CHAPTER XVII.
About the hour of ten, on the morning following the day of which wehave just been speaking, Simon de Montfort sat alone at a small tablein a room adjoining that which he used as a council chamber. Manifoldpapers and parchments were before him, and a rude map of England, suchas the geographical skill of that day enabled men to produce, layunderneath his large powerful hand, with the forefinger resting uponthe word, Gloucester. His brow was heavy and his teeth were set; and hefixed his eyes--we cannot call it vacantly, for they were full ofexpression, though without sight--upon the opposite wall of the room,while his right hand ran slowly up and down the hilt of his heavysword.
"Care," he said--"continual care! thought, and anxiety, andstrife!--Oh, life, life! the gilded bubble--how is it that man clingsto thee so fondly!--Who would not gladly be waked from an unpleasantdream? and yet how troublous is this sad dream of human existence,which we are so loath to lose? Some five or six years in early youth,when fancy, passion, and inexperience forbid us to think, and teach usonly to enjoy, may have a portion of chequered brightness; but therest, alas! has its care for every day, and its anxiety for every hour.It is a weary place, this world to dwell in, and life but a grim anddiscontented tenant of the house!"
He paused, and looked at the papers again, but it seemed difficult forhim to fix his mind upon them. "It is strange," he continued--"I am notoften thus; but I feel as if all things were passing away from me. Canit be, that sometimes the spirit has an indication of coming fate, frombeings that we see not?--It may be so--but it is weak to give way tosuch thoughts. It is with human actions and endeavours that we have nowto do. Ho! without there!--Does any one wait?" he continued, addressinga servant who appeared at his call.
"The constable of the guard of the west court, my lord," replied theattendant; "he has something to report."
"Send him, in," said the Earl of Leicester; "and dispatch a messengerto the Earl of Ashby, with many courteous greetings, to say that I amready to receive him when it suits his pleasure: the same to the Earlof Monthermer and the lord Hugh.--Now, constable, what have you to tellme?"
The servant had beckoned in from the door where he stood, a sturdysoldier, clad in full armour, except the casque; and the latter nowreplied to Leicester's question--
"You told me, my lord, that the pass was withdrawn from Sir Richard deAshby, and that he was no more to have access either to the King or thePrince."
"I said, moreover," answered Leicester, "that he was to quit Hereford.Is he not gone?"
"He may be now, my lord," replied the soldier, "but last night I foundhim several times lingering about the castle."
"If you find him any more, arrest him on the spot," cried De Montfort,hastily. "Methinks the man is a traitor. I sent him hence for his good;if he come back, evil shall overtake him."
He spoke evidently with considerable irritation, which the Great Earlof Leicester, as he was generally called, was seldom, if ever, known todisplay. Impetuous he certainly had been in his early youth; and prideand sternness had been faults of his years; but excitement upontrifling occasions was so foreign to his character, that the constableof the guard, as he retired from his presence, muttered--"Somethingmust have gone very wrong with the Great Earl; I never saw him sobefore."
When the officer had departed, Simon de Montfort rose, and took two orthree turns up and down the room, murmuring to himself--"Each pettyknave dares to disobey me; but I doubt these Ashbys; they are none ofthem stern and steadfast in the cause of right. This conference withGloucester, on pretence of being stopped by his troops--'tisrank,--'tis evident. But we shall soon hear more. Here they come, Isuppose:" and opening the door into the council-room, he walked slowlyto the head of the table, while the old Earl of Monthermer advanced tomeet him, and Hugh lingered for a moment at the opposite side reading anote which seemed to have been just put into his hands.
"Public or private?" asked De Montfort, looking upon his young friendwith a smile.
"Private, my lord," answered Hugh--"at least it is marked so; andthough I have some doubt of the honesty of the writer, I will keep itprivate--at least for the present."
The Earl was about to reply; but at that moment the jingling step ofAlured de Ashby was heard in the stone corridor at the top of thestairs; and after a brief pause he followed, his father into thecouncil chamber.
