CHAPTER XX
HOW I CAME OUT OF MY BONDS AND OF THE TERRORS OF A FIRE AT SEA
The Devil, ever zealous for the undoing of poor Humanity, surelyfindeth no readier ally than the blind and merciless Spirit ofMortified Pride. Thus I, minding the Lady Joan's scornful look and thesting of her soft-spoke words, fell to black and raging fury, and vowedthat since rogue and galley-slave she had named me, rogue she shouldfind me in very truth henceforward if I might but escape my periloussituation.
And now it was that Chance or Fate or the Devil sent me a means wherebyI might put this desperate and most unworthy resolution into practice;for scarce had I uttered this vow when a key turned softly in the lock,the door opened and closed stealthily, and though I could not see (itbeing pitch-dark) I knew that someone stood within a yard of me, andall with scarce a sound and never a word. And when this silence hadendured a while, I spoke sudden and harsh:
"What now? Is it the noose so soon, or a knife sooner?"
I heard a quick-drawn breath, a soft footfall, and a small hand,groping in the dark, touched my cheek and crept thence to my helpless,manacled fist. "Who is it?" I demanded, blenching from the touch, "Whois it? Speak!"
"Hush!" whispered a voice in my ear, "It be only me, master.Jimmy--little Jim as you was good to. Red Andy don't beat me no more,he be afeared o' you. Good to me you was, master, an' so's she--tookme to be her page, she 'ave--"
"Whom d'you mean, boy?"
"I mean Her! Her wi' the beautiful, kind eyes an' little feet! Her assings! Her they calls 'my lady.' Her! Good t' me she is--an' so'syou, so I be come to ye, master."
"Ha--did she send you?"
"No, I just come to save you from being hung to-morrow like they saysyou must."
"And how shall you do this, boy?"
"First wi' this key, master--"
"Stay! Did she give you this key?"
"No, master--I took it!" So, albeit 'twas very dark, the boy very soonhad freed me of my shackles; which done (and all a-quiver with haste)he seizes my hand and tugs at it:
"Come, master!" he whispered, "This way--this way!" So with hislittle, rough hand in mine I suffered him to bring me whither he wouldin the dimness, for not a lanthorn burned anywhere, until at last hehalted me at a ladder propped against a bulkhead and mounting before,bade me follow. Up I climbed forthwith, and so to a narrow trap orscuttle through which I clambered with no little to-do, and foundmyself in a strange place, the roof so low I could barely sit uprightand so strait that I might barely lie out-stretched.
"Lie you here, master!" he whispers, "And for the love o' God don'tspeak nor make a sound!" Saying which, he got him back through thescuttle, closing the trap after him, and I heard the clatter of theladder as he removed it.
Hereupon, lying snug in my hiding-place, I presently became aware of asweetness that breathed upon the air, a fragrance very faint but vastlypleasing, and fell a-wondering what this should be. My speculationswere banished by the opening of a door near by and a light appeared, bywhich I saw myself lying in a narrow space shut off by a valance orcurtain that yet showed a strip of carpet beyond, and all at once uponthis carpet came a little, buckled shoe. I was yet staring on this indumb amaze when a voice spoke softly:
"Are you there, Martin Conisby? Hush, speak low I do command you!"
For answer I dragged myself into the light and stared up at the LadyJoan Brandon.
"Where am I?" I demanded.
"In my cabin," says she, meeting my scowl with eyes serene and alluntroubled. "I had you brought hither to save you--"
"To save me! Ha, you--you to save me--"
"Because you are not man enough to die yet," she went on in her calm,grave voice, "so I will save you alive that haply you may grow moreworthy."
"So 'twas by your orders? The boy lied then!" says I choking with myanger. "'Twas you gave him the key! 'Twas you bade him bring mehither--"
"Where none shall dare seek you!" says she, all unmoved by my bitterrage, "So do I give you life, Martin Conisby, praying God you may findyour manhood one day--"
"Life!" quoth I, getting to my feet, "My life at your hands? Now lookye, madam, rather will I hang unjustly, rather will I endure again theshame of the lash--aye by God's light, rather will I rot in chains orperish of plague than take my life at your hands. So now, madam, I'llout of this perfumed nest and hang if I must!" saying which I turned tothe door, but she checked me with a gesture.
"Stay!" she commanded, "Would you shame me?" And now though shefronted me with proud head erect, I saw her cheek flush painfully.
"Aye, verily!" quoth I, "A lady's honour is delicate ware and not to becheapened by such poor rogue as I! Fear nothing, lady, I will go as--"I stopped all at once, as came footsteps without and a light tapping onthe door.
"Who is it?" she called, lightly enough, and shot the bolt with nimblefingers.
"Only I, sweet coz," answered a gay voice, "And I come but to warn younot to venture on deck to-morrow till justice hath been done upon ourprisoner."
"Shall you--hang him, Rupert?"
"Assuredly! 'Tis a black rogue and merits a worse fate."
"Is he then tried and condemned already, Rupert?"
"Nay, though 'twill be soon done. We have come on such evidence of hisguilt as doth condemn him out of hand."
"What evidence, cousin?"
