By order of the company

by Mary Johnston

  CHAPTER IX

  In which Two Drink of One Cup

  Waiting for us in the doorway we found Master Jeremy Sparrow, relievedof his battered armour, his face wreathed with hospitable smiles, and aposy in his hand.

  "When the Spaniard turned out to be only the King's minion, I slippedaway to see that all was in order," he said genially. "Here are roses,madam, that you are not to treat as you did those others."

  She took them from him with a smile, and we went into the house to findthree fair large rooms, something bare of furnishing, but clean andsweet, with here and there a bow pot of newly gathered flowers, a dishof wardens on the table, and a cool air laden with the fragrance of thepine blowing through the open window.

  "This is your demesne," quoth the minister. "I have worthy MasterBucke's own chamber upstairs. Ah, good man, I wish he may quicklyrecover his strength and come back to his own, and so relieve me of theburden of all this luxury. I, whom nature meant for an eremite, have nobusiness in kings' chambers such as these."

  His devout faith in his own distaste for soft living, and his longingsafter a hermit's cell, was an edifying spectacle. So was the evidentpride which he took in his domain, the complacence with which hepointed out the shady, well-stocked garden, and the delight with whichhe produced and set upon the table a huge pasty and a flagon of wine.

  "It is a fast day with me," he said. "I may neither eat nor drink untilthe sun goes down. The flesh is a strong giant, very full of pride andlust of living, and the spirit must needs keep watch and ward, seizingevery opportunity to mortify and deject its adversary. Goodwife Allen isstill gaping with the crowd at the fort, and your man and maid have notyet come, but I shall be overhead if you need aught. Mistress Percy mustwant rest after her ride."

  He was gone, leaving us two alone together. She stood opposite me,beside the window, from which she had not moved since entering the room.The colour was still in her cheeks, the light in her eyes, and she stillheld the roses with which Sparrow had heaped her arms. I was moving tothe table.

  "Wait!" she said, and I turned toward her again.

  "Have you no questions to ask?" she demanded.

  I shook my head. "None, madam."

  "I was the King's ward!" she cried.

  I bowed, but spoke no word, though she waited for me.

  "If you will listen," she said at last, proudly, and yet with a pleadingsweetness,--"if you will listen, I will tell you how it was that I--thatI came to wrong you so."

  "I am listening, madam," I replied.

  She stood against the light, the roses pressed to her bosom, her darkeyes upon me, her head held high. "My mother died when I was born; myfather, years ago. I was the King's ward. While the Queen lived she keptme with her,--she loved me, I think; and the King, too, was kind,--wouldhave me sing to him, and would talk to me about witchcraft and theScriptures, and how rebellion to a king is rebellion to God. When I wassixteen, and he tendered me marriage with a Scotch lord, I, who lovedthe gentleman not, never having seen him, prayed the King to take thevalue of my marriage and leave me my freedom. He was so good to me thenthat the Scotch lord was wed elsewhere, and I danced at the wedding witha mind at ease. Time passed, and the King was still my very good lord.Then, one black day, my Lord Carnal came to court, and the King lookedat him oftener than at his Grace of Buckingham. A few months, and mylord's wish was the King's will. To do this new favourite pleasure heforgot his ancient kindness of heart; yea, and he made the law of noaccount. I was his kinswoman, and under my full age; he would give myhand to whom he chose. He chose to give it to my Lord Carnal."

