The Last of the Barons — Complete
Page 49
CHAPTER IV. THE NORMAN EARL AND THE SAXON DEMAGOGUE CONFER.
On leaving the camp, Warwick rode in advance of his train, and hiscountenance was serious and full of thought. At length, as a turn in theroad hid the little band from the view of the rebels, the earl motionedto Marmaduke to advance with his prisoner. The young Nevile then fellback, and Robin and Warwick rode breast to breast out of hearing of therest.
"Master Hilyard, I am well content that my brother, when you fell intohis hands, spared your life out of gratitude for the favour you onceshowed to mine."
"Your noble brother, my lord," answered Robin, dryly, "is, perhaps, notaware of the service I once rendered you. Methinks he spared me rather,because, without me, an enterprise which has shaken the Woodvilles fromtheir roots around the throne, and given back England to the Neviles,had been nipped in the bud!--Your brother is a deep thinker!"
"I grieve to hear thee speak thus of the Lord Montagu. I know that hehath wilier devices than become, in my eyes, a well-born knight and asincere man; but he loves his king, and his ends are juster than hismeans. Master Hilyard, enough of the past evil. Some months after thefield of Hexham, I chanced to fall, when alone, amongst a band of rovingand fierce Lancastrian outlaws. Thou, their leader, recognizing thecrest on my helm, and mindful of some slight indulgence once shown tothy strange notions of republican liberty, didst save me from the swordsof thy followers: from that time I have sought in vain to mend thyfortunes. Thou hast rejected all mine offers, and I know well that thouhast lent thy service to the fatal cause of Lancaster. Many a timeI might have given thee to the law; but gratitude for thy aid in theneedful strait, and to speak sooth, my disdain of all individual effortsto restore a fallen House, made me turn my eyes from transgressionswhich, once made known to the king, had placed thee beyond pardon. Isee now that thou art a man of head and arm to bring great danger uponnations; and though this time Warwick bids thee escape and live, if oncemore thou offend, know me only as the king's minister. The debt betweenus is now cancelled. Yonder lies the path that conducts to the forest.Farewell. Yet stay!--poverty may have led thee into treason?"
"Poverty," interrupted Hilyard,--"poverty, Lord Warwick, leads men tosympathize with the poor, and therefore I have done with riches." Hepaused, and his breast heaved. "Yet," he added sadly, "now that I haveseen the cowardice and ingratitude of men, my calling seems over, and myspirit crushed."
"Alas!" said Warwick, "whether man be rich or poor, ingratitude is thevice of men; and you, who have felt it from the mob, menace me with itfrom the king. But each must carve out his own way through this earth,without over care for applause or blame; and the tomb is the sole judgeof mortal memory."
Robin looked hard at the earl's face, which was dark and gloomy, as hethus spoke, and approaching nearer, he said, "Lord Warwick, I takefrom you liberty and life the more willingly, because a voice I cannotmistake tells me, and hath long told, that, sooner or later, time willbind us to each other. Unlike other nobles, you have owed your power notso much to lordship, land, and birth, and a king's smile, as to the loveyou have nobly won; you alone, true knight and princely Christian,--youalone, in war, have spared the humble; you alone, stalwart andresistless champion, have directed your lance against your equals, andyour order hath gone forth to the fierce of heart, 'Never smite thecommons!' In peace, you alone have stood up in your haughty parliamentfor just law or for gentle mercy; your castle hath had a board for thehungry and a shelter for the houseless; your pride, which hath beardedkings and humbled upstarts, hath never had a taunt for the lowly; andtherefore I--son of the people--in the people's name, bless you living,and sigh to ask whether a people's gratitude will mourn you dead!Beware Edward's false smile, beware Clarence's fickle faith, bewareGloucester's inscrutable wile! Mark, the sun sets!--and while we speak,yon dark cloud gathers over your plumed head."
He pointed to the heavens as he ceased, and a low roll of gatheringthunder seemed to answer his ominous warning. Without tarrying for theearl's answer, Hilyard shook the reins of his steed, and disappeared inthe winding of the lane through which he took his way.