Chapter 5: In Peril.
"Edward, I am glad to see you back. Where have you been these manyhours? I have been watching and waiting, hoping you would comebefore nightfall. I am very anxious. I much fear that we aresuspected--spied upon."
"Nay, now, what makes you think that?" asked young Edward, as helet himself be drawn within the small attic bedchamber in theriver-side inn, which he and his comrade had shared ever since theyhad arrived in London; now some three weeks back. Paul had closedthe door before he began to speak, and now stood with his backagainst it, his face looking pale and anxious in the fading lightof the winter's day.
"What makes me think it? Why, more things than one; but mainly thefact that the peddler we bought our clothes of is here."
Edward smiled and laid a hand on Paul's shoulder.
He was growing used to the anxieties of his elder comrade, whodeeply felt his responsibility in having the heir of England underhis care, and had begun to treat his words of warning with somelightness.
"And why should not the old man be here? The world is as free tohim as it is to us. Rather I should have looked upon him as afriend. For did he not eat at the same board with us, and share thehospitality of the same roof?"
"Yes, yes," answered Paul quickly; "but so do all men of hiscalling. They are always welcome wherever they appear. But I willtell you why I misdoubt this man. He first came in whilst we of thehouse were sitting at dinner, and his eye roved round the room tillit fell upon me, and I saw in it then a gleam of recognition whichI did not like. He went out then, and anon returned with a greatbearded fellow of sinister aspect. And I was certain that hepointed me out to him; for though I would not raise my eyes, orseem to notice, I knew that they whispered together, and that thisother man's black eyes were fixed full on my face."
"That might well be," answered Edward lightly, "you are a rightgoodly youth, made to find favour in all eyes."
But Paul proceeded without heeding the interruption.
"Presently the peddler shuffled round the table, and took thevacant seat beside me--the seat that should have been yours,Edward. He pretended that he had only just recognized me, and beganto talk in friendly fashion enough. He asked after you; but I saidwe had little companionship now--that you had your own concerns toattend to in the city, and that we might part company at any time.I would have disclaimed you altogether, save that those at the inncould have told him that I had a brother or comrade with me. Hekept his eye warily on me the whole time. I know that he was on thewatch for news of you."
"And wherefore not? Methinks you are over fearful, good Paul."
"Nay, Edward, think but a moment--What care would any feel for newsof you did they not suspect something? Who cares whither I go orwhat I do? If you were but the obscure stranger you pass for, whowould trouble to heed whither your steps were bent or how your timewas passed? As you came in just now, did any man see you pass thethreshold?"
"Nay, I know not. I was heeding little in the street. It was darkenough in the narrow alley, darker than it is up here; but--"
"Wait, Edward, answer me one question yet. Is it possible that thepeddler can have any clue by which he may know you? Did you betrayaught to him that evening when you bartered with him for your suitof clothes? How did you pay him? Was it in French gold?"
"Nay, I paid him no money at all. I gave him a pearl clasp which Ihad, and he furnished me with funds for the journey to London. Imade a villainous bad bargain, it seems. The other jewels I havedisposed of in London I have got far better price for.
"Now, Paul, why look you so troubled and wan? Have you yet anotherlecture in store for your luckless comrade?"
"O Edward, Edward," cried Paul in anxious tones, "is it really so?Have you been mad enough to sell jewels which may be known andtraced? Did I not tell you from the very first that I had moneyenough for both? You should not have done it. And why, if done itmust be, did you not tell me, and let me do the trafficking?"
Edward smiled as he laid his hand upon his comrade's shoulder.
"Good Paul, did you think that I would trade upon your love, tofilch from you the remains of that poor fortune which is all youhave left of the world's goods? I knew how readily your all wouldhave been laid at my feet; but it was not for me to accept thesacrifice when I had means of raising money myself. And what dangercan there be? My mother's jewels can scarce be known here. I fearyour courage is but a sorry thing, you are so prone to idle fearsand gloomy portents."