  She broke off, and turned her face from me toward the slant sunshinewithout the window. Thus far she had spoken quietly, with a certainproud patience of voice and bearing; but as she stood there in a silencewhich I did not break, the memory of her wrongs brought the crimson toher cheeks and the anger to her eyes. Suddenly she burst forthpassionately: "The King is the King! What is a subject's will to clashwith his? What weighs a woman's heart against his whim? Little cared hethat my hand held back, grew cold at the touch of that other hand inwhich he would have put it. What matter if my will was against thatmarriage? It was but the will of a girl, and must be broken. All myworld was with the King; I, who stood alone, was but a woman, young anduntaught. Oh, they pressed me sore, they angered me to the very heart!There was not one to fight my battle, to help me in that strait, to showme a better path than that I took. With all my heart, with all my soul,with all my might, I _hate_ that man which that ship brought hereto-day! You know what I did to escape them all, to escape that man. Ifled from England in the dress of my waiting maid and under her name. Icame to Virginia in that guise. I let myself be put up, appraised, criedfor sale, in that meadow yonder, as if I had been indeed the piece ofmerchandise I professed myself. The one man who approached me withrespect I gulled and cheated. I let him, a stranger, give me his name. Ishelter myself now behind his name. I have foisted on him my quarrel. Ihave---- Oh, despise me, if you will! You cannot despise me more than Idespise myself!"

  I stood with my hand upon the table and my eyes studying the shadow ofthe vines upon the floor. All that she said was perfectly true, andyet---- I had a vision of a scarlet and black figure and a dark andbeautiful face. I too hated my Lord Carnal.

  "I do not despise you, madam," I said at last. "What was done two weeksago in the meadow yonder is past recall. Let it rest. What is mine isyours: it's little beside my sword and my name. The one is naturally atmy wife's service; for the other, I have had some pride in keeping ituntarnished. It is now in your keeping as well as my own. I do not fearto leave it there, madam."

  I had spoken with my eyes upon the garden outside the window, but now Ilooked at her, to see that she was trembling in every limb,--tremblingso that I thought she would fall. I hastened to her. "The roses," shesaid,--"the roses are too heavy. Oh, I am tired--and the room goesround."

  I caught her as she fell, and laid her gently upon the floor. There waswater on the table, and I dashed some in her face and moistened herlips; then turned to the door to get woman's help, and ran againstDiccon.

  "I got that bag of bones here at last, sir," he began. "If ever I----"His eyes travelled past me, and he broke off.

  "Don't stand there staring," I ordered. "Go bring the first woman youmeet."

  "Is she dead?" he asked under his breath. "Have you killed her?"

  "Killed her, fool!" I cried. "Have you never seen a woman swoon?"

  "She looks like death," he muttered. "I thought----"

  "You thought!" I exclaimed. "You have too many thoughts. Begone, andcall for help!"

  "Here is Angela," he said sullenly and without offering to move, as,light of foot, soft of voice, ox-eyed and docile, the black womanentered the room. When I saw her upon her knees beside the motionlessfigure, the head pillowed on her arm, her hand busy with the fasteningsabout throat and bosom, her dark face as womanly tender as any Englishmother's bending over her nursling; and when I saw my wife, with alittle moan, creep further into the encircling arms, I was satisfied.

  "Come away!" I said, and, followed by Diccon, went out and shut thedoor.

  My Lord Carnal was never one to let the grass grow beneath his feet. Anhour later came his cartel, borne by no less a personage than theSecretary of the colony.

  I took it from the point of that worthy's rapier. It ran thus: "Sir,--Atwhat hour to-morrow and at what place do you prefer to die? And withwhat weapon shall I kill you?"

  "Captain Percy will give me credit for the profound reluctance withwhich I act in this affair against a gentleman and an officer so high inthe esteem of the colony," said Master Pory, with his hand upon hisheart. "When I tell him that I once fought at Paris in a duel of six onthe same side with my late Lord Carnal, and that when I was last atcourt my Lord Warwick did me the honour to present me to the presentlord, he will see that I could not well refuse when the latter requestedmy aid."

  "Master Pory's disinterestedness is perfectly well known," I said,wit
hout a smile. "If he ever chooses the stronger side, sure he hasstrong reasons for so doing. He will oblige me by telling his principalthat I ever thought sunrise a pleasant hour for dying, and that therecould be no fitter place than the field behind the church, convenient asit is to the graveyard. As for weapons, I have heard that he is a goodswordsman, but I have some little reputation that way myself. If heprefers pistols or daggers, so be it."