"Welcome, my Lord of Ashby," said De Montfort, advancing, and takingthe Earl's hand. "I am right glad to see you here; and welcome, too,Lord Alured. I fear that you have passed through some perils, and metwith somewhat rough treatment on your road hither?"
"Perils, my lord, I may have passed through," answered Alured, "butrough treatment I have none to complain of. The noble Earl ofGloucester treated me with more courtesy than I had a right to expect;and, as you see, suffered me to proceed, to join your lordship."
De Montfort strove in vain to prevent his brow from gathering into aheavy frown; and he replied, with a bitter smile--"Doubtless the Earlis wise."
In the meanwhile the Earl of Ashby had been greeting cordially theMonthermer and his nephew; and the sight of their mutual courtesies,which was in no way pleasant to Alured de Ashby, prevented him, in allprobability, from making a rash reply to the Earl of Leicester.
"Well, sir," he said, not noticing the words of De Montfort, butturning sharply to Hugh, "you informed me, some time ago, that thecause of my sister's being carried off and detained by some rudecountry people, or forest outlaws, would be explained to my good fatherhere. Pray let us hear it in this noble presence! I am as curious as awoman."
"Tush, Alured!" cried his father; "you are an impatient, irritable boy.First let me render thanks to our young friend, for his gallant,well-conducted search after our dear Lucy, and for restoring her to usso soon."
"Whatever thanks he has merited, my lord," replied Alured, "I am rightwilling to pay; but first I wish to hear the full extent of his greatdeservings, lest my gratitude should overwhelm me. Luckily, however,there is a small deduction to be made, for having even at this earlyhour, brought an unjust charge against our kinsman Richard, and rouseddark suspicions of him in the breast of this noble Earl."
"I fear, my young friend," said the old Lord of Monthermer, in a calmand kindly tone, "that the gratitude which seems to sit so heavy uponyou--if there prove any cause for gratitude at all, which I doubt--cansuffer no diminution on the account you would place against it. Thecharge against your kinsman was made by me, not Hugh. I neitherconcealed any part of the suspicion, nor aggravated it in the least;but merely told noble De Montfort that which we all know, and whichbehoved him to be acquainted with, when he was trusting daily nearPrince Edward a person of whom even your father must entertain gravedoubts."
"No--no! not so, my lord!" cried the Earl of Ashby, "my doubts havebeen dispelled."
Some farther conversation, of a menacing character, took place, the oldLord of Monthermer showing himself desirous of soothing the two Lordsof Ashby, but Alured evidently striving to drive the matter to apersonal quarrel.
It is no easy task, with a companion so disposed, to avoidadministering some occasion of offence; and although Hugh deMonthermer, in his love for Lucy, found every motive for avoiding abreach with her brother, yet there was a point of endurance beyondwhich even that inducement could not carry him.
"Well--well, Lord Alured," he said, at length, "it is clear to me, andmust be clear to all, what is your object now. You have never forgottenancient feuds, though we all agreed to cast them aside for ever. Iwould do all that is honourable and just, to maintain and strengthenevery kindly feeling between our two houses, but even the desire of sodoing shall not induce me to swerve from what I consider right. Ibelieve Richard de Ashby to be a false traitor, unworthy of the name hebears; for your noble race, whatever side it has taken, has neverproduced such a one before."
"And I maintain him honest and true," replied Alured, "and will upholdit at----"
He was going to add, the spear's point; but
his father stopped him,exclaiming--"Hush--hush! no violence! Hear what Lord Hugh would say."
"At all events," said De Montfort, "have some respect, sir, for thosein whose presence you speak."
Alured de Ashby bit his lip, but made no reply, and Hugh de Monthermerturned with a glowing cheek to the Earl of Ashby, inquiring--"My lord,have you heard from your daughter, in whose hands I found her?"
"I have not seen her," replied the Earl--"I have not yet seen her. Thiscity is so full of troops and armed men, that Alured judged it betterto leave her at a place a short distance hence, between this andGloucester. But Alured has told me what she told him."
