you_, Hugh de Cressi, you and no other,wayworn and fierce, but also clad in mail, and wearing a knight's crestupon your shield. You with drawn sword in hand, and facing you,also with drawn sword, rage and despair on his dark face, a stately,foreign-looking man, whom mine eyes have never seen, but whom I shouldknow again midst a million, a man who, I think, was doomed to fill thegrave.
"Lastly, standing on a little mound near to the bank of the swirlingriver, where jagged sheets of ice ground against each other like theteeth of the wicked in hell, strangely capped and clad in black, hisarms crossed upon his breast and a light smile in his cold eyes, he whowas called Murgh in Cathay, he who named himself Gateway of the Gods!
"For a moment I saw, then all was gone, and I found myself--I know notwhy--walking toward the mighty arch whereon sat the iron dragons. In itsshadow I turned and looked back. There at the head of the pool the manwas seated in his chair, and to right and to left of him came the blackdoves and the white doves in countless multitudes, all the thousandsof them that had been stayed in their flight pouring down upon him atonce--or so I thought. They wheeled about his head, they hid his facefrom me, and I--I departed into the shadow of the arch, and I saw himand them no more."
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