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IN DOUBLET AND HOSE
_A STORY FOR GIRLS_
_By_ LUCY FOSTER MADISON
_Author of_ "A Colonial Maid" etc.
_Illustrated by_ CLYDE O. DELAND
The Penn Publishing Company PHILADELPHIA MCMIV
COPYRIGHT 1904 BY THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY
In Doublet and Hose
"_METHINKS THE MAID WILL SERVE OUR PURPOSE WELL_"]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I A QUESTION OF SKILL 7 II THE SOLDIER GUEST 17 III THE PAGE'S DRESS 27 IV ANTHONY BABINGTON 37 V ON THE ROAD TO STAFFORD 48 VI A GLIMPSE OF MARY 56 VII FRANCIS TO THE FRONT 66 VIII THE DELIVERY OF THE LETTERS 75 IX THE COMING OF ELIZABETH 90 X THE QUEEN TAKES OFFENSE 101 XI AT THE QUEEN'S COMMAND 111 XII THE FAVOR OF PRINCES 121 XIII A FAMILIAR FACE AND A CHALLENGE 137 XIV A STRANGE DUEL 149 XV THE STRANGE WEAKNESS OF FRANCIS STAFFORD 160 XVI WHAT CAME OF AN OFFER OF FRIENDSHIP 171 XVII WHAT FRANCIS OVERHEARD 182 XVIII AN ADVENTURE 192 XIX A SHELTER FROM THE STORM 203 XX FRANCIS FINDS A HELPER 213 XXI AN UNLOOKED FOR RECEPTION 223 XXII AS IT FELL OUT 229 XXIII IN THE TOWER OF LONDON 238 XXIV A FRIEND IN NEED 250 XXV A GREAT SORROW BEFALLS FRANCIS 260 XXVI A FELLOW PRISONER 272 XXVII THE ESCAPE 284 XXVIII THE THREE VOLUNTEERS 297 XXIX A BRITOMARTE OF THE ARMADA 304 XXX PARDON AND HAPPINESS 321
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE "METHINKS THE MAID WILL SERVE OUR PURPOSE WELL!" frontispiece QUEEN MARY'S WIT GRASPED THE SITUATION 77 ELIZABETH EXTENDED HER HAND GRACIOUSLY 107 THE TWO WERE DEEP IN THE MYSTERIES OF FENCING 156 SHE GAVE A FAINT GASP 190 "I WILL NOT TELL, SIR FRANCIS" 248 "PULL, PULL FOR YOUR LIFE!" 318
IN DOUBLET AND HOSE
CHAPTER I
A QUESTION OF SKILL
It was June, and the peaceful stillness of a summer's day hung over anancient wood which lay in the heart of the New Forest near the village ofLyndhurst. The wood was a part of a large demesne which had at one timebeen bordered by hedges of yew and holly, but these, having beenuntrimmed for years, had grown into great bushes which in many placeswere choked up by underwood and brambles.
The forest stretched in every direction. Wood after wood rose before theeye, masses of color, the birches hung with softest green, the oak boughsbreaking into amber and olive made doubly bright by the dark gloom of thefirs. Wide-branched oaks were intermingled with beeches and copsewood ofvarious descriptions so closely in some places as to intercept thesunshine. In others the trees receded from each other, forming widevistas that gave glimpses of other recesses of sylvan solitude.
Down the long sunlit glades the gold belted bees sounded their humminghorns through every flowery town of the weald. Gauze-winged dragon-fliesdarted hither and thither while butterflies of every hue sailed by onwings of sheeny bronze. In the bracken wild roses rioted in the richestprofusion; the foxglove blazed like pillars of fire through the shadowyunderwood and the woodbine flaunted its tall head proudly among theleaves. A gentle breeze rustled the fern, and breathed upon the quakinggrass, setting its beautiful spikelets in motion until they seemed likefairy bells rung by elfin fingers. The flutter and hum of the wild thingsserved but to intensify the stillness of the wood.
