Fair Margaret

by H. Rider Haggard

  CHAPTER XX

  ISABELLA OF SPAIN

  On the afternoon following his first visit, Castell's agent, Bernaldez,arrived again at the prison of the Hermandad at Seville accompanied by atailor, a woman, and a chest full of clothes. The governor ordered thesetwo persons to wait while the garments were searched under his own eye,but Bernaldez he permitted to be led at once to the prisoners. As soonas he was with them he said:

  "Your marquis has been married fast enough."

  "How do you know that?" asked Castell.

  "From the woman Inez, who arrived with the priest last night, and gaveme the certificates of his union with Betty Dene signed by himself. Ihave not brought them with me lest I should be searched, when they mighthave been taken away; but Inez has come disguised as a sempstress, soshow no surprise when you see her, if she is admitted. Perhaps she willbe able to tell the Dona Margaret something of what passed if she isallowed to fit her robes alone. After that she must lie hidden for fearof the vengeance of Morella; but I shall know where to put my hand uponher if she is wanted. You will all of you be brought before the queento-morrow, and then I, who shall be there, will produce the writings."Scarcely were the words out of his mouth when the governor appeared, andwith him the tailor and Inez, who curtseyed and glanced at Margaret outof the corners of her soft eyes, looking at them all as though withcuriosity, like one who had never seen or heard of them before.

  When the dresses had been produced, Margaret asked whether she might beallowed to try them on with the woman in her own chamber, as she had notbeen measured for them.

  The governor answered that as both the sempstress and the robes had beensearched, there was no objection, so the two of them retired--Inez, withher arms full of garments.

  "Tell me all about it," whispered Margaret as soon as the door wasclosed. "I die to hear your story."

  So, while she fitted the clothes, since in that place they could neverbe sure but that they were watched through some secret loophole, Inez,with her mouth full of aloe thorns, which those of the trade used aspins, told her everything down to the time of her escape from Granada.When she came to that part of the tale where the false bride had liftedher veil and kissed the bridegroom, Margaret gasped in her amaze.

  "Oh! how could she do it?" she said, "I should have fainted first."

  "She has a good courage, that Betty--turn to the light, please,Senora--I could not have acted better myself--I think it is a littlehigh on the left shoulder. He never guessed a thing, the besotted fool,and that was before I gave him the wine, for he wasn't likely to guessmuch afterwards. Did the senora say it was tight under the arm? Well,perhaps a little, but this stuff stretches. What I want to know is, whathappened afterwards? Your cousin is the bull that I put my money on: Ibelieve she will clear the ring. A woman with a nerve of steel; had I asmuch I should have been the Marchioness of Morella long ago, or therewould be another marquis by now. There, the sit of the skirt is perfect;the senora's beautiful figure looks more beautiful in it than ever.Well, whoever lives will learn all about it, and it is no use worrying.Meanwhile, Bernaldez has paid me the money--and a handsome sum too--soyou needn't thank me. I only worked for hire--and hate. Now I am goingto lie low, as I don't want to get my throat cut, but he can find me ifI am really needed.

  "The priest? Oh, he is safe enough. We made him sign a receipt for hiscash. Also, I believe that he has got his post as a secretary to theInquisition, and began his duties at once as they were short-handed,torturing Jews and heretics, you know, and stealing their goods, both ofwhich occupations will exactly suit him. I rode with him all the way toSeville, and he tried to make love to me, the slimy knave, but I paidhim out," and Inez smiled at some pleasant recollection. "Still, I didnot quarrel with him outright, as he may come in useful. Who knows?There's the governor calling me. One moment, Excellency, onlyone moment!

  "Yes, Senora, with those few alterations the dress will be perfect. Youshall have it back tonight without fail, and I can cut the others thatyou have been pleased to order from the same pattern. Oh! I thank you,Senora, you are too good to a poor girl, and," in a whisper, "theMother of God have you in her guard, and send that Peter has improved inhis love making!" and, half hidden in garments, Inez bowed herself outof the room through the door which the governor had already opened.

  About nine o'clock on the following morning one of the jailers came tosummon Margaret and her father to be led before the court. Margaretasked anxiously if the Senor Brome was coming too, but the man repliedthat he knew nothing of the Senor Brome, as he was in one of the cellsfor dangerous criminals, which he did not serve.

  So forth they went, dressed in their new clothes, which were as fine asmoney could buy, and in the latest Seville fashion, and were conductedto the courtyard. Here, to her joy, Margaret saw Peter waiting for themunder guard, and dressed also in the Christian garments which they hadbegged might be supplied to him at their cost. She sprang to his side,none hindering her, and, forgetting her bashfulness, suffered him toembrace her before them all, asking him how he had fared since theywere parted.

