by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER VIII -- A RIOT
While Dame Margaret was speaking to Guy, one of the servitors came up withword that Count Charles d'Estournel was below desiring to speak withMaster Guy Aylmer.
"Show the count up. Or no, you had best go down yourself to receive him,Guy. Pray him to come up with you; it will be more fitting."
Guy at once went down.
"So this is my saviour of last night," the count said gaily as Guy joinedhim. "I could scarce get a view of your face then, as the lamps give sucha poor light, and I should hardly have known you again. Besides, you werewrapped up in your cloak. But you told me that you were an esquire, and Isee that you carry a sword. I want to take you out to introduce you tosome of my friends. Can you accompany me now?"
"I shall do so willingly, Count; but first will you allow me to presentyou to my lady mistress? She prayed me to bring you up to her apartments."
"That shall I right willingly; those who were present yesterday speak ofher as a noble lady."
They went upstairs together.
"My lady, this is Count Charles d'Estournel, who desires me to present himto you."
"I am glad to meet you, Sir Count," Dame Margaret said, holding out herhand, which he raised to his lips, "seeing that my esquire, Master GuyAylmer, was able to render you some slight service last night. This is mydaughter Agnes, and my son Charles."
"The service was by no means a slight one," the young count said,returning a deep salute that Agnes and Charlie made to him, "unless indeedyou consider that my life is a valueless one, for assuredly without hisaid and that of your tall retainer, my father would have been childlessthis morning. I was indeed in sore plight when they arrived; my arm wastiring, and I could not have defended myself very much longer against suchodds, and as I had exasperated them by killing two of their comrades, Ishould have received no mercy at their hands. In my surprise at being sosuddenly attacked I even forgot to raise a shout for the watch, though itis hardly likely that they would have heard me had I done so; the lazyknaves are never on the spot when they are wanted. However, we gave theruffians a lesson that those of them who escaped are not likely to forgetreadily, for out of the fourteen who attacked me we accounted for ten, ofwhom your retainer levelled no less than six with that staff of his, and Idoubt whether any of the other four came off scatheless. I imagine thatthose levelled by your retainer got up and made off,--that is, if theyrecovered their senses before the watch came,--but I am sure that theother four will never steal pouch or cut throat in future. 'Tis a shamethat these rascals are suffered to interfere with honest men, and it wouldbe far better if the city authorities would turn their attention toridding the streets of these pests instead of meddling with things that inno way concern them."
"It would no doubt be much wiser," Dame Margaret replied; "but since theirbetters are ever quarrelling among themselves, we can hardly wonder thatthe citizens do not attend to their own business."
"No doubt you are right," the young count said with a smile; "but it isthe highest who set the bad example, and we their vassals cannot butfollow them, though I myself would far rather draw my sword against theenemies of France than against my countrymen. But methinks," and here helaughed, "the example of the wars that England has so often waged withScotland might well cause you to take a lenient view of our misdoings."
"I cannot gainsay you there, Sir Count, and truly those quarrels havecaused more damage to England than your disputes between Burgundy andOrleans have, so far, inflicted on France; but you see I am a sufferer inthe one case and not in the other. Even now I am ignorant why I have beenbrought here. There is a truce at present between England and France, andassuredly there are more English in the service of nobles of Burgundy thanin those of Orleans, and at any rate I have seen no reason why there canat present be any doubt at all of the conduct of my lord, who has butlately defended his castle against the followers of Orleans.'"
"So I have heard, madame, and I know that there are some of my friends whothink that Duke John has behaved hardly in the matter; but he seldom actswithout reason, though it may not be always that one which he assigns forany action." Then, changing the subject, he went on. "I have come to takeMaster Guy for a walk with me, and to introduce him to some of my friends.My father is absent at present, but on his return he will, I know, hastento express his gratitude. I trust that you can spare your esquire to goout with me."
"Certainly, so that he does but return in time to escort me for a walkthrough the streets this afternoon."
"I will be sure to come back, madam," Guy said. "You have but to say thehour at which you will start; but indeed I think that I shall probably bein to dinner at one."
"I cannot see," Guy said, when he had sallied out with the young count,"why they should have called upon Sir Eustace to furnish hostages. As theDuke of Burgundy has English archers in his pay, and France is at trucewith England, there seems less reason than at other times to demandsureties of his loyalty, especially as he has shown that he is in no waywell disposed to the Armagnacs."
