*IV*
At fall of night I was led upstairs again to the small chamber wherein Ihad made my change of clothes. The door was locked and barred upon me,and by divers faint noises that I heard I knew that sentinels were setwithout to guard me. Being wondrous fatigued I slept very soundly, andwas awakened only when a sunbeam falling athwart my bed struck upon myeyes. I rose up, and all being silent, made a more thorough survey of myroom than I had done afore. 'Twas by measurement of my paces not aboveten feet square, and had a single window, not closed with glass, lookingupon the lake forty or fifty feet beneath. The wall was thick, and thewindow was splayed inwards, being upwards of an ell in breadth on theinner side, but no more than three spans on the outer; and here 'twasdivided in twain from top to bottom by a bar of iron, set in thestonework.
This bar I perceived to be deeply rusted, like the iron of theportcullis above the water-gate, and methought I could with a vehementwrench or two force it from its sockets, and so leave a clear space anda way of escape. But when I leant upon the sill and contemplated thewater beneath, of whose depth I was ignorant, I was somewhat mistrustfulof my success if I should attempt so great a dive. My furthermeditation of this matter was hindered by the noise of unlocking andunbarring, and I was seated upon my bed when a man entered, to bid medescend to break my fast in the chamber below.
The second day of my imprisonment was like unto the first, save that myfair chatelaine did not deign to visit me, but sent me greetings by herservitor. At this, without any reason, I was somewhat vexed, havingcounted on seeing her comeliness and hearing the music of her speech. Itook no pleasure in reading of Colin Clout or Astrophel, laying down mybook, and striding about the room in dudgeon. But as I went I ponderedthat matter of escaping by the window, which, though narrow, would letme through, my body having been marvellously thinned by my latesickness. My splash into the water, if 'twere heard by one of myguards, would bring a boat in chase of me ere I could win to the bank,swam I never so strongly. And if by good luck I were neither heard norseen, yet I misdoubted of my safety, for I was in poor health, unarmed,ignorant of the country, and in no case to adventure myself in aguideless journey over those rugged hills, the haunt and lair of maybethousands of the wild Irish, ay, and with a hue and cry ringing behindme. What with these my doubts and fears, and the neglect (as I calledit) of the mistress of the castle, the day lingered out verydiscomfortably, and I went to my bed at odds with myself and all men.
On the next day, after breakfast, my servant Stubbs was admitted to me.He told me that he and my Irishmen were treated very handsomely, thelady of the castle herself visiting them twice a day and inquiring oftheir welfare.
"She's a beauty, sir," said the man heartily.
"And my neck is in a noose," said I, feeling a twinge of jealousy inthat Stubbs had been favoured above me, and I told him of my being ahostage for the life of the maid's father.
"Why, then, the general will have a care that he comes to no harm," saidStubbs, "seeing that an English gentleman is of more value than manymere Irish."
"In his own conceit," said that sweet and tunable voice, and the ladycame into the room, attended as before by her ancient dame of the sourvisage. "Good morrow, Master Rudd."
"Good morrow, Mistress Sheila," said I, shooting a look at her as I mademy bow.
A flush mantled her cheek at this hearing of her name.
"I brook no plots nor complots between you two," said she. "I bade yourservant attend you as a grace, Master Rudd."
"For which you have my hearty thanks, madam," said I. "The conversationof your servitor is a child's babble, and the reading of your booksbreeds only discontent."
"You have but to give your word, and you are free to range this castle,sir," said she.
"'Twould be but to beat my wings against the bars of my cage," said I.
"A bird, quotha!" said she, laughing. "His feathers are ruffled, and hestints his song."
"He has no mate, madam," said I; and after more bandying of words, shedeparted again.
