CHAPTER XIV.
JERNINGHAM SEES THE WAY TO HIS DESIRE.
"Stands the wind there, boy? Keep them in that key, The wench is ours before to-morrow day." --_The Merry Devil of Edmonton._
Master Jerningham, upon setting Gregory to dog the steps of Ravenshaw,had made all haste from the Temple Church to Deptford, where he passedthe afternoon in busy superintendence, and where he lay that night. Butwhether at work, or in the vain attitude of sleep, he housed a furnacewithin him, the signs of which about his haggard eyes were terrible tosee, to the experienced observation of Sir Clement Ermsby when thatgentleman greeted him upon the deck of the anchored ship in the morning.
"Death of my life, man! thou hast the look of Bedlam in thy face. Andthou wert formerly the man of rock! The wench is not to be thine, then?"
"She is, or I am to be the devil's!" replied Jerningham.
"But we sail to-morrow. Or do we not?"
"Ay, we sail to-morrow. Is not the bishop to come and bid us Godspeed,and see us lift anchor? But the maid shall sail with us."
"Oho! Without her consent?"
"I cannot wait for that longer. I have been some time coming to thismind; in bed last night I resolved upon my course. Unless my manGregory hath, by some marvel, put the matter forward in the meantime,I will take a band of those Wapping rascals" (he nodded toward some ofhis sailors who were drawing up casks alongside, singing at the work)"to the goldsmith's house to-night, force an upper window, and carryher off, though murder be done to accomplish it. We sail to-morrow; thedeed will not be traced till we are far afloat, if ever."
"'Twill be luck if you get her safe from the house. Will you bring herstraight to the ship, for the bishop to find when he comes to bless ourventure?"
"I am not yet a parish fool. I will take her by boat to Blackwall; theDutchman there will lock her up in his inn over night. To-morrow, whenthe bishop has seen us sail, we shall but round the Isle of Dogs, andthen lay to at Blackwall and fetch the maid. A sleeping draught willmake easy handling of her, and we can bring her aboard in a sack. Thenho for the seas, and the island; we shall set up our own kingdom there,I trow."
"If we might give the bishop the slip, and not tarry for his prayers,you'd be spared trusting the Dutchman."
"Oh, he thrives by keeping secrets; he is a safe, honest rogue. I durstnot give the bishop the slip; he would be so fain to know the reason,he would send post to the warden of the Cinque Ports; and we shouldhave a pinnace alongside as we came into the narrow seas. Especially ashe would have heard of this maid's kidnapping. Such news flies."
"You were not always wont to be so wary; you think of everypossibility."
"I have been warned, in my fortune, of an obstacle at the last hour. Imust be watchful."
"Well, God reward your vigilance, and your enterprise with the wench,"said Sir Clement, lightly. He would face anything, and yet cared littlefor anything, save when a whim possessed him.
Jerningham returned to Winchester House by horse, in good time beforenoon, to see Ravenshaw set out for the Grange, and to receive Gregory'sreport of the captain's doings.
Dismissing the servant who opened the gate at which he arrived,Jerningham tied his horse just within the entrance, and waited. Hewould be much disappointed if the captain came not, for he couldnot help thinking that the success of his project would be the lessuncertain, the farther from London that man should be. If news of themaid's disappearance reached Ravenshaw's ears ere the ship was awaybeyond recall, things might go ill, for Ravenshaw knew whom to suspect.But to the lonely Grange, half-way between main road and river, reachedby a solitary lane that led nowhere else, visited by no one, news neverfound its way. Once lodged there, Ravenshaw would stay till he gave uphope of receiving the further instructions which Jerningham had saidhe would send; and by that time Jerningham and the maid would be farbeyond the swaggering captain's sword and his roar. The only fear wasthat Ravenshaw might have caught Gregory dogging him, and have thrownover the stewardship.
But at length a quick step was heard, there was a tapping at the gate,Jerningham drew it open, and the captain stood before him.
"Well, you have kept your word. Here is the horse."
"A trim beast," quoth Ravenshaw, looking at the animal with approval,and not failing to note the good quality of the saddle.
"He will scarce have a trim rider," said Jerningham, staring atRavenshaw's face and clothing. "You look as if one horse had alreadythrown you. What's the matter?"