"Between ourselves, Guy, I think that the duke in no way expected thathostages would be given, and that he was by no means well pleased when amessenger arrived from the herald to say that he was returning with yourlady and her children. What was his intention I know not, but in timeslike these it is necessary sometimes to reward faithful followers or tosecure doubtful ones, and it may be that he would have been glad to havehad the opportunity of finding so fair a castle and estate at hisdisposal. You know the fable of the wolf and the lamb; a poor excuse isdeemed sufficient at all times in France when there is a great noble onone side and a simple knight on the other, and I reckon that the duke didnot calculate upon the willingness of your Sir Eustace to permit his wifeand children to come here, or upon the dame's willingness to do so, and inno way expected matters to turn out as they have done, for there is now noshadow of excuse for him to meddle with Villeroy. Indeed, I questionwhether the condition about hostages was of his devising; but it may wellbe that the king or the queen wished it inserted, and he, thinking thatthere was no chance of that alternative being accepted, yielded to thewish. Mind, all this is not spoken from my own knowledge, but I did hearthat Duke John was much put out when he found that the hostages werecoming, and there was some laughter among us at the duke being for onceoutwitted."
"Then you do not love him overmuch, Count?"
"He is our lord, Guy, and we are bound to fight in his cause, but our vowsof fealty do not include the word love. The duke his father was a nobleprince, just and honourable, and he was loved as well as honoured. DukeJohn is a different man altogether. He is brave, as he proved in Hungary,and it may be said that he is wise, but his wisdom is not of the kind thatBurgundian nobles love. It might have been wise to remove Orleans from hispath, although I doubt it, but it was a dastardly murder all the same; andalthough we are bound to support him, it alienated not a few. Then hecondescends to consort with these sorry knaves the butchers, and others oflow estate, to take them into his counsels, and to thrust them upon us, atwhich, I may tell you, there is grievous discontent. All this is ranktreason to the duke, I have no doubt, but it is true nevertheless. Here weare at our first stopping-place. This is as it is kept by a Burgundianmaster, who has with him two or three of the best swordsmen in France, andhere a number of us meet every morning to learn tricks of fence, and tokeep ourselves in good exercise, which indeed one sorely needs in thiscity of Paris, where there is neither hawking nor hunting nor jousting norany other kind of knightly sport, everyone being too busily in earnest tothink of amusement. Several of my best friends are sure to be here, and Iwant to introduce you to them."
When they entered the salon they found some thirty young knights andnobles gathered. Two or three pairs in helmet and body-armour werefighting with blunted swords, others were vaulting on to a saddle placedon a framework roughly representing a high war-horse; one or two wereswinging heavy maces, whirling them round their heads and bringing themdown occasionally upon great sand-b
ags six feet high, while others wereseated on benches resting themselves after their exercises. D'Estournel'sarrival was greeted with a shout, and several of those disengaged at oncecame over to him.
"Laggard!" one exclaimed, "what excuse have you to make for coming solate? I noted not that De Jouvaux's wine had mounted into your head lastnight, and surely the duke cannot have had need of your valuable servicesthis morning?"
"Neither one nor the other befell, D'Estelle. But first let me introduceto you all my friend Guy Aylmer, an English gentleman, the son of a knightof that country, and himself an esquire of Sir Eustace de Villeroy. I amsure you will welcome him when I tell you that he saved my life last nightwhen attacked by a band of cut-throats. Guy, these are my friends CountPierre d'Estelle, Count Walter de Vesoul, the Sieur John de Perron, andthe Knights Louis de Lactre, Sir Reginald Poupart, Sir James Regnier, SirThomas d'Autre, and Sir Philip de Noisies."
"I can assure you of our friendship," the first-named of these gentlemensaid cordially to Guy, "for indeed you have rendered us all a service inthus saving to us our friend D'Estournel. Tell us how the matter occurred,Charles; in sooth, we shall have to take these ruffians of Paris in hand.So long as they cut each other's throats no great harm is done, but ifthey take to cutting ours it is time to give them a lesson."
"The matter was simple enough," D'Estournel said. "As you know, it waslate before we broke up at De Jouvaux's last night, for I heard it strikehalf-past ten by the bell of St. Germain as I sallied out. I was making myway home like a peaceful citizen, when two men came out from a narrow laneand stumbled roughly across me. Deeming that they were drunk, I struck onea buffet on the side of his head and stretched him in the gutter."
"That was not like a peaceful citizen, Charles," one of the others brokein.