  "None too well," answered Peter gloomily, "who did not know if we shouldever meet again; also, my prison is underground, where but little lightcomes through a grating, and there are rats in it which will not let aman sleep, so I must lie awake the most of the night thinking of you.But where go we now?"

  "To be put upon our trial before the queen, I think. Hold my hand andwalk close beside me, but do not stare at me so hard. Is aught wrongwith my dress?"

  "Nothing," answered Peter. "I stare because you look so beautiful init. Could you not have worn a veil? Doubtless there are more marquisesabout this court."

  "Only the Moors wear veils, Peter, and now we are Christians again.Listen--I think that none of them understand English. I have seen Inez,who asked after you very tenderly--nay, do not blush, it is unseemly ina man. Have you seen her also? No--well, she escaped from Granada as sheplanned, and Betty is married to the marquis."

  "It will never hold good," answered Peter shaking his head, "being but atrick, and I fear that she will pay for it, poor woman! Still, she gaveus a start, though, so far as prisons go, I was better off in Granadathan in that rat-trap."

  "Yes," answered Margaret innocently, "you had a garden to walk in there,had you not? No, don't be angry with me. Do you know what Betty did?"And she told him of how she had lifted her veil and kissed Morellawithout being discovered.

  "That isn't so wonderful," said Peter, "since if they are painted upyoung women look very much alike in a half-lit room----"

  "Or garden?" suggested Margaret.

  "What is wonderful," went on Peter, scorning to take note of thisinterruption, "is that she could consent to kiss the man at all. Thedouble-dealing scoundrel! Has Inez told you how he treated her? The verythought of it makes me ill."

  "Well, Peter, he didn't ask you to kiss him, did he? And as for thewrongs of Inez, though doubtless you know more about them than I do, Ithink she has given him an orange for his pomegranate. But look, thereis the Alcazar in front of us. Is it not a splendid castle? You know, itwas built by the Moors."

  "I don't care who it was built by," said Peter, "and it looks to me likeany other castle, only larger. All I know about it is that I am to betried there for knocking that ruffian on the head--and that perhaps thisis the last we shall see of each other, as probably they will send me tothe galleys, if they don't do worse."

  "Oh! say no such thing. I never thought of it; it is not possible!"answered Margaret, her dark eyes filling with tears.

  "Wait till your marquis appears, pleading the case against us, and youwill see what is or is not possible," replied Peter with conviction."Still, we have come through some storms, so let us hope for the best."

  At that moment they reached the gate of the Alcazar, which they hadapproached from their prison through gardens of orange-trees, andsoldiers came up and separated them. Next they were led across a court,where many people hurried to and fro, into a great marble-columned
roomglittering with gold, which was called the Hall of Justice. At the farend of this place, seated on a throne set upon a richly carpeted daisand surrounded by lords and counsellors, sat a magnificently attiredlady of middle age. She was blue-eyed and red-haired, with afair-skinned, open countenance, but very reserved and quiet in herdemeanour.

  "The Queen," muttered the guard, saluting, as did Castell and Peter,while Margaret curtseyed.

  A case had just been tried, and the queen Isabella, after consultationwith her assessors, was delivering judgment in few words and a gentlevoice. As she spoke, her mild blue eyes fell upon Margaret, and, heldit would seem by her beauty, rested on her till they wandered off to thetall form of Peter and the dark, Jewish-looking Castell by him, at thesight of whom she frowned a little.

  That case was finished, and other suitors stood up in their turn, butthe queen, waving her hand and still looking at Margaret, bent down andasked a question of one of the officers of the court, then gave anorder, whereon the officer rising, summoned "John Castell, MargaretCastell, and Peter Brome, all of England," to appear at the bar andanswer to the charge of murder of one Luiz of Basa, a soldier of theHoly Hermandad.

  At once they were brought forward, and stood in a line in front of thedais, while the officer began to read the charge against them.

  "Stay, friend," interposed the queen, "these accused are the subjectsof our good brother, Henry of England, and may not understand ourlanguage, though one of them, I think"--and she glanced at Castell--"wasnot born in England, or at any rate of English blood. Ask them if theyneed an interpreter."

  The question was put, and all of them answered that they could speakSpanish, though Peter added that he did so but indifferently.

  "You are the knight, I think, who is charged with the commission of thiscrime," said Isabella, looking at him.

  "Your Majesty, I am not a knight, only a plain esquire, Peter Brome ofDedham in England. My father was a knight, Sir Peter Brome, but he fellat my side, fighting for Richard, on Bosworth Field, where I had thiswound," and he pointed to the scar upon his face, "but was not knightedfor my pains."

  Isabella smiled a little, then asked:

  "And how came you to Spain, Senor Peter Brome?"