"Oh, there has been a riot, which I must needs leave, that I might notbe late with you," said Ravenshaw, carelessly.
The two gazed at each other a moment in silence, as they had done at aformer interview. Jerningham looked for any sign of Ravenshaw's havingdetected Gregory's espionage, and found none. Ravenshaw waited forJerningham to mention Gregory's encounter with him in the goldsmith'sgarden, assuming that Gregory must have reported it the previous night.It was not for Ravenshaw to introduce the subject; so it was notintroduced at all, and the captain mounted the horse.
"You remember all I told you yesterday, no doubt?" said Jerningham."Touching the place you are going to, I mean."
"Yes; I shall find it easily enough. Ay, four o'clock, I know. Andparticular instructions will come in a few days. I can wait forinstructions while provisions last. But one thing--a steward'schain--good gold, look you!"
"It shall be of the best," replied Jerningham, with his strange smile."When it comes," he said to himself, as the captain rode out of thegate.
And the captain was saying to _himself_: "Either his knave has not toldhim, or he counts it of no matter. Ten to one, from his look, he isforging some plot against her; but she will be safe from all plots thistime to-morrow, I think." And he headed his horse for the Canterburyroad.
Jerningham went to his own chamber in Winchester House, a fair roomlooking toward the church of St. Mary Overie. He had not been therea quarter of an hour, when to him came Gregory, dusty and tired, buteager-eyed.
"What news?" inquired the master, with simulated coldness.
"An't please you, sir, I have stuck to his heels since you bade me.Twice they led me to that goldsmith's house."
"Ah! What happened there? Make short telling of it, knave!"
"The first time was last night. The maid talked with him alone in thegarden. I could not hear what they said, until she called him by thename of Holyday."
"A false name. The rascal!--then he has his plot, too!"
"Ay, sir; and, thinking to nip it in the bud, I came forth anddenounced him to her, saying he was Ravenshaw. Belike he spoke of it toyou awhile ago."
"Go on. What did the maid then?"
"She spurned him as he were kennel mud, and he came away like a whippedhound. But I had already given him the slip, to save my skin."
"Troth, then, all betwixt her and him must have come to naught."
"So one would think. And yet--But you must know that I still doggedhim, to carry out your full command. He kept me waiting outside manytaverns, but at last went into a house in Smithfield which I took to behis lodging for the night. Bethinking me of the danger if he chanced tosee me by daylight, I went to a friend of mine in that neighbourhood--ahorse-stealer, if truth must be told--and borrowed a false beard and acountryman's russet coat. In these I followed the man when he set forthat daybreak with his companion, that lean young gentleman you saw withhim in Paul's."
"Oh, fewer words. What hath the lean young gentleman to do--?"
"Much, I trow, an it please you. The end of their going about was,that the lean companion, under some pressure from the captain, went tothe goldsmith's house, while the captain waited behind the cross inCheapside, e'en as I waited at the corner of Milk Street."
Gregory then described the occurrences in front of the goldsmith'sshop. What to think of the fight between Ravenshaw and the scholar, heknew not, whether it marked a falling out between them or was part of aplot. Jerningham was of opinion it was part of a plot. The serving-mantold of Ravenshaw's flig
ht into the shop from the apprentices.
"They that ran after him," he continued, "came out presently, saying hemust have fled by the back way. I pushed through to Friday Street, andsaw the gate indeed open. Methought he would now fain come to you, forshelter and protection; and so I started hither. And lo! at t'other endof London Bridge, whom did I set eyes on but my captain, counting overmoney to another fellow of his own kind, but more scurvy. I kept out ofsight till they parted, and then, while the captain crossed the bridge,I accosted the scurvy fellow and said there was one would deal with himas fairly as the captain had, if he chose."
"Well, well, and what said he?"
"He was for killing me, at first, but the end of it was that he is nowwaiting for a word with you yonder at the bridge. We have seen thecaptain ride away, and all is safe. I took off my beard and russet gownin the lane without, and hid them in the stable." And the faithfulrascal, with bowed head, watched narrowly for the look of approval towhich he felt entitled.
"You have done well, Gregory; and you shall eat, drink, and sleep, topay for your abstinence,--but first come to the bridge and show methis man. And remember, if my Lord Bishop's servants are inquisitive,you lay at Deptford last night, as I did." A few minutes later MasterJerningham was in converse with Cutting Tom at the Southwark end ofLondon Bridge, beneath the gate tower, on top of which was a forest ofpoles crowned with the weatherbeaten heads of traitors.