"Well, hardly, perhaps; but I forgot my character at the moment. However,an instant later there was a shout, and a dozen or so armed men poured outfrom the lane and fell upon me. I saw at once that I had been taken in atrap. Luckily there was a deep doorway close by, so I sprang into it, and,drawing my sword, put myself in a posture of defence before they were uponme. I ran the first through the body, and that seemed to teach the otherssome caution. Fortunately the doorway was so deep that only two couldassail me at once, and I held my ground for some time pretty fairly, onlyreceiving a few scratches. Presently I saw another opening, and, parryinga thrust, I ran my sword through the fellow's throat. He fell with a loudoutcry, which was fortunate, for it came to the ears of my friend here,and brought him and a stout retainer--a prodigiously tall fellow, with astaff longer than himself--to my aid. They were but just in time, for theruffians, furious at the fall of another of their companions, werepressing me hotly, and slashing so furiously with their swords that it wasas much as I could do to parry them, and had no time to thrust back inreply. My friend here ran two of them through, his tall companion levelledsix to the ground with his staff, while I did what I could to aid them,and at last the four that remained still on their legs ran off. I believethey thought that the man with the staff was the Evil One himself, who hadgot tired of aiding them in their villainous enterprises."
"It was a narrow escape indeed, Charles," Count Walter de Vesoul saidgravely, "and it was well for you that there was that doorway hard by, oryour brave friend would have found but your body when he came along. It isevident, gentlemen, that when we indulge in drinking parties we must gohome in couples. Of course, Charles, you must lay a complaint before theduke, and he must let the Parisians know that if they do not keep theircut-throats within bounds we will take to sallying out at night in partiesand will cut down every man we find about the streets."
"I will lay my complaint, but I doubt if much good will come of it. Theduke will speak to the provost of the butchers, and nothing will be done."
"Then we will take them in hand," the other said angrily. "If theParisians won't keep order in their streets we will keep it for them. Suchdoings are intolerable, and we will make up parties to scour the streetsat night. Men passing peaceably along we shall not of course molest, butany parties of armed men we find about we will cut down withouthesitation."
"I shall be heartily glad to join one of the parties whenever you aredisposed, De Vesoul," D'Estournel said. "Perchance I may light on one ormore of the four fellows who got away last night. Now I am ready to have about with swords."
"We have all had our turn, Charles," the other said.
"Then I must work with the mace," the count said. "My friend here, yousee, did not come off as scatheless last night as I did, or else I wouldhave asked him to have a bout with me. He held his own so well against twoof them who fell on him together that I doubt not I should find him asturdy adversary."
"I fear not, Count," Guy said smiling. "I can use my sword, it is true, inEnglish fashion, but I know little of feints and tricks with the swordsuch as I am told are taught in your schools."
"A little practice here will amend that," D'Estournel said. "These thingsare well enough in a _salle d'armes_, and are useful when one man isopposed to another in a duel, but in a battle or _melee_ I fancy thatthey are of but little use, though indeed I have never yet had the chanceof trying. We will introduce you to the master, and I hope that you willcome here regularly; it will give real pleasure to all. This salon is keptup by the duke for our benefit, and as you are one of his most pressinglyinvited guests you are certainly free of it."
They went up in a body to the master. "Maitre Baudin," Count Charles said,"I have to introduce to you a gentleman who is our mutual friend, and wholast night saved my life in a street brawl. He is at present an esquire ofSir Eustace de Villeroy, and has travelled hither with the knight's dame,who has come at the invitation of the duke. His father is an Englishknight, and as the friend of us all we trust that you will put him uponthe list of your pupils."
"I shall be pleased to do so, Count Charles, the more so since he has doneyou such service."
"I am afraid that you will, find me a very backward pupil," Guy said. "Ihave been well taught in English fashion, but as you know, maitre, we weremore famed for downright hard hitting than for subtlety and skill inarms."
"Downright hard hitting is not to be despised," the master said, "and in abattle it is the chief thing of all; yet science is not to be regarded asuseless, since it not only makes sword-play a noble pastime, but in asingle combat it enables one who is physically weak to hold his ownagainst a far stronger antagonist."
"That I feel greatly, maitre. I shall be glad indeed of lessons in theart, and as soon as my shoulder is healed I shall take great pleasure inattending your school regularly, whenever my lady has no need of mypresence. I am now in the position of the weak antagonist you speak of,and am therefore the more anxious to acquire the skill that will enable meto take my part in a conflict with full-grown men."
"You showed last night that you could do that," Count Charles said with asmile.
