The Last of the Barons — Complete

by Baron Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton

  CHAPTER III. WHEREIN MASTER NICHOLAS ALWYN VISITS THE COURT, AND THERELEARNS MATTER OF WHICH THE ACUTE READER WILL JUDGE FOR HIMSELF.

  It was a morning towards the end of May (some little time after Edward'sgracious reception of the London deputies), when Nicholas Alwyn,accompanied by two servitors armed to the teeth,--for they carried withthem goods of much value, and even in the broad daylight and amidstthe most frequented parts of the city, men still confided little in thesecurity of the law,--arrived at the Tower, and was conducted to thepresence of the queen.

  Elizabeth and her mother were engaged in animated but whisperedconversation when the goldsmith entered; and there was an unusual gayetyin the queen's countenance as she turned to Alwyn and bade him show herhis newest gauds.

  While with a curiosity and eagerness that seemed almost childlikeElizabeth turned over rings, chains, and brooches, scarcely listeningto Alwyn's comments on the lustre of the gems or the quaintness of thefashion, the duchess disappeared for a moment, and returned with thePrincess Margaret.

  This young princess had much of the majestic beauty of her royalbrother; but, instead of the frank, careless expression so fascinatingin Edward, there was, in her full and curved lip and bright large eye,something at once of haughtiness and passion, which spoke a decision andvivacity of character beyond her years.

  "Choose for thyself, sweetheart and daughter mine," said the duchess,affectionately placing her hand on Margaret's luxuriant hair, "and letthe noble visitor we await confess that our rose of England outbloomsthe world."

  The princess coloured with complaisant vanity at these words, and,drawing near the queen, looked silently at a collar of pearls, whichElizabeth held.

  "If I may adventure so to say," observed Alwyn, "pearls will mightilybeseem her highness's youthful bloom; and lo! here be some adornmentsfor the bodice or partelet, to sort with the collar; not," added thegoldsmith, bowing low, and looking down,--"not perchance displeasingto her highness, in that they are wrought in the guise of the fleur delis--"

  An impatient gesture in the queen, and a sudden cloud over the fairbrow of Margaret, instantly betokened to the shrewd trader that hehad committed some most unwelcome error in this last allusion to thealliance with King Louis of France, which, according to rumour, the Earlof Warwick had well-nigh brought to a successful negotiation; and toconvince him yet more of his mistake, the duchess said haughtily, "Goodfellow, be contented to display thy goods, and spare us thy comments.As for thy hideous fleur de lis, an' thy master had no better device, hewould not long rest the king's jeweller."

  "I have no heart for the pearls," said Margaret, abruptly; "they areat best pale and sicklied. What hast thou of bolder ornament and moredazzling lustrousness?"

  "These emeralds, it is said, were once among the jewels of the greatHouse of Burgundy," observed Nicholas, slowly, and fixing his keen,sagacious look on the royal purchasers.

  "Of Burgundy!" exclaimed the queen.

  "It is true," said the Duchess of Bedford, looking at the ornament withcare, and slightly colouring,--for in fact the jewels had been a presentfrom Philip the Good to the Duke of Bedford, and the exigencies of thecivil wars had led, some time since, first to their mortgage, or ratherpawn, and then to their sale.

  The princess passed her arm affectionately round Jacquetta's neck, andsaid, "If you leave me my choice, I will have none but these emeralds."

  The two elder ladies exchanged looks and smiles. "Hast thou travelled,young man?" asked the duchess.

  "Not in foreign parts, gracious lady, but I have lived much with thosewho have been great wanderers."

  "Ah, and what say they of the ancient friends of mine House, the princesof Burgundy?"

  "Lady, all men agree that a nobler prince and a juster than Duke Philipnever reigned over brave men; and those who have seen the wisdom of hisrule, grieve sorely to think so excellent and mighty a lord should havetrouble brought to his old age by the turbulence of his son, the Countof Charolois."