  "I think we may assume the sword," said Master Pory.

  I bowed.

  "You'll bring a friend?" he asked.

  "I do not despair of finding one," I answered, "though my second, MasterSecretary, will put himself in some jeopardy."

  "It is _combat a l'outrance_, I believe?"

  "I understand it so."

  "Then we'd better have Bohun. The survivor may need his services."

  "As you please," I replied, "though my man Diccon dresses my scratcheswell enough."

  He bit his lip, but could not hide the twinkle in his eye.

  "You are cocksure," he said. "Curiously enough, so is my lord. There areno further formalities to adjust, I believe? To-morrow at sunrise,behind the church, and with rapiers?"

  "Precisely."

  He slapped his blade back into its sheath. "Then that's over and donewith, for the nonce at least! Sufficient unto the day, etcetera. 'Slife! I'm hot and dry! You've sacked cities, Ralph Percy; now sack methe minister's closet and bring out his sherris. I'll be at charges forthe next communion."

  We sat us down upon the doorstep with a tankard of sack between us, andMaster Pory drank, and drank, and drank again.

  "How's the crop?" he asked. "Martin reports it poorer in quality thanever, but Sir George will have it that it is very Varinas."

  "It's every whit as good as the Spanish," I answered. "You may tell myLord Warwick so, when next you write."

  He laughed. If he was a timeserver and leagued with my Lord Warwick'sfaction in the Company, he was a jovial sinner. Traveller and student,much of a philosopher, more of a wit, and boon companion to any beggarwith a pottle of ale,--while the drink lasted,--we might look askance athis dealings, but we liked his company passing well. If he took half apoor rustic's crop for his fee, he was ready enough to toss him sixpencefor drink money; and if he made the tenants of the lands allotted to hisoffice leave their tobacco uncared for whilst they rowed him on hisinnumerable roving expeditions up creeks and rivers, he at leastlightened their labours with most side-splitting tales, and with bottlesongs learned in a thousand taverns.

  "After to-morrow there'll be more interesting news to write," heannounced. "You're a bold man, Captain Percy."

  He looked at me out of the corners of his little twinkling eyes. I satand smoked in silence.

  "The King begins to dote upon him," he said; "leans on his arm, playswith his hand, touches his cheek. Buckingham stands by, biting his lip,his brow like a thundercloud. You'll find in to-morrow's antagonist,Ralph Percy, as potent a conjurer as your cousin Hotspur found inGlendower. He'll conjure you up the Tower, and a hanging, drawing, andquartering. Who touches the King's favourite had safer touch the King.It's _lese majeste_ you contemplate."

  He lit his pipe and blew out a great cloud of smoke, then burst into aroar of laughter. "My Lord High Admiral may see you through. Zooks!there'll be a raree-show worth the penny, behind the churchto-morrow,--a Percy striving with all his might and main to serve aVilliers! Eureka! There is something new under the sun, despite thePreacher!" He blew out another cloud of smoke. By this the tankard wasempty, and his cheeks were red, his eyes moist, and his laughter veryready.

  "Where's the Lady Jocelyn Leigh?" he asked. "May I not have the honourto kiss her hand before I go?"

  I stared at him. "I do not understand you," I said coldly. "There's nonewithin but Mistress Percy. She is weary, and rests after her journey. Wecame from Weyanoke this morning."

  He shook with laughter. "Ay, ay, brave it out!" he cried. "It's whatevery man Jack of us said you would do! But all's known, man! TheGovernor read the King's letters in full Council an hour ago. She's theLady Jocelyn Leigh; she's a ward of the King's; she and her lands are towed my Lord Carnal!"

  "She was all that," I replied. "Now she's my wife."

  "You'll find that the Court of High Commission will not agree with you."