"Nay, men of that sort do not count," Guy said. "They are but roughswordsmen, and it was only their number that rendered them dangerous.There is little credit in holding one's own against ruffians of thatkind."
"Well, I will be lazy this morning," the young count said, "and do withoutmy practice. Will you all come round to my rooms, gentlemen, and drink aglass or two of wine and make the better acquaintance of my friend? He isbound to be back at his lodgings by one, and therefore you need not beafraid that I am leading you into a carouse."
Guy passed an hour in the count's lodgings and then returned to theprovost's. The count accompanied him, saying that he had not yet seenhis tall friend of the night before, and must personally thank him.Long Tom was called down, he being one of the two who had remained infor the morning.
"I must thank you again for the service that you rendered me last night,"the count said frankly, holding out his hand to the archer. "I hope thatyou will accept this ring in token of my gratitude; I have had it enlargedthis morning so that it may fit one of your strong fingers. It may beuseful some day to turn into mone
y should you find yourself in a pinch."
"I thank you, sir," Tom said. "I will wear it round my neck, for in truthrings are not for the use of men in my condition. As to gratitude, I feelthat it is rather the other way, for my arms were beginning to get stifffor want of use. I only wish that the fray had lasted a bit longer, for Ihad scarce time to warm to it, and I hope that the next time your lordshipgets into trouble I may have the good luck to be near at hand again."
"I hope you may, my friend; assuredly I could want no better helper."
After the count had taken his leave Guy went upstairs and told LadyMargaret how he had spent the morning.
"I am very glad to hear what you say about the fencing school, Guy; itwill be good for you to have such training. And indeed 'tis well that youshould have some employment, for time would hang but wearily on your handswere you to remain long caged up here. I shall be very glad for you to go.It will make no difference to us whether we take our walk in the morningor in the afternoon."
After dinner they went out. Guy escorted Dame Margaret, Agnes and Charliefollowed, Long Tom and Jules Varoy bringing up the rear, both armed withswords and carrying in addition heavy cudgels. First of all they visitedthe cathedral, where Dame Margaret and her daughter knelt for some time inprayer before one of the shrines; then crossing the bridge again theyfollowed along the broad pavement between the foot of the walls and theriver, which served as a market, where hucksters of all sorts plied theirtrade; then entering the next gate on the wall they walked down the streetto the Place de la Bastille, which had been finished but a few years.
"'Tis a gloomy place and a strong one," Dame Margaret said with a shiveras she looked at its frowning towers; "the poor wretches who are onceentombed there can have but little hope of escape. Surely there cannot beso many state prisoners as to need for their keeping, a building so largeas that. Still, with so turbulent a population as this of Paris, itdoubtless needs a strong castle to hold them."
"It seems to me, madame, that, though useful doubtless as a prison, thecastle was never really built for that purpose, but as a stronghold tooverawe Paris."
"That may be so, Guy; at any rate I am glad that they did not use it asour place of detention instead of the house of Maitre Leroux."
"They see well enough, madame, that you are more securely held than boltsand bars could detain you. I imagine that they would like nothing betterthan for you to get away back to Villeroy, since it would give them anexcuse for an attack on the castle."
"Doubtless that is so, Guy; I came freely, and I must stay freely untilsome change takes place that will leave it open to us to fly. But in soothit seems to me that nothing short of the arrival of an English army coulddo that. Were the Armagnacs to get the better of the Burgundians ourposition would be even worse than it is now."
"That is true enough, madame, for the Burgundians have no cause ofhostility whatever to Sir Eustace and you, while we have given theArmagnacs good reasons for ill-will against us. Still, were they to comehere it would be open to you to fly, for all Artois is Burgundian; andthough the duke might not be able to hold his position here, Artois andFlanders would long be able to sustain themselves, and you would thereforebe safe at Villeroy, for they would have other matters to attend towithout meddling with those who only ask to be let alone."
On their way back from the Bastille they saw a crowd in the street andheard loud shouts.
"We had best turn off by this side street, madame," Guy said; "doubtlessit is a body of the scoundrel butchers at their work of slaying some enemyunder the pretext of his being an Orleanist. Do you hear their shouts of'Paris and Burgundy!'?"
Turning down a side street they made a circuit round the scene of thetumult, and then coming up into the main street again resumed their way.After walking a considerable distance they came to a large building.
"What place is this, Guy?"
"It is the Louvre, madame. It should be the abode of the King of France,but he is only sometimes lodged there; but often stays at one of thehotels of the great lords. These palaces are all fortified buildings. Ourcountry castles are strong, but there is no air of gloom about them; thesenarrow streets and high houses seem to crush one down."