  Again Margaret's fair brow lowered, and the duchess hastened toanswer, "The disputes between princes, young man, can never be rightlyunderstood by such as thou and thy friends. The Count of Charolois isa noble gentleman; and fire in youth will break out. Richard the LionHearted of England was not less puissant a king for the troubles heoccasioned to his sire when prince."

  Alwyn bit his lip, to restrain a reply that might not have been wellreceived; and the queen, putting aside the emeralds and a few othertrinkets, said, smilingly, to the duchess, "Shall the king pay forthese, or have thy learned men yet discovered the great secret?"

  "Nay, wicked child," said the duchess, "thou lovest to banter me; andtruth to say, more gold has been melted in the crucible than as yetpromises ever to come out of it; but my new alchemist, Master Warner,seems to have gone nearer to the result than any I have yet known.Meanwhile, the king's treasurer must, perforce, supply the gear to theking's sister."

  The queen wrote an order on the officer thus referred to, who was noother than her own father, Lord Rivers; and Alwyn, putting up his goods,was about to withdraw, when the duchess said carelessly, "Good youth,the dealings of our merchants are more with Flanders than with France,is it not so?"

  "Surely," said Alwyn; "the Flemings are good traders and honest folk."

  "It is well known, I trust, in the city of London, that this newalliance with France is the work of their favourite, the Lord Warwick,"said the duchess, scornfully; "but whatever the earl does is right withye of the hood and cap, even though he were to leave yon river withoutone merchant-mast."

  "Whatever be our thoughts, puissant lady," said Alwyn, cautiously, "wegive them not vent to the meddling with state affairs."

  "Ay," persisted Jacquetta, "thine answer is loyal and discreet. But an'the Lord Warwick had sought alliance with the Count of Charolois, wouldthere have been brighter bonfires than ye will see in Smithfield, whenye hear that business with the Flemings is surrendered for fine wordsfrom King Louis the Cunning?"

  "We trust too much to our king's love for the citizens of London to fearthat surrender, please your Highness," answered Alwyn; "our king himselfis the first of our merchants, and he hath given a gracious answer tothe deputation from our city."

  "You speak wisely, sir," said the queen; "and your king will yet defendyou from the plots of your enemies. You may retire."

  Alwyn, glad to be released from questionings but little to his taste,hastened to depart. At the gate of the royal lodge, he gave hiscaskets to the servitors who attended him, and passing slowly along thecourtyard, thus soliloquized:

  "Our neighbours the Scotch say, 'It is good fishing in muddy waters;'but he who fishes into the secrets of courts must bait with his head.What mischief doth that crafty queen, the proud duchess, devise? Um!They are thinking still to match the young princess with the hot Countof Charolois. Better for trade, it is true, to be hand in hand with theFlemings; but there are two sides to a loaf. If they play such a trickon the stout earl, he is not a man to sit down and do nothing. More foodfor the ravens, I fear,--more brown bills and bright lances in the greenfields of poor England!--and King Louis is an awful carle to sow flax inhis neighbour's house, when the torches are burning. Um! Where isfair Marmaduke. He looks brave in his gay super-tunic. Well, sir andfoster-brother, how fare you at court?"

  "My dear Nicholas, a merry welcome and hearty to your sharp, thoughtfulface. Ah, man! we shall have a gay time for you venders of gewgaws.There are to be revels and jousts, revels in the Tower and jousts inSmithfield. We gentles are already hard at practice in the tilt-yard."

  "Sham battles are better than real ones, Master Nevile! But what is inthe wind?"

  "A sail, Nicholas! a sail bound to England! Know that the Count ofCharolois has permitted Sir Anthony Count de la Roche, his bastardbrother, to come over to London, to cross lances with our own SirAnthony Lord Scales. It is an old challenge, and right royally will theencounter be held."