  My rapier lay across my knees, and I ran my hand down its worn scabbard."Here's one that agrees with me," I said. "And up there is Another," andI lifted my hat.

  He stared. "God and my good sword!" he cried. "A very knightlydependence, but not to be mentioned nowadays in the same breath withgold and the King's favour. Better bend to the storm, man; sing lowwhile it roars past. You can swear that you didn't know her to be offiner weave than dowlas. Oh, they'll call it in some sort a marriage,for the lady's own sake; but they'll find flaws enough to crack athousand such mad matches. The divorce is the thing! There's precedent,you know. A fair lady was parted from a brave man not a thousand yearsago, because a favourite wanted her. True, Frances Howard wanted thefavourite, whilst this beauty of yours----"

  "You will please not couple the name of my wife with the name of thatadulteress!" I interrupted fiercely.

  He started, then cried out somewhat hurriedly: "No offence, no offence!I meant no comparisons; comparisons are odorous, saith Dogberry. All atcourt know the Lady Jocelyn Leigh for a very Britomart, a maid as coldas Dian!"

  I rose, and began to pace up and down the bit of green before the door."Master Pory," I said at last, coming to a stop before him, "if, withoutbreach of faith, you can tell me what was said or done at the Councilto-day anent this matter, you will lay me under an obligation that Ishall not forget."

  He studied the lace on his sleeve in silence for a while, then glancedup at me out of those small, sly, merry eyes. "Why," he answered, "theKing demands that the lady be sent home forthwith, on the ship that gaveus such a turn to-day, in fact, with a couple of women to attend her,and under the protection of the only other passenger of quality, to wit,my Lord Carnal. His Majesty cannot conceive it possible that she hath sofar forgotten her birth, rank, and duty as to have maintained inVirginia this mad masquerade, throwing herself into the arms of anypetty planter or broken adventurer who hath chanced to have an hundredand twenty pounds of filthy tobacco with which to buy him a wife. If shehath been so mad, she is to be sent home none the less, where she willbe tenderly dealt with as one surely in this sole matter under the spellof witchcraft. The ship is to bring home also--and in irons--the man whomarried her. If he swears to have been ignorant of her quality, andplaces no straws in the way of the King's Commissioners, then shall hebe sent honourably back to Virginia with enough in his hand to get himanother wife. _Per contra_, if he erred with open eyes, and if he remaincontumacious, he will have to deal with the King and with the Court ofHigh Commission, to say nothing of the King's favourite. That's the sumand substance, Ralph Percy."

  "Why was my Lord Carnal sent?" I asked.

  "Probably because my Lord Carnal would come. He hath a will, hath myLord, and the King is more indulgent than Eli to those upon whom hedotes. Doubtless, my Lord High Admiral sped him on his way, gave him theKing's best ship, wished him a favourable wind--to hell."

  "I was not ignorant that she was other than she seemed, and I remaincontumacious."

  "Then," he said shamelessly, "you'll forgive me if in public, at least,I forswear your company? You're plague-spotted, Captain Percy, and yourfriends may wish you well, but they must stay at home and burn juniperbefore their own doors."

  "I'll forgive you," I said, "when you've told me what the Governor willdo."