"Heaven grant I may be deceived; But the pearl clasp of which youspeak--tell me what it was like."
"Why, a fine pearl set in a clasp of chased gold with an eagle inrelief, the claws forming the catch of the clasp. My royal motherhad a pair of them once; what befell the other I remember not. Itwas lost, I have heard her say, long years ago."
Paul clasped his hands closely together.
"Edward," he said, "it was just such a clasp as that which fastenedthe jewelled collar of the little Prince of Wales on the day whenhe, in play, fastened that collar about my neck, which collar fella prey to certain robbers who carried off the humble knight's sonin mistake for the prince.
"And listen further, Edward. Those same robbers who dogged yoursteps years ago are now in hiding in the fastnesses of that greatEpping Forest through which we have lately journeyed. The peddlerknows them and traffics with them; that have I heard from others.Most likely he has himself suspected something, and has gone withhis clasp to consult with the chieftain, who is a sworn foe to theHouse of Lancaster. And having made out that the clasps arefellows, and having their suspicions fully aroused, they havefollowed on our trail--we made no secret that London was ourgoal--and are seeking to get you into their power."
Edward's face was grave now. It seemed as if Paul's fears were notunfounded.
"Yet what good would come to them by that?" he questionedthoughtfully; and Paul had the answer only too ready.
"Marry, every good in the world! Dear my lord, forgive the plainspeaking of one who loves you well; but we have not lived in thisgreat city all these weeks for nought. You know how it is with thepeople of this land. They will never be ruled long by your saintlyfather. They know his strange malady, and they think him more fitfor a monk's cell than a royal throne. Your mother--"
"Ay, they hate her," answered Edward mournfully. "They cannot speakher name without all manner of insulting epithets, which have mademy blood boil in my veins."
"It is so, dear my lord; they have never loved her, and evil reportwill spread and gather head, You see that they would never accepther rule in your royal father's name. It would raise sedition andtumult at once. The house and faction of York know this. They knowthat their power would be secure were King Henry and his queenalone in the matter; but there is still one more--the Prince ofWales, against whom no man speaks evil, even the most rancorousenemies of the House of Lancaster. All who have seen him love him;all speak of his noble person, his graces of body and mind, hisaptness to rule, his kingly qualities.
"You smile, but in truth it is so. The nation might rally beneaththe banner of such a prince; and the proud nobles of the rival kingknow it well, and could they get the prince into their own power,they know that victory is from that moment theirs. Wherefore,Edward, if it be true that you are known, we must fly, and thatinstantly. These lawless men will not quit the trail till they haverun the quarry down, and delivered you dead or alive into the handsof the foe. They know well the value of the prize, and they willnot let it escape them."
Edward felt the truth of these words. Paul had been anxious andalarmed before, but never with the same cause. He had always beenfearful that the young prince might be recognized by some wayfarer,who might have chanced to see him in past days or at the Frenchcourt; but he had never before made sure that this recognition hadactually taken place, and the likeness between the supposedbrothers, though more a likeness now in figure and colouring andexpression than actually in feature, was as great a safeguard ascould have been devised.
Moreover, not
a rumour of any kind had come over from Francereporting the escape or absence of the Prince of Wales, and it wasfar fetched to imagine that anybody would suspect the identity ofthe yellow-haired youth. But the occurrences of this day, combinedwith Edward's admission about the clasp, had roused Paul's worstfears, and it did indeed seem as if there were some watch set upontheir movements now.
He looked earnestly into the flushed face of the fair young prince,and then said thoughtfully:
"Edward, I have a plan whereby I think you can escape thisthreatened danger. Leave this house tonight--at once, if the coastbe clear--and go as fast as your steed can take you to your royalfather, and claim the protection of his state, and that of the earlyour future father-in-law. Tell all your story, and it will make ofyou the idol even of this wayward city of London. All men willdelight in the presence of the Prince of the Silver Swan; andmethinks a happy end may be the result of the journey which seemslike to end in peril and gloom.
