CHAPTER XLIII.
Sir John Hotham gazed alternately at Lord Beverley, Captain Barecolt,and Mr. Dry, of Longsoaken, with not a little of that irascibilitywhich is common in the complaint from which he was suffering stillevident in his countenance, and ready to fall upon any one who said aword to provoke his wrath. As several of the guard were in the room,Lord Beverley thought it most prudent to remain perfectly silent; andthe governor at length began the conversation by exclaiming, "And whothe devil is this fellow?" At the same time he pointed to Mr. Dry,with no very placable looks.
"I am a poor, God-fearing man, worshipful sir," began the personage ofwhom he spoke; but Captain Barecolt interrupted him before he couldsay more.
"He is von of de greatest rogue in all de Christendom," he said,turning to the governor; "I know he very vell. He sheat de king, hesheat de parliament, he sheat everybody. He be von grand imposture."
"The devil he is!" exclaimed the governor. "Is this true, sir?" And helooked to Lord Beverley for an answer.
"Perfectly, Sir John," replied the earl. "I have heard a good deal ofthis gentleman from various quarters; and I know that he carried off ayoung gentlewoman from her friends, and brought her hither to Hull,with very sinister views indeed."
Mr. Dry held up his hands and showed the whites of his eyes; but thegovernor exclaimed, "Ay, by ----!" and he added a very unsanctifiedoath: "I recollect the scoundrel now. He came here two or three daysago; he came here making a great noise about this girl, and asking forwarrants, and I know not what: he declared that she was his ward. Takehim by the ears, fellows, and turn him out of the town. We want nosuch vagabonds amongst us."
"I warn you, worshipful sir; I warn you," cried Mr. Dry while two ofthe guards took him by the arms, "that these are two malignants andprelatic conspirators. Did not false witnesses rise up against----"
"Away with him!" shouted Sir John Hotham before he could finish thesentence; "away with him! and if he continues to bawl, put him in thestocks and let him bawl there."
The soldiers removed Mr. Dry, of Longsoaken, without furtherresistance; for he, like Erasmus, was not of the stuff from which theymake martyrs, and the name of the stocks had a great effect upon him.The governor then directed the rest of the soldiers to quit the room,but to wait in the passage without, adding, "I will examine into thecase of these gentlemen myself."
As soon as the room was clear he turned to the Earl of Beverley,saying, "This is an unfortunate affair, my lord. You see how thingsgo. What can I do?"
"Why, methinks, Sir John," rejoined the earl, approaching thegovernor, and speaking in a whisper, "the only thing for you to do is,to throw open the gates at once to his majesty's forces and declareyour loyalty. A few hours would bring the army hither."
"Impossible! impossible!" cried Hotham aloud, with an impatient look."You know not what you talk of, sir. Everything is changed since youwere here. This place is full of people sent down from the parliament.It will be as much as I can do to get you out safely, and unless myson had given me cause to shut him up, I could not even do that. Hecannot be kept in long, however, for ere noon I shall haveremonstrances enow, and your only safety is in immediate departure.You shall have a new pass without delay, and then the sooner your backis turned on Hull the better."
"But what shall I say to the king?" demanded the earl, willing tomake one more effort for the grand object of his coming; "he fullyexpects----"
"Expects what cannot be done!" exclaimed the governor, impatiently."Give my humble duty to his majesty, and say I will lose noopportunity to do him service, but that I am no longer master in Hull.Tell him he had better withdraw his troops as soon as may be, for ifthey come before the walls the cannon must be fired on them, which Iwould fain avoid. But say, sir--say that my heart is with him, andthat it is against my will I close the gates."
As he spoke, he drew the inkstand closer, and wrote a fresh pass forthe earl, looking up and adding, "But I will send people with you tosee you clear of the gates. On my life, I scarce know what contemptthese men will show to my orders; and as likely as not that they wouldstop you and hang you in the streets if you had not a guard."
"Begar, den, de sooner we vish them good morning de better!" criedCaptain Barecolt.
"But, Sir John, there is another matter," said Lord Beverley, as thegovernor put his signature to the paper. "You have here in bonds myfriend and the king's faithful servant, Colonel Ashburnham. I dobeseech you, for my sake, and for your loyalty's sake, set him freealso."
"Nay, I know not how that may be," replied Sir John Hotham: "theparliament have written to my son, I hear, to send him up toWestminster."
"But your son is not governor of Hull," answered the earl "if themandate came to him, not to you, there can be no cause why you shouldknow or recognise it. If you miss this opportunity of sending him awaywith us, you may regret it when you have no longer the power to showsuch an act of courtesy."
"True, true!" replied Sir John Hotham: "I have promised him hisfreedom, and he shall have it, if the devil himself keep the gates.Stay here a minute--stay here!" and rising from his chair he limpedaway, and left Captain Barecolt and the earl alone in the hall.
A few minutes passed in explanations between the two Cavaliers; butthen they began to be somewhat impatient for the governor's return, asthey were but too well aware that their situation was still full ofdanger and difficulty. Minute after minute passed, however, withouthis coming; and a considerable degree of noise in the house, themoving about of many feet, and a good deal of bustle and confusion,did not tend to quiet their apprehensions.
"By heaven, my lord!" cried Barecolt, at length, "I fear your lordshiphas gone farther than that worthy gentleman of old times whosacrificed himself for his friend; for I've a great notion that youhave sacrificed me also for this good colonel, who was the originalcause of all our mishap. I would have let him take his chance and getout as he could."
But, while the renowned captain was thus remonstrating, the door againopened and Sir John Hotham reappeared, followed by Colonel Ashburnham."Quick, quick!" cried the governor, "you must lose no more time, butall get away together. Here is already a deputation to remonstrate,but I have shut the fellows up in a room above, and they shall waitlong enough before they see me."
"But we must provide a horse for my good friend here," said LordBeverley, who was shaking Ashburnham by the hand.
"That's all done, that's all done!" said Sir John Hotham: "his horseand yours are both waiting in the court, and a party of men to see yousafe out of the town, and to ensure that you speak with no one as yougo. We must treat you as enemies, my lord, though we could wish youwere friends."
"But my horse!" cried the renowned Captain Barecolt: "I have left himat the inn."
This intelligence somewhat discomposed Sir John Hotham; but it was atlength determined that Barecolt should have a fresh pass made out inhis own name, and should be left with this security, to find his wayout of Hull as best he might; and the whole party, issuing forth intothe court, left Sir John Hotham to account for his conduct, in thematter of their liberation, to the partisans of the parliament in thetown. In taking leave of him, also, we need only remind the readerthat these very events, not long afterwards, brought his head to theblock.