CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
FRANK BOILS OVER.
There seemed to be a good deal of excitement about the court one day;people were whispering together, and twice over, as Frank wasapproaching, he noted that they either ceased talking or turned theirbacks upon him and walked away. But he took no further notice of itthen, for his mind was very full of his father, of whom he had not heardfor some time.
His mother had seemed terribly troubled and anxious when he had met her,but he shrank from asking her the cause, feeling that his father's longsilence was telling upon her; and in the hope of getting news he wentagain and again to the house in Queen Anne Street, ascended to thedrawing-room, and opened the picture-panelled closet door.
But it was for nothing. The housekeeper had told him that Sir Roberthad not been; but thinking that his father could have let himself inunknown to the old servant, Frank clung to the hope that he might havebeen, deposited a letter, and gone again, possibly in the night. Inevery visit, though, he was disappointed, but contented himself bythinking that his father had acted wisely, and felt that it was not safeto come for fear that he might be watched.
It was nearly a week since he had been to the house, and he was longingfor an opportunity to go again, but opportunity had not served, and hecame to the conclusion that he would slip off that very afternoon, afterexacting a promise from Andrew Forbes that he would keep in the anteroomready to attend to any little duty which might require the presence ofone of the pages.
To his surprise, though, Andrew was nowhere to be seen. To haveinquired after him would only have served to draw attention to hisabsence, so he contented himself with waiting patiently, but minute byminute he grew more anxious, feeling convinced that something must haveoccurred.
"Whatever has happened?" he said to himself at last, as he saw officersbegin to arrive and be ushered into the Prince's room; but why, therewas no chance for him to know, as there was no one to whom he couldapply for information, and at last he sat alone in the great blanksaloon, fidgeting as if he were upon thorns, and inventing all manner ofabsurd reasons to account for his companion's absence.
"I know," he said to himself at last; "he has noticed that there issomething on the way, and gone out to try and pick up news. He'll behere directly."
But he was wrong. Andrew did not come, and several little thingsoccurred to show him that there was undue excitement about the place.
At last his suspense came to an end, as he sat alone, for Andrewappeared looking flushed and excited, glanced sharply round as soon ashe was inside the door, caught sight of his friend, and half ran to joinhim.
"Oh, here you are, then, at last!" cried Frank.
"At last," said the lad.
"Yes; where have you been--news-hunting?"
"Yes," he whispered excitedly; "news-hunting, and I ran it down."
"What is it? There are three officers with the Prince, and I heard someone say that a messenger was to be despatched to bring the King back totown."
"Did you hear that?" cried Andrew excitedly.
"Yes."
"Ah!" ejaculated Andrew.
"What is it? A riot?"
"Yes, a very big riot, lad; a very, very big one. Now we shall see."
"It doesn't seem likely for it to be _we_," said Frank sarcastically."Why don't you out with it, and tell me what's the matter?"
"Oh, two things; but haven't you heard?"
"Of course not, or I shouldn't be begging and praying of you to speak."
"I found a letter from the dad, that's one thing, and he told me what Ifind the place is ringing with."
"Something about bells?" said Frank, laughing.
"Yes, if you like," said Andrew wildly. "The tocsin. War, my lad,war!"
"What! with France?"
"No; England. At last. The King has landed."
"I say, are you going mad?"
"Yes, with excitement. Frank, the game has begun, and we must throw upeverything now, and join hands with the good men and true who are goingto save our country."
"Bah! You've got one of your fits on again," cried Frankcontemptuously; "what a gunpowder fizgig you are!"
"Look here!" said Andrew, in an angry whisper; "this is no time forboyish folly. We must be men. The crisis has come, and this miserablesham reign is pretty well at an end."
"The Prince is in yonder," said Frank warningly.
"Prince!" said Drew contemptuously; "I know no Prince but James FrancisStuart. Now, listen; there must be no shilly-shallying on your part; wewant every true patriot to draw the sword for his country."
"Ah well, I'm not what you call a true patriot, and so I shan't drawmine."
"Bah!" ejaculated Drew.
"And bah!" cried Frank. "Don't you play the fool,--unless you want someone to hear you," he continued, in a warning whisper.
"What do I care? I have had great news from my father, and the time hasat last come when we must strike for freedom."
"Are you mad? Do you know where you are?" cried Frank, catching him bythe arm.
"Not mad, and I know perfectly where I am. Look here, Frank; there mustbe no more nonsense. I tell you the time has come to strike. Ourfriends have landed, or are about to land. There is going to be acomplete revolution, and before many hours the House of Hanover will bea thing of the past, and the rightful monarch of the House of Stuartwill be on the throne."
"Then you are mad," said Frank, with another uneasy glance at thecurtained door beyond where they stood, "or you would never talk likethis."
"I shall talk how I please now," cried the lad excitedly. "Let them dotheir worst. I feel ready to wait till the Prince comes out, and thendraw my sword and shout, `God save King James the Third!'"