"Good my lord, it is a joyous welcome you would receive. It wouldrejoice the whole heart of the nation to have you back."
Edward hesitated for a moment, but finally shook his head.
"Nay, Paul, I will not do that, though I grant the scheme has itsattractions. If what you say be true and my presence in this cityis suspected, be sure that every alley to the palace is watched andguarded by foes who would find a speedy way of preventing myentrance there--ay, or thine, were that tried.
"And over and above the danger, I am yearning to see the face of mysweet bride again, my gentle Anne, whom I have loved right wellthese many years, even whilst her father seemed our bitterest foe.My return will be looked for ere the glad Christmas season, and ifI am not missed before, I shall be then, and I would not that mygood mother were kept long in anxiety as to what has befallen me. Ihave been now four weeks absent. I laid careful plans whereby abrief absence might not be discovered, but it is time I returnednow.
"Moreover, my quest is done. I have learned all and more than Icame to do. My heart is heavy within me as I think on all I haveheard. Ere I come as prince to this realm, I would fain see andhave earnest speech with my mother. There are moments when methinksit would be the wiser and happier thing to talk no more of rulinghere, but rather of securing to my father liberty and honour, andsuch titles and estates as he can claim through his duchy ofLancaster, and letting the crown remain on the head of him whocould have claimed it with a better right than we, were it not forthe kingly rule of my grandsire and his sire before him."
Paul made no reply save what was expressed in a deep sigh. His hopeof the permanent restoration of the House of Lancaster had receivedsome rude shocks during the past weeks; but he had never beforeheard Edward speak in this key, and he wondered if it were but theexpression of a passing emotion, or the result of a deeply-seatedconviction.
"I trow my mother will call me craven-hearted," said the lad with aslight smile, after a moment's silence, "and I myself may thinkdifferently anon. But tonight all seems wrapped in gloom, and Iwould I were far away from this city, which seems to breathe hatredto all of our name and race. Paul, we had better linger here nolonger. Let us away the route we came, so shall we soonest reachthe coast; and we will pass together to the French court, and youshall see the reception which will await us there from my motherand my sweet betrothed.
"Ah, I would the day had come! I long to see kindly faces onceagain. And they will love you ever for the love you have borne tome."
The lad's face flushed with excitement at the bare thought, and theprospect was welcome enough to Paul, who was sick at heart, andweary with the strain of continual watchfulness; but he lowered hisvoice to a mere whisper as he said:
"Hist, sweet prince! speak not so loud. There may be spies withoutthe very door. We will indeed make shift to start the very firstmoment we may. I shall not draw another easy breath till we are faraway from here. But think you it will be wise to go the way wecame? May not those roads be watched more closely there thanelsewhere?"
"I think not so. I think they will guess that we shall make for oneof the southern ports, by which France can be the more easilyreached. If these wild robbers have left their former haunts topursue us, we may well be safest nearest to their lair. And we knownot the country to the south, whilst this great forest seems like afriend to us; and we have sturdy friends within its shelteringaisles if we are hard pressed. We can quicker reach the coast, too,that way than any other. And the good brothers you have spoken ofat Leighs Priory will give us shelter tomorrow night, if we cannotmake shift to push on to the coast in one day."
There seemed sound sense in the counsel thus offered by the prince,and Paul was ever ready to obey his wishes, if he saw no objectionto them. They appeared to be menaced by peril on all sides, and hewould have been thankful if the prince would have thrown himselfinto the keeping of his kingly sire; but as he had declined to dothis, and was not of the stuff to be balked of his will, the nextbest thing was to slip off in silence and secrecy, and Paul thoughtit quite probable that the route least watched and guarded mightwell be the one which led back through the forest again.