  "Your Majesty," answered Peter, Margaret helping from time to time whenhe did not know the Spanish words, "this lady at my side, the daughterof the merchant John Castell who stands by her, is my affianced----"

  "Then you have won the love of a very beautiful maiden, Senor,"interrupted the queen; "but proceed."

  "She and her cousin, the Senora Dene, were kidnapped in London by onewho I understand is the nephew of the King Ferdinand, and an envoy tothe English court, who passed there as the Senor d'Aguilar, but who inSpain is the Marquis of Morella."

  "Kidnapped! and by Morella!" exclaimed the queen.

  "Yes, your Majesty, cozened on board his ship and kidnapped. The SenorCastell and I followed them, and, boarding their vessel, tried to rescuethem, but were shipwrecked at Motril. The marquis carried them away toGranada, whither we followed also, I being sorely hurt in the shipwreck.There, in the palace of the marquis, we have lain prisoners many weeks,but at length escaped, purposing to come to Seville and seek theprotection of your Majesties. On the road, while we were dressed asMoors, in which garb we compassed our escape, we were attacked by menthat we thought were bandits, for we had been warned against such evilpeople. One of them rudely molested the Dona Margaret, and I cut himdown, and by misfortune killed him, for which manslaughter I am herebefore you to-day. Your Majesty, I did not know that he was a soldier ofthe Holy Hermandad, and I pray you pardon my offence, which was done inignorance, fear, and anger, for we are willing to pay compensation forthis unhappy death."

  Now some in the court exclaimed:

  "Well spoken, Englishman!"

  Then the queen said:

  "If all this tale be true, I am not sure that we should blame you overmuch, Senor Brome; but how know we that it is true? For instance, yousaid that the noble marquis stole two ladies, a deed of which I canscarcely think him capable. Where then is the other?"

  "I believe," answered Peter, "that she is now the wife of the Marquis ofMorella."

  "The wife! Who bears witness that she is the wife? He has not advised usthat he was about to marry, as is usual."

  Then Bernaldez stood forward, stating his name and occupation, and thathe was a correspondent of the English merchant, John Castell, andproducing the certificate of marriage signed by Morella, Betty, and thepriest Henriques, handed it up to the queen saying that he had receivedthem in duplicate by a messenger from Granada, and had delivered theother to the Archbishop of Seville.

  The queen, having looked at the paper, passed it to her assessors, whoexamined it very carefully, one of them saying that the form was notusual, and that it might be forged.

  The queen thought a little while, then said:

  "That is so, and in one way only can we know the truth. Let our warrantissue summoning before us our cousin, the noble Marquis of Morella, theSenora Dene, who is said to be his wife, and the priest Henriques ofMotril, who is said to have married them. When they have arrived, all ofthem, the king my husband and I will examine into the matter, and, untilthen, we will not suffer our minds to be prejudiced by hearing any moreof this cause."

  Now the governor of the prison stood forward, and asked what was to bedone with the captives until the witnesses could be brought fromGranada. The queen answered that they must remain in his charge, and bewell treated, whereon Peter prayed that he might be given a better cellwith fewer rats and more light. The queen smiled, and said that itshould be so, but added that it would be proper that he should still bekept apart from the lady to whom he was affianced, who could dwell withher father. Then, noting the sadness on their faces, she added:

  "Yet I think they may meet daily in the garden of the prison."

  Margaret curtseyed and thanked her, whereon she said very graciously:

  "Come here, Senora, and sit by me a little," and she pointed to afootstool at her side. "When I have done this business I desire a fewwords with you."

  So Margaret was brought up upon the dais, and sat down at her Majesty'sleft hand upon the broidered footstool, and very fair indeed she lookedplaced thus above the crowd, she whose beauty and whose bearing were soroyal; but Castell and Peter were led away back to the prison, though,seeing so many gay lords about, the latter went unwillingly enough. Awhile later, when the cases were finished, the queen dismissed the courtsave for certain officers, who stood at a distance, and, turning toMargaret, said:

  "Now, fair maiden, tell me your story, as one woman to another, and donot fear that anything you say will be made use of at the trial of yourlover, since against you, at any rate at present, no charge is laid.Say, first, are you really the affianced of that tall gentleman, and hashe really your heart?"

  "All of it, your Majesty," answered Margaret, "and we have suffered muchfor each other's sake." Then in as few words as she could she told theirtale, while the queen listened earnestly.

  "A strange story indeed, and if it be all true, a shameful," she saidwhen Margaret had finished. "But how comes it that if Morella desired toforce you into marriage, he is now wed to your companion and cousin?What are you keeping back from me?" and she glanced at her shrewdly.