"His doublet all besmirched with his victim's blood. The man is a verydevil and must hang at dawn. So, Joan, stir not abroad in the morninguntil I come to fetch you. A fair, good night, sweet coz, and sweetdreams attend thee!" And away trips Sir Rupert and leaves us staringon one another, she proud and gracious in all her dainty finery and I avery hang-dog fellow, my worn garments smirched by the grime of my manyhiding-places.
"Was this indeed your doublet?" she questioned at last.
"It was."
"How came it stained with blood?" For answer I shrugged my shouldersand turned away. "Have you nothing to say?"
"Nothing, madam."
"You would have me think you this murderer?"
"I would have you think of me none at all," I answered, and smiled tosee how I had stirred her anger at last.
"Nay," sighs she, "needs must I think of you as the poor, mean thingyou are and pity you accordingly!"
"Howbeit," says I, scowling blacker than ever, "I will get me out ofyour sight--"
"Aye, but the ladder is gone!"
"No matter," says I, "better a broken neck to-night than a nooseto-morrow. To-morrow, aye, the dawn is like to see an end of the feudand the Conisbys both together--"
"And so shameful an end!" says she. At this, I turned my back on her,for anger was very strong in me. So, nothing speaking, I got to myknees that I might come at the trap beneath her berth; but next momentI was on my feet glaring round for some weapon to my defence, for onthe air was sudden wild tumult and hubbub, a running of feet andconfused shouting that waxed ever louder. Then, as I listened, I knewit was not me they hunted, for now was the shrill braying of a trumpetand the loud throbbing of a drum:
"Martin--O Martin Conisby!" She stood with hands clasped and eyes widein a dreadful expectancy, "What is it?" she panted, "O what is it?Hark--what do they cry!"
Rigid and motionless we stood to listen; then every other emotion was'whelmed and lost in sudden, paralysing fear as, above the tramplingrush of feet, above the shrill blast of tucket and rolling of drum wecaught the awful word "Fire!"
"Now God help us all!" cries she, wringing her hands; then sinking toher knees, she leaned, half-swooning, against the door, yet I saw herpallid lips moving in passionate supplication.
As for me (my first panic over) I sat me on her bed revolving how Imight turn the general confusion to the preservation of my life. Inthis I was suddenly aroused by my lady's hand on my bowed shoulder.
"Hark!" cries she, "Hark where they cry for aid!"
"Why so they do," says I. "And so they may!"
"Then come, let us out. You are a stron
g man, you will help to savethe ship."
"And hang thereafter? Not I, madam!"
"Will you do nothing?" cried she, clenching her hands.
"Verily, madam. I shall do my earnest endeavour to preserve this poorrogue's body o' mine from noose and flame. But as for the ship--let itburn, say I."
"Spoke like a very coward!" says she in bitter scorn. "And a coward isselfish always." So saying she crossed to the door and reached herhand to the bolt; but in a leap I was beside her and caught this hand,'prisoning it there:
"Hark'ee, madam!" quoth I, "You tell me that to hang is a shamefuldeath, and the noose as good as round my neck. But, before God, madam,I'll see this ship go up in flame and perish with it ere that nooseshall strangle the life out of me and my wrongs unavenged. So the shipmay burn an it will. Meantime do you seek your salvation and leave meto seek mine!" Then opening the door I stood aside to give her way;instead she stood a moment looking on me great-eyed:
"O blind!" says she at last, "To treasure life for your wickedvengeance! O blind, blind!" Then, and very suddenly she sped out andaway.
Left alone I stood hearkening to the distant uproar and casting aboutin my mind how best I might contrive my preservation. And now in mydesperate need it seemed there was but one hope for me and this butslender, viz., to steal myself up to Adam's lodgment under the poop andthat as soon as might be. To this end I stepped forth of the cabin andso into a narrow passage-way with divers doors to right and left thatopened upon other cabins, in one of which I espied a cloak andfeathered hat lying where their owner had dropped them; whipping thecloak about me I clapped on the hat and, staying for no more, hasted onbreathing an air acrid with drifting smoke. Reaching a broad stairwayI climbed at speed and found myself out upon the lofty poop, whence Imight look down on the decks through a haze of smoke that poured upthrough the after hatchway, mounting in billowy wreaths against thesplendour of the moon. Here it seemed was gathered the whole ship'scompany with mighty stir and to-do, and none with eyes to spare for me.Howbeit, I stayed for no second glance, but running to Adam's cabin,found the door unlocked, the which I closed and bolted after me, in thedoing of which I noticed (to my comfort) that this door was mightythick and strong and in it moreover a loophole newly cut, with othersin the bulkheads to right and left and all very neatly plugged fromwithin; and what with this and the musquetoons that stood in racks veryorderly, the place, small though it was, had all the virtues of a fortor citadel. Here then, so far as might be, I was safe whateverchanced, since I had but to lift the trap in the floor and descend intothe roundhouse below, whence I might gain the stern-gallery and so thesea itself. And now, laying by the hat and cloak I cast myself onAdam's bed and there outstretched in great content, hearkened to thedistant voices and tramp of feet where they laboured to put out thefire.
Little by little these sounds became merged with the droning of thewind and the never-ceasing surge and hiss of the seas; lulled by thisand the sense of my comparative safety, I presently fell a-slumbering.And sleeping thus, dreamed myself young again and playing with thechild Damaris, thrilling to the clasp of her little, childish hands,joying in the tones of her clear, sweet child voice--she that grown upI knew for none other than Joan Brandon.