But it would not do to appear as if suspicious; and leaving Edwardlocked up in the attic chamber--hoping that no one had observed hisentrance into the inn--he went down into the common room, wherepreparations for supper were going on.
There were a larger number of persons collected in the inn thanusual that night, and Paul fancied that many sharp glances werefastened upon him as he entered the room. But he kept command overhis countenance well, and walked forward toward the fire with anair of easy assurance. The peddler was sitting in the warmestcorner, and pushed away his next neighbour to make room for Paul,who took the vacant seat readily. The man very quickly led up tothe subject of his companion and kinsman (laying an apparent andrather suspicious emphasis on that word), asking if he did not meanto come to supper, since he had seen him enter the inn at dusk.
Paul replied that his comrade was unwell, and that he would retireearly to bed, and have something hot to take there. He was resolvedthat Edward should not be exposed to the gaze of these rough men,whose faces inspired him with the greatest uneasiness.
Edward should be supposed to be sick, and that might divertattention from his movements for the time being; and, long beforethe morning dawned, he hoped that they might both be far away fromthis ill-omened spot.
"Ill!" quoth the peddler; "no doubt a colic or a chill, taken inthis villainous cold weather. I have a draught here that acts likea charm in all such cases. If you will permit me, I will mix it foryou in a stoup of hot spiced wine, and I warrant he will sleep likea dormouse all night, and wake in the morning as well as ever."
Paul thanked the peddler, and the ingredients of the draught werecalled for. He watched its preparation keenly, and noted thatseveral meaning glances were exchanged between the peddler and hisassociates--as he now believed half the men in the inn to be. Hetold the landlord to prepare two trenchers to be carried upstairs,as he would sup with his friend that night; and he presentlycarried up the hot and steaming tankard, together with the plattersof the savoury viands for which London was famous.
Edward had meantime kindled the rushlight and set light to a smallfire on the hearth, for the weather was bitterly cold. The peddlerhad advised Paul to partake of the hot draught also, and thelandlord had not heeded his request to place a tankard of ale onthe tray also: so that if either of the youths were to drink atall, it must be of the potion concocted by the peddler.
This fact greatly increased Paul's suspicions, which were quicklyshared by Edward.
"We will not touch a drop of it," he said, "although it is temptingenough this cold night. It is either drugged or poisoned, and givenus to keep us a certain prey for tonight. Perhaps in the end itwill prove our best friend; for if they think us tied by the heel,they may be less vigilant in the watch they keep upon us."
It was not with much appetite that the comrades ate their supper,but they knew that they might need all their strength before then
ext hours had passed, and they ate heartily from that motive.Their trenchers had been so liberally piled, however, that therewas plenty of broken meat and bread left when they had finished,and this was first allowed to grow cold, and then packed away intoone of their wallets, as it might be some considerable time beforethey tasted food again, save such as they had with them.
Paul made several excursions from the room to ask for this thing orthat, keeping up the fiction that his comrade was sick; and eachtime he did so he found some person or another guarding thedoor--at least watching hard by--though apparently bent upon someprivate errand. He came to the conclusion at last that theirmovements were most certainly spied upon, and that to attempt toescape through the house that night would be impossible. A fewcautious words (which he caught as he entered the room where thepeddler and his companions were sitting) confirmed his impressionthat Edward was certainly suspected, if not actually identified,and that he would not be allowed to pass out of sight untilsuspicion was either verified or laid at rest. He fancied, from thefew words he heard, that these men were awaiting a companion whowould be able absolutely to identify the prince, if it were reallyhe, and that meantime they did not intend that either of the youthsshould escape their surveillance.