  "Um!" muttered Alwyn, "this bastard, then, is the carrier pigeon.--And,"
said he, aloud, "is it only to exchange hard blows that Sir Anthony ofBurgundy comes over to confer with Sir Anthony of England? Is there nocourt rumour of other matters between them?"

  "Nay. What else? Plague on you craftsmen! You cannot even comprehend thepleasure and pastime two knights take in the storm of the lists!"

  "I humbly avow it, Master Nevile. But it seemeth, indeed, strange to methat the Count of Charolois should take this very moment to send envoysof courtesy when so sharp a slight has been put on his pride, and sodangerous a blow struck at his interests, as the alliance between theFrench prince and the Lady Margaret. Bold Charles has some cunning, Itrow, which your kinsman of Warwick is not here to detect."

  "Tush, man! Trade, I see, teaches ye all so to cheat and overreach,that ye suppose a knight's burgonet is as full of tricks and traps asa citizen's flat-cap. Would, though, that my kinsman of Warwick werehere," added Marmaduke, in a low whisper, "for the women and thecourtiers are doing their best to belie him."

  "Keep thyself clear of them all, Marmaduke," said Alwyn; "for, by theLord, I see that the evil days are coming once more, fast and dark,and men like thee will again have to choose between friend and friend,kinsman and king. For my part, I say nothing; for I love not fighting,unless compelled to it. But if ever I do fight, it will not be by thyside, under Warwick's broad flag."

  "Eh, man?" interrupted Nevile.

  "Nay, nay," continued Nicholas, shaking his head, "I admire the greatearl, and were I lord or gentle, the great earl should be my chief.But each to his order; and the trader's tree grows not out of a baron'swalking-staff. King Edward may be a stern ruler, but he is a friendto the goldsmiths, and has just confirmed our charter. 'Let every manpraise the bridge he goes over,' as the saw saith. Truce to this talk,Master Nevile. I hear that your young hostess--ehem!--Mistress Sibyll,is greatly marvelled at among the court gallants, is it so?"

  Marmaduke's frank face grew gloomy. "Alas! dear foster-brother," hesaid, dropping the somewhat affected tone in which he had before spoken,"I must confess to my shame, that I cannot yet get the damsel out of mythoughts, which is what I consider it a point of manhood and spirit toachieve."

  "How so?"

  "Because, when a maiden chooseth steadily to say nay to your wooing, tofollow her heels, and whine and beg, is a dog's duty, not a man's."

  "What!" exclaimed Alwyn, in a voice of great eagerness, "mean you to saythat you have wooed Sibyll Warner as your wife?"

  "Verily, yes!"

  "And failed?"

  "And failed."

  "Poor Marmaduke!"

  "There is no 'poor' in the matter, Nick Alwyn," returned Marmaduke,sturdily; "if a girl likes me, well; if not, there are too many othersin the wide world for a young fellow to break his heart about one. Yet,"he added, after a short pause, and with a sigh,--"yet, if thou hastnot seen her since she came to the court, thou wilt find her wondrouslychanged."

  "More's the pity!" said Alwyn, reciprocating his friend's sigh.

  "I mean that she seems all the comelier for the court air. And beshrewme, I think the Lord Hastings, with his dulcet flatteries, hath made ita sort of frenzy for all the gallants to flock round her."

  "I should like to see Master Warner again," said Alwyn; "where lodgeshe?"

  "Yonder, by the little postern, on the third flight of the turret thatflanks the corridor, [This description refers to that part of the Towercalled the King's or Queen's Lodge, and long since destroyed.] next toFriar Bungey, the magician; but it is broad daylight, and therefore notso dangerous,--not but thou mayest as well patter an ave in going upstairs."

  "Farewell, Master Nevile," said Alwyn, smiling; "I will seek themechanician, and if I find there Mistress Sibyll, what shall I say fromthee?"

  "That young bachelors in the reign of Edward IV. will never want fairferes," answered the Nevile, debonairly smoothing his lawn partelet.