The King's Esquires; Or, The Jewel of France

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWELVE.

  A WELL-MEANT WARNING.

  Saint Simon glanced in the direction indicated, to see across the yardthe King standing at the open doorway, talking, and evidentlyquestioning their hostess, who was pointing towards the stable where theyoung men were.

  "Now for a storm, Denis, boy, with plenty of royal thunder, and flashesof lightning from his kingly eyes. Bah! How hard it is to forget hisrank! How are you now?"

  "Oh, better. The sight of--the Comte seems to string me up."

  "Come on, then, to make our excuses for the breach of duty, and take ourthree witnesses to back our words."

  The young men led the chargers out through the low doorway into the yardand began crossing to where the King was drawing himself up with a sternlook upon his countenance, his right hand upon his hip, his left uponhis sword-hilt, which he kept on pressing down and elevating andlowering the long thin blade behind him, the afternoon sun throwing itout in a long dark streak from his shadow, giving him the effect of somemonster wagging its wiry tail.

  The hostess was still there, drawing back a little into the shadow ofthe comparatively dark doorway, a mingling of curiosity and sympathydetaining her to hear how her offending guests would fare.

  She had not long to wait, for as the young men came up with the horses'hoofs clattering upon the paved way, "Now, gentlemen," was growledforth, "why am I left like this? And by whose orders have you broughtforth those steeds?"

  "What!" thundered the King fiercely, after hearing a brief narration ofhis followers' adventure; and turning to their hostess, who heard everyword and stood loaning forward with agitated face and clasped hands,"And so, madam, you call this the safety of your inn! This, then, isthe meaning of that warning paper which you have disavowed. Gentlemen,we seem to have settled in a nest of thieves. Have your valises placedat your saddles. I thank you for the way in which you have saved usfrom disaster at the beginning of our journey. We will ride on atonce."

  "Oh," ejaculated the hostess, "that it should come to this!" Andceasing to wring her hands she ran out past them and crossed the yard tothe open stable-door, disappeared for just long enough to verify theyoung men's words by a sight of the sleeping grooms, and then camerunning back to where her guests were making preparations to continuetheir journey.

  "Oh, my lord," she cried, "it is a disgrace and shame to my house thatall this should have taken place. I pray your forgiveness."

  "Indeed, madam!" said the King haughtily. "Tell my gentlemen there whatthere is to pay, and spare your words."

  "But, my lord--"

  "Silence, madam! I have spoken. Gentlemen--"

  "But, my lord," she interrupted, "I will have trusty strong men to watchthe stables and the house all night. This was the work of a stranger--some horse-thief from afar. It cannot occur again."

  The King waved his hand, and turned to his followers.

  "Gentlemen, you will not leave those horses a moment. Finish thepreparations. Pay this woman, Saint Simon, and come and tell me whenall is ready for the start."

  Then turning his back upon the hostess, he strode into the house, fumingwith rage and glowering fiercely at the group of servants whom hepassed.

  "Oh, woe is me!" sobbed the landlady, wringing her hands. "That thisgreat misfortune should happen to such a noble lord as this! And thisgallant boy too, hurt as he is! No, no, sir," she cried pettishly toSaint Simon, who approached her, purse in hand; "don't talk to me aboutmoney. I am thinking of the honour of my house. There, there," shecried, lowering her tone; and she caught Denis by the doublet and signedto his friend to come closer. "Your lord is angry," she said, "and hehas just cause; but you two must speak to him and try to calm his wrath.I have made all preparations for his staying here to-night, and believeme, everything is safe. I will have trusty friends in, and not a soulhere but you shall close an eye. You must sleep here to-night."

  "Must, madam?" said Denis, forgetting his own sufferings in somethinglike amusement at his hostess's pertinacity. "There is no must with ourlord."

  "Don't say that, my child," cried the woman anxiously. "He must giveway to-night. I can see with a mother's eye that you are not fit tomount your horse. You are hurt, and need rest. Go to him and persuadehim that he must stay."

  "Madam, it is impossible," said Denis; "and leave me, please. You heardour lord's commands. We have our preparations to make."

  As he spoke Denis glanced at Saint Simon, who had waved back a man whocame to help, and was examining their horses' girths himself. Then,turning his eyes towards the doorway, he caught sight of the Kingreturning, unnoticed by the landlady, who clutched at Denis's doubletagain, and continued in a low, excited voice:

  "You do not know, my child. Before long it will be dark."

  "There will be a moon nearly at the full, madam," said Denis.

  "Oh yes, yes, sir; if it is not clouded over; but the road from heretowards London is through the forest and overhung with trees and--and,"she added, in a whisper, "it is not safe."