"Well then, my lord," continued Hugh, "I have but to add, that the menin whose hands she was, and against whom I could bring no forcesufficient to set her free, agreed to liberate her on condition that Irequested you, by your honour and high name, to compel your kinsman,Richard de Ashby, to restore the unhappy girl he carried off, when weall met in Barnesdale, to the house of her father, John Greenly, and tomake him pay such dowry, on her entering a convent, as may punish himand ensure her reception. It was as a hostage for her return that theyseized your daughter; and it was only upon this condition that they sether free."
"May I know," demanded Alured de Ashby, assuming a sweet andceremonious tone, which contrasted strangely with the workings of angerand pride in his face--"may I know, fair sir, whether this demand ismade of my father by these courteous outlaws of Sherwood, or by thenoble Lord Hugh de Monthermer?"
"Hush! Alured, I will have none of this!" exclaimed his father again."You are too violent! Surely I have maintained the dignity of my houseall my days, and can do it without your help. Now, my Lord Hugh, fromwhom comes this demand?"
"It comes, my lord," replied Hugh, "from all those persons who heldyour daughter in their power. To you, my lord, for whom I entertain somuch respect, I bear it unwillingly, and bear it only in the name ofothers; but it is my purpose, I acknowledge, whenever and wheresoever Imeet Richard de Ashby, to demand that and more at his hands."
"Sir!" cried Alured, "there is one here present right willing and readyto put himself in the place of his cousin, and render you every accountof his conduct you can desire."
Hugh turned from him with a look from which he could not altogetherbanish some contempt. "When I find, my lord," he replied, "that Richardde Ashby is lame or impotent, a woman or a monk, I will consent to hisappointing a champion, but not till then. I have no quarrel with you,my lord, and do not intend to have one."
"Methinks, my Lord of Ashby," said De Montfort, who had been speakingfor a moment apart with the old Earl of Monthermer--"methinks thedemand made upon you is but just, let it come from whom it may. Thesemen held your daughter in their power, and they fixed certainconditions, taking it for granted you would execute which, they set thelady free. Those conditions in themselves are fair, if I understand thematter rightly; and it were better far to yield to them, than now todispute the matter, when your daughter has thus attained herliberty.--It would be more honourable, I say."
The colour came up in the old Earl de Ashby's cheek.
"The house of Ashby, my lord," he replied, "permits no one to dictateto it, what is for its honour to do."
"Far less," cried Alured, "will it allow an ancient enemy, presuming onthe forbearance which has already given pardon and forgiveness for manyoffences, to bring false charges against one of its members, and thendictate how its chief is to act!"
"Pardon and forgiveness!" exclaimed Hugh de Monthermer--"false charges!These are strange terms. As to the truth of the accusation, if yourbase kinsman, sir, dares to put forth still the lying pretext that hemade use of when last I saw him, and to lay, upon the same scapegoat,the blame of corresponding with the enemies of the state and ofcarrying off this poor girl, his falsehood now can soon be proved, forshe has been seen with him in this very city."
Alured looked down and bit his lip; and the old Lord of Monthermer,anxious to prevent the house of Ashby from abandoning that cause whichhe conceived to be just and right, interposed in the calm, grave mannerwhich was usual with him, saying--"Do not suppose, my noble friend,that my Lord of Leicester wishes to dictate to you in any degree. It isfair that he should submit for your consideration whether it will notbe more honourable to your family to clear it of the stain which thisman's conduct leaves upon it."
"I can meddle, my lord, with no man's pastimes," said the Earl deAshby, carried away by the example of his son. "Richard de Ashby is notmy page, for me to chastise him, if he plays the fool with a peasant'sdaughter. I cannot meddle in the matter."
"Would your lordship not have meddled," asked De Montfort, sternly, "ifyour daughter's freedom had still depended on it. Methinks you wouldthen have found right soon motives sufficient to interfere, and thatsomewhat vigorously."
"Well, my lord," cried the Earl, in an angry tone,--for where weaknessgoes hand in hand with wrong, wrath is never far behind; "at allevents, it is no affair of yours! This is no public matter, but aprivate business, put upon me by Lord Hugh of Monthermer."
"Nay, my good lord--nay!" exclaimed Hugh, "most unwillingly did Iundertake it; but surely you would not have had me risk your daughter'sliberation, by hesitating to convey to you a mere demand, which,without obtaining her deliverance at all, might have been sent by anyother person."