  "Your Majesty," answered Margaret, "I was ashamed to speak the rest, yetI will trust you and do so, praying your royal forgiveness if you holdthat we, who were in desperate straits, have done what is wrong. Mycousin, Betty Dene, has paid back Morella in his own false gold. He wonher heart and promised to marry her, and at the risk of her own life shetook my place at the altar, thereby securing our escape."

  "A brave deed, if a doubtful," said the queen, "though I questionwhether such a marriage will be upheld. But that is a matter for theChurch to judge of, and I must speak of it no more. Certainly it is hardto be angry with any of you. What did you say that Morella promised youwhen he asked you to marry him in London?"

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sp; "Your Majesty, he promised that he would lift me high, perhapseven"--and she hesitated--"to that seat in which you sit."

  Isabella frowned, then laughed, and said, as she looked her up and down:

  "You would fit it well, better than I do in truth. But what else did hesay?"

  "Your Majesty, he said that not every one loves the king, his uncle;that he had many friends who remembered that his father was poisoned bythe father of the king, who was Morella's grandfather; also, that hismother was a princess of the Moors, and that he might throw in his lotwith theirs, or that there were other ways in which he could gainhis end."

  "So, so," said the queen. "Well, though he is such a good son of theChurch, and my lord is so fond of him, I never loved Morella, and Ithank you for your warning. But I must not speak to you of such highmatters, though it seems that some have thought otherwise. FairMargaret, have you aught to ask of me?"

  "Yes, your Majesty--that you will deal gently with my true love when hecomes before you for trial, remembering that he is hot of head andstrong of arm, and that such knights as he--for knightly is his blood--cannot brook to see their ladies mishandled by rough men, and thewrappings that shield them torn from off their bosoms. Also, I pray thatI may be protected from Morella, that he may not be allowed to touch oreven to speak to me, who, for all his rank and splendour, hate him asthough he were some poisoned snake."

  "I have said that I must not prejudge your case, you beautiful EnglishMargaret," the queen answered with a smile, "yet I think that neither ofthose things you ask will cause justice to slip the bandage that isabout her eyes. Go, and be at peace. If you have spoken truth to me, asI am sure you have, and Isabella of Spain can prevent it, the SenorBrome's punishment shall not be heavy, nor shall the shadow of theMarquis of Morella, the base-born son of a prince and of some royalinfidel"--these words she spoke with much bitterness--"so much as fallupon you, though I warn you that my lord the king loves the man, as isbut natural, and will not condemn him lightly. Tell me one thing. Thislover of yours is brave, is he not?"

  "Very brave," answered Margaret, smiling.

  "And he can ride a horse and hold a lance, can he not, at any rate inyour quarrel?"

  "Aye, your Majesty, and wield a sword too, as well as most knights,though he has been but lately sick. Some learned that onBosworth Field."

  "Good. Now farewell," and she gave Margaret her hand to kiss. Then,calling two of her officers, she bade them conduct her back to theprison, and say that she should have liberty to send messages or towrite to her, the queen, if she should so desire.

  On the night of that same day Morella galloped into Seville. Indeed heshould have been there long before, but misled by the story of the Moorswho had escorted Peter, Margaret, and her father out of Granada and seenthem take the Malaga road, he travelled thither first, only to find notrace of them in that city. Then he returned and tracked them toSeville, where he was soon made acquainted with all that had happened.Amongst other things, he discovered that ten hours before swiftmessengers had been despatched to Granada, commanding his attendance andthat of Betty, with whom he had gone through the form of marriage.

  On the following morning he asked an audience with the queen, but it wasrefused to him, and the king, his uncle, was away. Next he tried to winadmission into the prison and see Margaret, only to find that neitherhis high rank and authority nor any bribe would suffice to unlock itsdoors. The queen had commanded otherwise, he was informed, and knewtherefrom that in this matter he must reckon with Isabella as an enemy.Then he bethought him of revenge, and began a search for Inez and thepriest Henriques of Motril, only to find that the former had vanished,none knew whither, and the holy father was safe within the walls of theInquisition, whence he was careful not to emerge, and where no layman,however highly placed, could enter to lay a hand upon one of itsofficers. So, full of rage and disappointment, he took counsel oflawyers and friends, and prepared to defend the suit which he saw wouldbe brought against him, hoping that chance might yet deliver Margaretinto his hands. One good card he held, which now he determined to play.Castell, as he knew, was a Jew who for years had posed as a Christian,and for such there was no mercy in Seville. Perhaps for her father'ssake he might yet be able to work upon Margaret, whom now he desired towin more fiercely than ever before.

  At least it was certain that he would try this, or any other means,however base, rather than see her married to his rival, Peter Brome.Also there was the chance that this Peter might be condemned toimprisonment, or even to death, for the killing of a soldier of theHermandad.

  So Morella made him ready for the great struggle as best he could, and,since he could not stop her coming, awaited the arrival of Bettyin Seville.