"We will go back again, Guy; I do not think that I shall often go out infuture."
"You can take a boat on the river, madame, and row up or down into thecountry. They say it is pretty; once fairly away from Paris, there arehills and woods and villages."
"That may be pleasant. If they would but let me go and live in one ofthose quiet spots I should be as contented as it is possible for me to beaway from my husband.
"Nothing can be kinder than are Maitre Leroux and his wife, but one cannotbut feel that one is a burden upon them. My hope is that when the kingcomes to his senses I may be able to obtain an interview with him, andeven if I cannot have leave to return to Villeroy I may be allowed to takeup my abode outside the walls, or at any rate to obtain a quiet lodgingfor ourselves."
For the next three weeks the time passed quietly. Guy went every morningto the _salle d'armes_, for his wound being on his left shoulder he wasable to use his sword arm as soon as it began to heal.
"You underrated your skill," the fencing-master said when he had given himhis first lesson. "It is true that you do not know the niceties of sword-playing, but indeed you are so quick of eye and wrist that you can affordto do without them. Still, doubtless after a couple of months' practicehere you will be so far improved that he will need to be a good swordsmanwho holds his own with you."
Guy paid only one visit during this time to the lodgings of the Italian.
"You have not heard from me, Master Aylmer," the latter said, "becauseindeed there has been nothing of importance to tell you. The Armagnacsare, I hear, collecting a great army, and are likely ere long to march inthis direction. The butchers are becoming more and more unpopular and moreand more violent; not a day passes but many citizens are killed by themunder the pretence that they are Armagnacs, but really because they hadexpressed themselves as hostile to the doings of these tyrants. I havecast your horoscope, and I find that the conjunction of the planets atyour birth was eminently favourable. It seems to me that about this timeyou will pass through many perilous adventures, but you are destined toescape any dangers that threaten you. You will gain honour and renown,and come to fortune through a marriage. There are other things in yourcareer that are uncertain, since I cannot tell at what date they arelikely to occur and whether the planets that were favourable at yourbirth may again be in the ascendant; but, for as much as I have told you,I have no doubt whatever."
"I thank you for the trouble that you have taken, Count Montepone," forGuy had now learned the rank that the Italian held in his own country,"and can only trust that your predictions will be verified. I would ratherwin fortune by my own hand than by marriage, though it will not comeamiss."
"Whatever way it may happen, you will be knighted," the astrologist saidgravely, "after a great battle, and by the hand of a sovereign; though bywhom the battle will be fought and who the sovereign may be I cannot say,but methinks that it will be the English king."
"That I can wish more than anything," Guy said warmly. "Fortune is good,but to be knighted by a royal hand would be an honour greater than anyother that could befall me."
"Bear your destiny in mind," the Italian said earnestly, "remember that inmany cases predictions bring about their own fulfilment; and truly I amrejoiced that I have found that the stars point out so prosperous a futurefor you."
Guy was not free from the superstition of the time, and although in hisEnglish home he had seldom heard astrology mentioned, he had found sincehe had been in France that many even of the highest rank had an implicitbelief in it, and he was convinced that at any rate the count himselfbelieved in the power of the stars. He was gratified, therefore, to betold that his future would be prosperous; and, indeed, the predictionswere not so improbable as to excite doubt in themselves. He was already anesquire, and unless he fell in comb
at or otherwise, it was probable thathe would attain the honour of knighthood before many years had passed. Thefact, however, that it was to be bestowed by royal hand added greatly tothe value of the honour. Knighthood was common in those days; it wasbestowed almost as a matter of course upon young men of good birth,especially if they took up the profession of arms. Every noble had some,while not a few had many knights in their service, discharging what wouldnow be the duties of officers when their levies were called out, and theycould themselves bestow the rank upon any man possessing a certain amountof land; but to be knighted by a distinguished leader, or by a sovereign,was a distinction greatly prized, and placed its recipient in quiteanother category to the knights by service. It was a testimony alike ofvalour and of birth, and was a proof that its bearer was a warrior ofdistinction. The prophecy that he would better his fortune by marriageweighed little with him; marriage was a matter that appeared to him atpresent to be a very remote contingency; at the same time it was pleasantto him to be told that his wife would be an heiress, because this wouldplace him above the need of earning his living by his sword, and wouldenable him to follow his sovereign, not as one of the train of a powerfulnoble, but as a free knight.