All at once the deep bass notes of a hound broke upon the air. Louder andlouder grew the baying, and soon from out of the purplish shade of thetrees there dashed a large greyhound followed by a laughing, pantingmaiden.
"Content thee, Echo," she cried flinging herself upon the sward under awide-spreading oak. "I have breath to follow thee no more. Rest until ourgood cousin joins us."
The dog obediently stretched himself by her side, and once more quietreigned in the wold. Presently the maiden sat up with an impatientmovement.
"He tarries long," she said throwing a mass of auburn curls from a broad,low brow. "Marry! I fear that we have done but an ill turn to the goodHugh."
As she spoke the form of an elderly man emerged from the trees andapproached her slowly. He was withered and thin and though but fiftyyears of age seemed much older. His doublet and hose were of some darkstuff and his short cloak was surmounted by a huge ruff, the edges ofwhich almost joined the brim of the small, high, cone-shaped hat whichpartly concealed his gray hair.
"By the mass, Francis! methinks that thou dost grow more unmannerly eachday. Thou art as unthinking as the butterfly, else thou wouldst not haveburdened my fore-wearied flesh with thy bow."
"In sooth, it was but a poor return for thy kindness to leave thee mybow," observed the girl as she hastened to relieve him of the crossbowthat he held. "Thy pardon, Master Hugh. I was intent upon the race andthought not of it. It was a good dash, I promise you."
"Ay! I make no doubt of it," grumbled the old man seating himself. "But'twere meeter for a maiden to embroider, or to play the virginals than toshoot the bow or run with the hounds as thou dost."
"Said I not my Latin well this morning, cousin?" queried Francis. "Dothnot my lady mother instruct me in the tent and cross-stitch each day?Besides doth not even the Queen's Majesty disport herself with the bow?'Tis the fashion, good my master."
"Ay! 'Dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria currunt,'"[A] spoke the oldman sharply.
"Be not angry, cousin, I did but ill in running from thee."
"Marry! let it pass, but I mislike such sturdiness, Francis. Thou hastled me a sorry chase and we are far from the Hall. If I mistake not, weare even now in Sanborne Park and that, thou knowest, is trespass."
"Nay, cousin; not unless we kill some of the red deer with which itabounds, and that we have not done--yet," spoke the maiden demurely.
"The thought of such a thing should not be entertained by the daughter ofLord William Stafford. Thou durst not think it, Francis."
"Durst not?" laughed Francis teasingly. "Should one stray in our path Iwill show thee what I durst."
"Boast not, girl. It bespeaks ill for thy breeding. Thou art too prone tovaunt thy skill in shooting. Not so was that flower of womanhood, theLady Jane Grey. Once," and the tutor spoke warmly for this was a favoritetheme, "once it was my good hap to pass some time at Broadgate, herfather's seat in Leicestershire, and never have I seen her like for loveof learning. Greek, Latin, French and Italian spoke she as well as herown tongue. Some knowledge had she also of Hebrew, Chaldee and Arabic.She loved not such idle sport as the chase. Would that thou wert likeher."
"Out upon thee for so evil a wish," chided Francis, but there was a merrytwinkle in her eye that softened the harshness of her tone. "Wouldst haveme beheaded? Yet it may be that I am such a dullard that thou dost wishthat I should meet with a like fate."
"Nay, child! Thou knowest better." The face of the old man softenedinvoluntarily as he gaz
ed into the laughing countenance of the girlbefore him.
Her head was crowned by a mass of red gold hair which, guiltless ofcrisping or curling pins, fell in ringlets over her shoulders; hercomplexion was of creamy fairness; her features regular, her eyes darkand luminous; her whole expression full of winsomeness; but there was asparkle in the dark eyes now so full of mischief, and a set to the richred lips that spoke volumes for the spirit of Mistress Francis Stafford.