"No, you are not. You would not so insult one who has always behavedwell to you."
"Bah! I am nobody. I don't count. How have he and his behaved to mypoor father and to yours? Frank, I know I'm wildly excited, and feelintoxicated by the joyful news; but I know what I am talking about, andI will not have you behave in this miserable, cold-blooded way, when ourfathers are just about to receive their freedom and come back to theirrights."
"It's no use to argue with you when you're in this state," said Frankcoldly; "but I won't sit here and have you say things which may lead toyour being punished. I should be a poor sort of friend if I did."
"Pah! Have you no warm blood in you, that you sit there as cool as afrog when I bring you such glorious news?"
"It isn't glorious," said Frank. "It means horrible bloodshed, ruin,and disaster to hundreds or thousands of misguided men."
"Misguided! Do you know what you are talking about?"
"Yes, perfectly."
"Have you no feeling for your father and mother's sufferings?"
"Leave my father and mother out of the question, please."
"I can't. I know you're not a coward, Frank; but you're like a stupid,stubborn blood-horse that wants the whip or spur to make him go. Whenhe does begin, there's no holding him."
"Then don't you begin to use whip or spur, Drew, in case."
"But I will. I must now. It is for your good. I'm not going to standby and see you and your mother crushed in the toppling-down ruins ofthis falling house. Do you hear me? The time has come, and we wantevery one of our friends, young and old, to strike a good bold blow forliberty."
"Let your friends be as mad as they like," said Frank angrily. "I'm notgoing to stand by either and see Drew Forbes go to destruction."
"Bah!--to victory. There, no more arguing. You are one of us, and youmust come out of your shell now, and take your place."
"I'm not one of you," said Frank sturdily, and too warm now to think ofthe danger of speaking aloud; "I was tricked into saying something orjoining in while others said it, and I am not a Jacobite, and I neverwill be!"
"I tell you that you are one."
"Have it so if you like; but it's in name only, and I'll show you that Iam not in deed. You talked abo
ut crying before the Prince, `God saveKing James!' God save King George! There!"
He spoke out loudly now, but repented the next moment, for fear that heshould have dared his companion to execute his threat.
"Coward!" cried Andrew. "The miserable German usurper who has banishedyour father!"
"You said that you knew I was not a coward."
"Then I retract it. You are if you try to hang back now."
"Call me what you like, I'll have nothing to do with it. They don'twant boys."
"They do--every one; and you must come and fight."
"Indeed!"
"Yes, or be punished as a traitor."
"Let them come and punish me, then," said Frank hotly. "I wear a sword,and I know how to use it."
"Then come and use it like a man. Come, Frank. Don't pretend that youare going to show the white feather."
"I don't."
"It is monstrous!" panted the lad, who was wildly excited by hisenthusiasm. "I want you--my friend--to stand by me now at a criticaltime, and you treat me like this. I can't understand it when you knowthat your father is a staunch supporter of the royal cause."
"Of course I do. What's that got to do with it? Do you think becausehe has been sent away that he would forget his oath to the King?"
"I said the royal cause, not the usurper's."
"It is false. My father is still in the King's service, waiting for hisrecall."
"Your father is my father's friend, as I am yours, and he is now holdinga high command in King James's army."
"It's not true, Drew; it's one of your tricks to get me to go with you,and do what I faithfully promised I never would do. You know it'sfalse. High in command in King James's army! Why, he has no army, soit can't be true."
"I tell you, it is true. My father and yours are both generals."
"Look here," said Frank, turning and speaking now in an angry whisper,"you're going too far, Drew. I don't want to quarrel--I hate toquarrel. Perhaps I am like a stubborn horse; but I did warn you not touse the whip or spur, and you will keep on doing it. Please let itdrop. You're making me feel hot, and when I feel like that my head goesqueer, and I hit out and keep on hitting, and feel sorry for itafterwards. I always did at school, and I should feel ten times assorry if I hit you. Now you sit down, and hold your tongue beforeyou're heard and get into a terrible scrape."
"Sit down! At a time like this!" cried the lad. "Oh, will nothing stiryou? Are you such a cowardly cur that you are going to hide yourselfamong the German petticoats about the Palace? I tell you, it is true:General Sir Robert Gowan throws up his hat for the King."
"Cowardly cur yourself!" cried Frank, whose rage had been bubbling up toboiling-point for the last ten minutes and now burst forth.
"Miserable traitor! I thought better of you!" cried Andrew bitterly."Pah! Friends! You are not worth the notice of a gentleman. Out ofthe way, you wretched cur!"
He struck Frank sharply across the face with his glove, as he steppedforward to pass, and quick as lightning the boy replied with a blow fullin the cheek, which sent him staggering back, so that he would havefallen had it not been for the wall.