So passed some few days, the while I nursed my strength for the attemptwhereon I was resolved. The lady paid me fitful visits, and I lookedfor them ever more wistfully. Once, when I had not seen her for thirtyhours or more, I dared to read aloud at her entrance, from the book ofMaster Spenser's sonnets upon my knees, the concluding verses--
"Dark is my day, whiles her fair light I miss, And dead my life that wants such lively bliss;"
whereupon she took the book from my hand, averring that such woebegonestuff would but addle my wits. She spoke as one chiding a frowardchild, and I acknowledged to myself that she had dealt tenderly with mypresumption. One day when she came to me I perceived that all was notwell with her. Her bright hue was faded, her eye was sad, and whereasshe was wont to be merry with quips, answering me right saucily, herspirit was now leaden. She heard me in silence, and heaved many a sigh.I guessed that she had received ill news, and by little and little I gotfrom her what it was that so much troubled her. She told me that theO'Neill had been signally worsted, and was withdrawing himself deeperinto his mountain fastnesses. She feared for her father's safety, andthen, with a flash of her old spirit, she struck my table and declaredright vehemently--
"If my father is taken, and suffers what is threatened against him, Ivow, Master Rudd, that you shall dangle from the castle wall, a feastfor kites and crows."
And then she broke into a passion of weeping and fled out of the room.
This news came as a rude shock to the contentment into which I had letmyself be lulled; and fearing lest in the heat of battle Kedagh O'Haganshould come to harm even against the commandment of my general, I sawthat it behoved me, if I would put my neck beyond jeopardy, to slip thenoose at once. I had no manner of doubt that the girl would do even asshe had said, out of duty, though I believed that she held me in nodisfavour in my proper person.
I determined therefore to put my plan in practice in the early part ofthat night, so that, if I should come safe to shore, I might have thehours of darkness to cover my flight. But my design was frustrated bymuch coming and going betwixt the shore and the castle. It was plainthat some enterprise was afoot, and from my little window looking forth,I watched the daylight sink into night without any diminution of thebusy movements below.
But when the small hours crept on, and all around was wrapt in animmense stillness, and a snoring in two several tones proclaimed that myguardians were asleep, I clambered up into the embrasure, and, employingone of the legs of my truckle bed as a lever, with as little noise asmight be, I forced the rusty iron bar from its sockets; which done, Iloosed part of my outer garments, and having made them into a bundlewith my boots, I tore my coverlid into strips and knit them into a cord,and tied my bundle to one end of it. The other end I knotted about thebar, which I laid transversely across the window, and then let down thebundle into the depths towards the lake.
Upon hauling it up I discovered that it was dry, whereby I learnt thatmy rope was not of length sufficient to touch the water, though havingused all my convenient bedding I knew that it could not fall far short.I deemed neither the rope nor the bar stout enough to bear my ownweight, and saw that I must needs dive into the lake, and take mychance. Accordingly I turned myself sideways, and so contrived tosqueeze my shoulders through the narrow opening, not without fear lest Ishould lose my balance, and topple down in a heap without theopportunity of poising for the clean dive that would best ensure mysafety and cause the least noise.
Having let down my bundle again, I was now able to see (for the summersky had some luminancy) that it came within a little of the water. As Icrouched there upon the sill I was in no little tremor and dread, for ifthere should be a watchman upon the keep, as was most like, he wouldscarce but hear the splash I should make. I stretched my ears for soundswithin and without, below and above, and when all was yet silent Igathered myself together, and without poising, for which there was noroom, I lifted mys
elf on a sudden, and extending my arms above me madethe best shift I could for the dive.
'Twas as though I hurled myself upon stone, so mighty was the shock ofmy entering the water. Methought in my confusion of wits 'twas an agebefore I came to the surface, gasping for my breath. In a daze I trodwater until my senses were some little restored; then, hearkening withall my ears, but hearing nought, I swam close beneath the wall, until Ifound my bundle dangling, and thereupon tugging upon the cord I snappedit, and set the bundle upon my head. There I held it with one hand,while with the other I struck out towards the shore; at which arriving Iscrambled up the bank, and sped away as fleetly as I might to theshelter of a copse hard by. Here, all winded as I was with swiftrunning after my dive and swim, I made short work of stripping off mywet clothes, and donning the dry raiment and the boots which I hadbrought in my bundle; which done, I wrung out my sodden things, tiedthem about my back with the cord, and making a cast as well as I couldfor the English fort I had lately left, I turned my back upon the lakeand the castle, and issued forth from among the trees to plod over thoseunknown barren hills.