  "Why, there's the rub," he answered. "Yeardley is the most obstinate manof my acquaintance. He who at his first coming, beside a great deal ofworth in his person, brought only his sword, hath grown to be as very aSir Oracle among us as ever I saw. It's 'Sir George says this,' and 'SirGeorge says that,' and so there's an end on't. It's all because of thatleave to cut your own throats in your own way that he brought you lastyear. Sir George an
d Sir Edwyn! Zooks! you had better dub them St.George and St. Edwyn at once, and be done with it. Well, on thisoccasion Sir George stands up and says roundly, with a good round oathto boot: 'The King's commands have always come to us through theCompany. The Company obeys the King; we obey the Company. His Majesty'sdemand (with reverence I speak it) is out of all order. Let the Company,through the treasurer, command us to send Captain Percy home in irons toanswer for this passing strange offence, or to return, willy nilly, thelady who is now surely his wife, and we will have no choice but to obey.Until the Company commands us we will do nothing; nay, we can donothing.' And every one of my fellow Councillors (for myself, I was busywith my pens) saith, 'My opinion, Sir George.' The upshot of it all isthat the _Due Return_ is to sail in two days with our humblerepresentation to his Majesty that though we bow to his lightest word asthe leaf bows to the zephyr, yet we are, in this sole matter, handfast,compelled by his Majesty's own gracious charter to refer our slightestofficial doing to that noble Company which owes its very being to itsrigid adherence to the terms of said charter. Wherefore, if his Majestywill be graciously pleased to command us as usual through the saidCompany--and so on. Of course, not a soul in the Council, or inJamestown, or in Virginia dreams of a duel behind the church at sunriseto-morrow." He knocked the ashes from his pipe, and by degrees got hisfat body up from the doorstep. "So there's a reprieve for you, RalphPercy, unless you kill or are killed to-morrow morning. In the lattercase, the problem's solved; in the former, the best service you can doyourself, and maybe the Company, is to walk out of the world of yourown accord, and that as quickly as possible. Better a cross-roads and astake through a dead heart than a hangman's hands upon a live one."

  "One moment," I said. "Doth my Lord Carnal know of this decision of theGovernor's?"

  "Ay, and a fine passion it put him into. Stormed and swore andthreatened, and put the Governor's back up finely. It seems that hethought to 'bout ship to-morrow, lady and all. He refuseth to go withoutthe lady, and so remaineth in Virginia until he can have his will. Lord!but Buckingham would be a happy man if he were kept here forever and aday! My lord knows what he risks, and he's in as black a humour as everyou saw. But I have striven to drop oil on the troubled waters. 'Mylord,' I told him, 'you have but to possess your soul with patience fora few short weeks, just until the ship the Governor sends can return.Then all must needs be as your lordship wishes. In the meantime you mayfind existence in these wilds and away from that good company which isthe soul of life endurable, and perhaps pleasant. You may have dailysight of the lady who is to become your wife, and that should count formuch with so ardent and determined a lover as your lordship hath shownyourself to be. You may have the pleasure of contemplating your rival'sgrave, if you kill him. If he kills you, you will care the less aboutthe date of the _Santa Teresa's_ sailing. The land, too, hathinducements to offer to a philosophical and contemplative mind such asone whom his Majesty delighteth to honour must needs possess. Besidethese crystal rivers and among these odoriferous woods, my lord, oneescapes much expense, envy, contempt, vanity, and vexation of mind.'"

  The hoary sinner laughed and laughed. When he had gone away, still inhuge enjoyment of his own mirth, I, who had seen small cause for mirth,went slowly indoors. Not a yard from the door, in the shadow of thevines that draped the window, stood the woman who was bringing this fateupon me.

  "I thought that you were in your own room," I said harshly, after amoment of dead silence.

  "I came to the window," she replied. "I listened. I heard all." Shespoke haltingly, through dry lips. Her face was as white as her ruff,but a strange light burned in her eyes, and there was no trembling."This morning you said that all that you had--your name and yoursword--were at my service. You may take them both again, sir. I refusethe aid you offer. Swear what you will, tell them what you please, makeyour peace whilst you may. I will not have your blood upon my soul."

  There was yet wine upon the table. I filled a cup and brought it to her."Drink!" I commanded.

  "I have much of forbearance, much of courtesy, to thank you for," shesaid. "I will remember it when---- Do not think that I shall blameyou----"

  I held the cup to her lips. "Drink!" I repeated. She touched the redwine with her lips. I took it from her and put it to my own. "We drinkof the same cup," I said, with my eyes upon hers, and drained it to thebottom. "I am weary of swords and courts and kings. Let us go into thegarden and watch the minister's bees."