It was with a sinking heart that Paul returned to Edward with thisnews. But peril seemed only to act like a tonic upon the nerves ofthe younger lad; and springing to his feet with energy andresolution, he cried with flashing eyes:
"And so they think to make a prisoner of the eaglet of England'sroyal house! Let them try. Let them do their worst. They shall seethat his wings are strong enough for a higher and more daringflight than they dream of; that he will not be fettered by a cageof their treacherous making! Paul, it is not for nothing that Ihave lain awake long nights dreaming dreams of peril and escape. Iknow how we will outwit our pursuers this very night. Say, can yonswim, as you can do all else that a brave Englishman should?"
"Like a fish," answered Paul, who had many a time terrified andastonished his mother by his feats in the salmon pool at home, andhad never lost the skill and strength to battle with wind or wave.
"Good! I was sure of it; and I can do the same. Paul, come here tothe window. See you no means of escape as you look down into thatdark, sullen water below?"
Paul started and looked eagerly out. The inn, as has before beensaid, stood on the banks of the great river Thames. Indeed, it wasbuilt so close to the waterside that the walls were washed by thelapping waves on the backside of the house, and the windows lookedsheer down into the turbid, sullen stream. No watch could be kepton this side, nor did it seem to be needful; for the old inn was alofty building of its kind, and the black water lay some sixty feetbelow the small window of the room in which Paul and his companionlodged. No man in his senses, it seemed, would hazard such a leap,and none but an expert swimmer would care or dare to trust himselfto that swiftly-flowing flood, which might so easily sweep him tohis doom. And on a freezing December night the idea of escape insuch a fashion seemed altogether madness itself.
Even Paul, menaced by a danger that might be worse than death, drewin his head with something of a shudder; but Edward had dived intoa little press that stood in the room, and brought out a coil ofstout, strong rope. Paul gave a cry of surprise and pleasure.
"Some instinct warned me it might be wanted. See here, Paul. We cantie one end to this heavy bedstead, knotting it also around thebolt of the door, and we can glide down like two veritable shadows,and drop silently into the river: Then we must swim to one of thosesmall wherries which lie at anchor beside the sleeping barges. Iknow exactly what course to steer for that; and once aboard, we cuther loose, and row for dear life down with the tide, till we canfind some deserted spot where we can land, and thence we make ourway back to the coast through the friendly forest, as we planned."
"On foot?"
"Ay, we must leave our good steeds behind; it would be madness toseek to take them. We are young and strong, and this frost makeswalking easy. We shall speed so well that we may chance to reachthe shelter of the Priory ere night falls on us again, and then theworst of our troubles will be over. Say, Paul, will you come withme? Will you follow me?"
"To the death, my prince," answered Paul with enthusiasm; yet evenas he spoke a sort of shiver came over him, as though he hadpronounced his own doom. But he shook it off, and fell to upon thesimple preparations to be made.
These were very simple, and consisted of rolling up into a compactbundle their outer dress and a change of under tunic, which theyfastened, together with their food wallet and arms, upon theirheads, in the hope that they might keep them from the water. Theyslung their boots about their necks, and then, with as littleclothing as possible upon them, commenced their stealthy descentdown the rope, which had been firmly attached as suggested by theprince. Edward went first, whilst Paul remained in the room toguard against surprise, and to hold the end if it slipped or gave.But no such casualty befell; and the moment he heard the slightsplash which told that the prince had reached the water, he swunghimself lightly down the rope, and fell with a soft splash besidehim.
But oh, how cold it was in that dark water! Hardy though the pairwere, it seemed impossible to live in that fearful cold; but theystruck out valiantly into midstream, and presently the exercise ofswimming brought a little life into their benumbed limbs. But gladindeed was Paul to reach the side of the little wherry which theyintended to purloin, and it was all that their united efforts coulddo to clamber in and cut the cord which bound it to the barge.
"We must row hard, Edward," said Paul, with chattering teeth; "itis our only chance of life. We shall freeze to death if we cannotget some warmth into our blood. I feel like a block of ice."