"Oh, but sell secrets, that is too much!" Cutting Tom was saying, inan injured tone. "A poor soldier hath little but his honour. Belike Iam ill-favoured with wounds, and ragged with poverty through servingmy country, but my honour, sir! my trust! my loyalty! Troth, 'tis mineonly jewel, and if I sold it--well, I should want a good price, andthere's the hell of it!"
But even when a price was fixed, Cutting Tom, dazzled on one side byhis lifetime's chance of obtaining so excellent a patron, on the otherside fearful of Ravenshaw's vengeance, temporised and mumbled and heldback, until Jerningham assured him of protection and of Ravenshaw'slong absence from London. The rascal then told all he knew of what wasplanned to be carried out that night.
Jerningham listened with apparent passivity, though at the last heaverted his eyes lest his exultation should gleam out of them. Here wasall trouble, all desperate and well-nigh impossible venturing, madeneedless on his part. He studied the matter for a minute, and thensaid, musingly:
"His companion and a maid--the White Horse--'tis the nearesttavern--sooth, there can be no question it is she. Look you, sirrah, Imust know to what place they are bound."
"I would I knew. 'Tis somewhere on the Kentish side of the river."
"What, would the rascal dare?--think you 'tis the place he is nowriding to?"
"He said he would be in the neighbourhood of our destination, and hewould come to-morrow to pay and dismiss us."
"If he is to come to you to-morrow, it cannot be to the Grange,--hewill be there already. He knows more of that neighbourhood than hewould have me think; he used the name Holyday--there's a Holyday familyin that country. Well, I know not; but 'tis certain you will be near myhouse of Marshleigh Grange."
A grim smile flitted over Jerningham's face, as he saw anotherdifficulty removed--for he could now dispense with the use of the Dutchinnkeeper at Blackwall, and with the risk of putting his captive aboardfrom so public a place.
"Now mark," said he, while he held Cutting Tom with fixed eyes, "youwill indeed have four men with you when you meet the gentleman and maidat the White Horse; but one of those four shall be a man I will sendthere betimes. You will easily know him; he is the man that brought youto see me. His beard, you must know, is false, and you will warn yourmen; else, detecting it, they might snatch it off in mirth. Withoutdisguise, he would be known to the maid and gentleman,--then ourbusiness were undone. And so, to the journey."
Proceeding, he gave orders full and concise, to which Cutting Tom lentthe best attention of his cunning mind. Then, being curtly dismissed,the rascal, between elation at his great windfall, and perturbation atthe temerity of betraying Captain Ravenshaw, shambled off through thedarkish lane that the rows of high shop-houses made of London Bridge.
Master Jerningham, returning to Winchester House, was rejoined byGregory at the place where the serving-man had waited.
"You have five hours wherein to fill your stomach and sleep; and thenyou must be off upon a night's work that shall make you your own man,if it turn out well."
The zealous hound, a little staggered at the opening words of thisannouncement, took fresh life at its conclusion, and looked withnew-lighted eyes for commands.
Having given these with the utmost particularity, Jerningham presentedhimself, in all docility and humbleness, to the bishop in the latter'sstudy, where he made a careful tale of his readiness for sailing on themorrow.
He then took horse for Deptford; upon arriving, he related his goodfortune, and set forth his new plan to Sir Clement Ermsby, on the deckof the ship.
"But how at the Grange, man, if Ravenshaw be there?" Sir Clement asked.
"I shall go there betimes, and send him straight upon some errand--somethree days' journey that will not wait for daylight."
"He will think it curiously sudden. Besides, if he thinks to meet andpay his men in that neighbourhood to-morrow, he will not be for anythree days' journey to-night."
"Most men will defer paying money, when their interests require. I canbut try sending him."
"And if he refuse to stir? What will you then?"
"Kill him! There will be enough of us, in good sooth."
"Ay, no doubt," acquiesced Sir Clement, carelessly. "Methinks theweather bodes a change," he added, looking at the sky. "It may rainto-night."
"Rain or shine, storm or fair," replied Master Jerningham, his eyesaglow, "I feel it within me, this is the night shall give me mydesire."