  "We have our swords, madam," said the youth; but he winced as he spoke,for his right arm seemed to give him a sudden warning twinge of hisinability to use his weapon. "What do you mean about the road not beingsafe?"

  The woman drew herself closer to him, and her ruddy buxom face becameblotched with white.

  "Bad men," she whispered. "Robbers and murderers have a stronghold inthe forest, from which they come out to lay wait for rich travellers."

  "Are they mounted men?" said Denis, as the King slowly drew nearer.

  "Yes," she said, "with the best of horses."

  "And do they steal horses too?"

  "Oh yes," she whispered, with a shudder.

  "Then that man who watched us here was one of them, was he not?" criedDenis excitedly.

  The woman's jaw dropped, and the whiteness in her countenance increased.

  "You saw that man, and you know!" cried Denis excitedly again.

  The woman closed her lips and seemed to press them tightly together, asshe said in a strange voice:

  "You will be advised by me, and stay here, where you will be safe. Icannot--I will not--let you go."

  "Indeed!" said the King fiercely, and the woman started as she realisedthat her guest had heard her words.

  "Back into your own place, madam," continued the King. "I allow no oneto tamper with my servants."

  The woman shrank trembling back, for there was that in her guest'smanner which she felt she must obey; and with her hands clasped to herbreast as if to restrain her emotion, she went slowly into the house,the King watching her, till she turned her head, started on encounteringhis eyes, and then disappeared.

  "There, it's plain enough, gentlemen. This woman is in league with aband of the rogues."

  "I think not, sir," said Denis quickly. "I think she is honest, and hertrouble real."

  "Indeed?" said the King mockingly. "Wait till you have a few more yearsover your head, boy, before you attempt to give counsel to one who isused to judge mankind. Foolish boy! Can't you see that it is part ofher work to trap travellers into staying at her house? Why, I believeif we rested here we should be plunged into a long deep sleep, and onefrom which we should never wake. Now, Saint Simon, you ought to havefinished. I want to mount and go."

  "The horses are ready, my lord," said the young man quickly.

  "But you have not paid the woman."

  "I offered her ample, sir, and she refused it."

  "Bah! Leave that to me," said the King haughtily. "But what about you,Denis, boy? Don't tell me that you are too bad to mount, and force meto stay in this vile nest of thieves."

  "No, sir. If Saint Simon will help me to mount, I'll manage to ride thelong night through; but I fear if there is need that I could not fight."

  The King hesitated, and stood striking his two stout riding glovestwisted together sharply in his left hand.

  "Yes, you look hurt, boy. Perhaps it will be better that we shouldstay. We co
uld hold one room, unless they burnt us out, and take turnand turn to watch."

  "Oh no, sir; I am well enough to go," cried the lad. "Here, SaintSimon, give me a leg up. I am better now, and shall feel easier stillwhen in the saddle."

  "Keep back, Saint Simon!" said the King. "Let me be the judge of that.Here, your foot, boy? Do you hear me, sir? Quick!"

  The lad raised his foot as the King impatiently clasped his handsstirrup fashion and raised the young horseman smartly, so that he flunghis right leg over and dropped lightly into the saddle.

  "Well," continued the King, as he watched his young esquire keenly, "canyou sit there, or are you going to swoon?"

  The boy smiled scornfully, and the King gave him an encouraging nod.

  "You will do," he said, "and if you cannot use your arm you will be ableto ride between us if we are attacked and charge the scoundrels when wemake them run. Mount, Saint Simon. Have we left aught behind?"

  "No, sir," replied the young man, and he hesitated a moment to let theKing be first in the saddle; but an angry gesture made him spring intohis seat, urge his charger forward, and hold the bridle till his masterwas mounted, pressed his horse's sides, and then reined up shortly inthe great entry of the inn, level with the door at which the hostess wasstanding, pale and troubled, and backed up by the servants of the place.

  "Here, woman," cried the King, drawing his hand from his pouch; "holdout your apron. Quick! Don't stand staring there."

  The words were uttered in so imperious a tone that the womaninvoluntarily obeyed, and half-a-dozen gold pieces fell into her stiffwhite garment with a pleasant chink.

  The next minute, in answer to a touch of the spur, the horses wentclattering through the entry out into the main street, the noise theymade arousing the two hostlers from their sleep to come yawning andstaring to the open stable-door, while the hostess stepped out into theentry and hurried to the front with hand clasped in hand.

  "Oh, that gallant boy," she muttered, with her face all drawn. "If Ihad only dared to tell them more plainly! But they would have marked meif I had, and it is as much as my life is worth to speak. Why does notour King put an end to these roving bands who keep us all in a state ofterror and make us slaves?"