They were too much benumbed to try and dress themselves yet, but asthey rowed their hardest along the dark, still water, the life cameebbing back into their chilled limbs, and with the welcome warmthcame that exultation of heart which always follows escape fromdeadly peril. With more and more vigour they bent to their oars,and at last Edward spoke in a natural voice again.
"Let us float down quietly with the stream a while, Paul, whilst wedon our dry garments, if indeed they are dry. It will be betterhere than on shore, where we might chance to be seen and suspected.I am glowing hot now, freezing night though it be; but I confess Ishould be more comfortable rid of these soaking clothes."
So stripping off these, they found, to their great satisfaction,that the leather jerkins in which the other clothing had beenwrapped had kept everything dry, and the feel of warm andsufficient clothing was grateful indeed after the icy bath they hadencountered. Their boots were wet, but that mattered little to thehardy striplings; and when, dressed and armed, they bent to theiroars again, it seemed as if all their spirit and confidence hadcome back.
"We have made so good a start that we shall surely prosper," criedEdward boldly. "Our good friend the peddler will look blank enoughwhen morning comes and they find the birds are flown."
But Paul could not triumph quite so soon; he was still far fromfeeling assured of safety, and feared their escape might be quicklymade known, in which case pursuit would be hot. The best hope layin getting into the forest, which might give them shelter, andenable them to baffle pursuit; but responsibility lay sore uponhim, and he could not be quite as gay as his comrade.
The moon shone out from behind the clouds, and presently theyslipped beneath the arches of the old bridge, and past the grimfortress of the Tower. Very soon after that, they were glidingbetween green and lonely banks in a marshy land, and they presentlyeffected a landing and struck northward, guiding themselves by theposition of the moon.
It was a strange, desolate country they traversed, and glad enoughwas Paul that it was night when they had to cross this unprotectedfiat land. By day they would be visible for miles to the trainedeye of a highwayman, and if pursued would fall an easy prey. But bycrossing this desolate waste at night, when not a living thing wasto be seen, they might gain the dark aisles of the wood by th
e timethe tardy dawn stole upon them, and once there Paul thought hecould breathe freely again.
All through the long hours of the night the lads trudged onwardsside by side. Paul was more anxious than weary, for he had beeninured to active exercise all his life, and had spent many longdays stalking deer or wandering in search of game across the bleakhillsides. But Edward, though a hardy youth by nature, and notaltogether ignorant of hardship, had lived of late in the softerair of courts, and as the daylight struggled into the sky he was soweary he could scarce set one foot before another.
Yet even as Paul's anxious glance lighted on him he smiled bravelyand pointed onwards, and there before them, in the rising sunlight,lay the great black forest, stretching backwards as far as eyecould see; and Edward, throwing off his exhaustion by a manfuleffort, redoubled his speed, until the pair stood within theencircling belt of forest land, and paused by mutual consent at thedoor of a woodman's cabin.
Travellers were rare in that lone part, but the good folks of thehut were kindly and hospitable and unsuspicious. Paul produced somesmall pieces of silver and asked for food and shelter for a fewhours, as he and his comrade had been benighted, and had beenwandering about in the darkness many hours. The fare was verycoarse and homely, but the famished lads were not disposed to findfault; and the cabin, if close, was at least warm, and, when a peatfire had been lighted, was a not altogether uncomfortable place forwanderers like themselves.
As soon as his hunger was satisfied, Edward lay down upon the floorand was soon sound asleep; but Paul had no disposition for slumber,and sat gazing into the glowing turves with earnest, anxious eyes.The heir of England was in his care, and already probably sought inmany directions by cruel and implacable foes. Until Edward were insafety, he himself should know no peace. And as if suddenlyinspired by some new thought, he started up and went in search ofthe good woman of the cabin, with whom he held a long and earnestconversation.
When he came back to the other room, it was with a smile ofsatisfaction on his face and a queer bundle in his arms, and theold woman was looking with great wonderment at a gold piece lyingon her palm, and marvelling at the strange caprice of the young andrich.