"And carried by any other, with much more grace than by a pretendedfriend," rejoined Alured de Ashby.
"Young gentleman," said the old Earl of Monthermer, "you have donemischief enough this morning, whether you intended it or not. Do nomore mischief, I beseech you; nor make those part enemies who wouldfain be friends. Your father's answer is given--he will not meddle inthe affair; so let it rest. Hugh has done his duty, and he has had,moreover, the pleasure and the honour of serving and protecting a lady.Whatever more is to be done rests with yourselves."
"Not entirely," replied De Montfort, with a frown; "I have some say inthis business."
"How so, my lord?" demanded the Earl of Ashby, sharply. "I will allowno one--, not the highest in all the laud, to judge for me, as to myprivate conduct."
"You are somewhat hasty, my good lord," said De Montfort, coldly.
"Hasty or not," interrupted Alured de Ashby, eager to widen the breachas far as possible, "my father is right in what he says: and I say yeato him."
"So bold!" said De Montfort, contemptuously; "so very bold for so younga bird! Methinks its wings want clipping, lest it should flee away!"
Alured de Ashby saw that he had gone somewhat too far, and might,perhaps, if he said more, endanger his own liberty. At least, consciousof his own purposes, he so construed the words of the Earl ofLeicester. His haughty spirit, however, would not bow to qualify evenin a degree the rash language he had used, and he remained sullenlysilent, looking down upon the ground, while the great Earl continuedwith his keen grey eyes fixed sternly upon him.
"To end all this," De Montfort went on, "and to conclude a conversationwhich has continued too long, there are other charges against yourkinsman, Earl of Ashby, which cannot exactly be trusted to yourlordship's lenity. They are somewhat more serious than debauching acountry girl; and as it has been proved that he has been seen with thislight-o'-love damsel, who, by his own confession, went off with oneundoubtedly a traitor to these realms, it is strong presumptive proofthat he still has that traitor in his service, or knows more of himthan is befitting. Under these circumstances, I have already orderedhis arrest, should he enter Hereford; and now, moreover, I will havehim sought for, and if he be a traitor, deal with him as such--which Iwill likewise do with all who prove so;" he added, in a marked tone.
"Your lordship is right," said Alured de Ashby; and he muttered betweenhis teeth so low that it could not be heard--"If you can catch them!"
"Now, good morning to you, my lords," continued De Montfort; "at threethis evening we will hold a council, to consider of proclaimingMortimer and others, traitors. We shall expect you all to be present.Come with me, Monthermer--come with me, L
ord Hugh! We will have no highwords upon the stairs."
Lord Ashby and his son turned away, with frowning brows; and, as theydescended to the court-yard, two short sentences were spoken, whichdecided the fate of both. "I know not what may be your purpose, myfather," said Alured, "but my course is determined. I will neither bethe jest of the Monthermers nor the slave of Simon de Montfort!"
"Nor I either, Alured," answered the Earl, in a low tone; and withoutmore comment they mounted their horses, and rode back to the inn.
They had scarcely quitted the court when Hugh de Monthermer appeared init, with a hasty step. One of the small party of armed retainers whohad accompanied him instantly led forwards his horse, and he spranginto the saddle. "Which way did the Earl of Ashby take?" he demanded.
"Through that gate, my lord," replied the man; and, bidding theservants follow him, the young knight was turning towards the otherarchway, when he felt something pull his stirrup, and looking down,beheld the boy Tangel, holding up his long bony hand with many acurious grimace.
"I will speak with thee by and by, Tangel," said Hugh; "I will be backin an hour."
"Ay, by and by is the cat that lapped up all the cream!" cried thedwarf. "By and by wont do, I must speak with you now! I have much tosay!"
"Then you must get a horse, and follow me, Tangel," replied the younglord--"it is already near the hour named. I go up the hill--be quick!"and he put spurs to his horse. The dwarf gazed after him for a minute,murmuring--"He'll be an hour too soon, if he do not mind!" and turnedaway.