"I would only that thy desire for learning was like to that of the LadyJane's," went on the tutor. "Yet I do not dislike thy courage, and thouart a good wench, surely."
"Hark!" cried Francis springing to her feet. "I hear the hounds. Lookware, Echo! Look ware! Ware, ware!"
The greyhound, answering with short sharp yelps, rushed forwardfrantically, and then stood at gaze as a tall red deer bounded from thecovert into the open glade. The noble animal's strength was almost spent.His mouth was embossed with foam and large round tears were dropping fromhis eyes. With a motion that was at once despairing and majestic heturned to face his pursuers as a pack of hounds dashed from the trees andsurrounded him, making the air hideous with their clamor.
Instantly the maiden fitted a shaft to her bow and let fly a bolt as thetutor uttered a shrill cry of remonstrance:
"Stay thy hand, girl! Knowest thou not the danger?"
Before the wounded animal could turn to charge this new assailant ananswering twang sounded from among the trees and a second arrow, sentwith unerring precision, imbedded itself in the deer's body. As the stagfell, a lad of some sixteen years, clad in the dress of a forester, ranhastily forward and reached the animal at the same moment that Francisdid.
"Behold, cousin," cried the girl triumphantly, "I have slain the deer.Could thy Lady Jane Grey have done so well, thinkest thou?"
"Nay, fair maid," and the boy turned quickly, "'twas mine own bolt thatdid the deed. Behold for thyself that thy shaft struck too far to theleft."
"'Tis false," cried Francis angrily. "'Twas mine arrow that slew him.This one is mine, and thou seest that it alone hath entered the vitalpart. 'Tis thine that is too far to the left."
"Nay; not mine, but thine," retorted the lad. "What? Would I, who lackbut little of man's estate be excelled by a girl? See for thyself,mistress. The two are not an inch apart. The point is only which did thedeed. On mine honor, I tell thee, that it was mine own arrow. Thou seestthat it hath penetrated deeper than thine."
"I see naught of the kind," answered Francis with passion. "It was minethat did it."
"Good master," said the boy appealing to the tutor, "didst mark that thestag fell not until he received my shot?"
"Ay! I noted it, lad, and 'tis a point well taken," quoth Master Hugh."But a truce to thy quibbling. Here are the huntsmen."
The noise of the horns had been growing louder and louder as the huntingparty drew near, but the boy and girl were so absorbed in theircontroversy that they had not heeded it.
"Fair maiden, there is a penalty," began the lad, but one of the hunterscalled out:
"Beshrew me! if the quarry be not slain! What varlet hath done this?"
As Francis started forward the lad spoke,
"I, good my master. Give me thy knife, I pray thee, that I may make theessay."
"What, ho, boy? Thou? Then instead of breaking the stag, thou shalt breakthe jail. Knowest thou not that it is trespass to kill deer upon the landof another?"
"He did it not," cried Francis. "'Twas I. What is the penalty? My father,Lord William Stafford, will requite the loss; but permit me, I pray, totake trophy of my skill."
"Thou?" The foresters who had surrounded the youth looked with amusementat the girl, and then broke into loud guffaws.
"Heed her not, masters. Could a maiden do such a thing? She knows not ofwhat she speaks."
"Nay; give heed to me, I beseech you," cried Francis, but the ladinterrupted her.
"Permit it to be as I have said, mistress. If there be penalty, 'tweremeeter for me to suffer it than for thee. Withdraw, I beseech you."
"The boy is right," said Hugh Greville. "It is no place for thee,Francis. I will speak to thy father concerning the matter. Meantime wecan serve no good purpose here. Come!"
"No, no," cried the girl trying vainly to make the foresters attend her."'Twas I who killed the deer. It was not this lad."
But the verderers paying no further attention to her words busiedthemselves about the cutting up of the deer. With a burst of angry tearsFrancis reluctantly permitted the tutor to lead her away.
----- [A] While fools avoid one error they fall into the opposite one.