In an instant court rules and regulations were forgotten. The boys knewthat they wore swords, and these flashed from their scabbards, ornamentsno longer, and the next moment they crossed, the blades grittedtogether, thrust and parry followed, and each showed that theinstructions he had received were not in vain.
What would have been the result cannot be told, save that it would havebeen bitter repentance for the one who had sent his blade home; butbefore any mischief had been done in the furious encounter, the doors ateither end of the anteroom were opened, and the Prince and the officersfrom the audience chamber with the guards from the staircase landingrushed in, the former narrowly escaping a thrust from Andrew's sword, aswith his own weapon he beat down the boys'.
"How dare you!" he cried.
"Now!" cried Andrew defiantly to Frank, as he stood quivering withrage--"now is your time. Speak out; tell the whole truth."
"Yes, the whole truth," said the Prince sternly. "What does this brawlmean?"
Frank did not hesitate for a moment.
"It was my fault, your Royal Highness," he cried, panting. "Wequarrelled; I lost my temper and struck him."
"Who dared to draw?" thundered the Prince.
"We both drew together, your Royal Highness," cried Frank hurriedly, forfear that Andrew should be beforehand with him; "but I think I wasalmost the first."
"You insolent young dogs!" cried the Prince; "how dare you brawl andfight here!--Take away their swords; such boys are not fit to be trustedwith weapons. As for you, sir," he said, turning fiercely on Frank,"like father like son, as you English people say. And you, sir--you areolder," he cried to Andrew. "There, take them away, and keep them tillI have decided how they shall be punished.--Come back to my room,gentlemen. Such an interruption is a disgrace to the court."
He turned and walked toward the door, followed by the three officers,one of whom on entering looked back at the lads and smiled, as if he didnot think that much harm had been done.
But neither of the lads saw, for Andrew was whispering maliciously toFrank:
"You dared not speak. You knew how I should be avenged."
"Yes, I dared; but I wasn't going to be such a coward," cried Franksharply.
"Ah, stop that!" cried the officer who held the boys' swords, and hadjust given orders to his men to take their places in front and rear ofhis prisoners. "Do you want to begin again? Hang it all! wait till youget to the guardroom, if you must fight."
"Don't speak to me like that!" cried Andrew fiercely. "It is not thecustom to insult prisoners, I believe."
"Forward! march!" said the officer; and then, to Frank's annoyance, aswell as that of Andrew, he saw that the officer was laughing at them,and that the men were having hard work to keep their countenances.
Five minutes later they had been marched down the staircase, across thecourtyard, to the entrance of the guardroom, where, to Frank's greatmortification, the first person he saw was Captain Murray.
"Hallo! what's this?" he cried. "Prisoners? What have you lads beenabout?"
"Fighting," said Frank sullenly, Andrew compressing his lips and staringhaughtily before him, as if he felt proud, of his position.
"Fighting! With fists?" cried Captain Murray.
"Oh no," said the officer of the guard; "quite correctly. Here aretheir skewers."
"But surely not anywhere here?"
"Oh yes," said the officer mirthfully; "up in the anteroom, right underthe Prince's nose."
"Tut--tut--tut!" ejaculated Captain Murray, half angry, half amused.
"The Prince came between them, and the tall cock nearly sent his spurthrough him," continued the officer. "I s'pose this means the Tower andthe block, doesn't it, Murray? or shall we have the job to shoot 'embefore breakfast to-morrow morning?"
"If I were only free," cried Andrew, turning fiercely on the officer,"you would not dare to insult me then."
"Then I'm very glad you are not. I say, why in the name of wonder areyou not in the service, my young fire-eater? You are not in your rightplace as a page."
"Because--because--"
"Stop! that will do, young man," said Captain Murray sternly. "Let himbe," he continued to his brother-officer. "The lad is beside himselfwith passion."
"Oh, I've done; but are they to be put together? They'll be at eachother's throats again."
"No, they will not," said Captain Murray. "Frank, give me your word asyour father's son that this quarrel is quite at an end."
"Oh yes, I've done," said the boy quickly.
"And you, Mr Forbes?"
"No," cried Andrew fiercely. "I shall make no promises. And as foryou, Frank Gowan, I repeat what I said to you: every word is true."
"You think it is," said Frank quietly, "or you wouldn't have said it.But it isn't true. It couldn't be."
"
That will do, young gentlemen," said Captain Murray sternly. "I shouldhave thought you could have cooled down now. Now, Mr Forbes, will yougive me your word that you will behave to your fellow-prisoner like agentleman, and save me the unpleasant duty of placing you in the cell."
"Yes. Come, Drew," said Frank appealingly. "We were both wrong. I'llanswer for him, Captain Murray."
"Well, one can't quarrel if the other will not. You can both have myroom while you are under arrest. Place a sentry at their door," andturning to his brother-officer, and, giving Frank a nod, as he looked athim sadly and sternly, Captain Murray walked away.
A few minutes later the key of the door was turned upon them, and theyheard one of the guard placed on sentry duty outside.