CHAPTER XXI
"THE CHILDREN OF PAUL'S"
An old gray rat came out of its hole, ran swiftly across the floor, and,sitting up, crouched there, peering at Nick. He thought its bare, scalytail was not a pleasant thing to see; yet he looked at it, with hiselbows on his knees, and his chin in his hands.
He had been locked in for two days now. They had put in plenty of food,and he had eaten it all; for if he starved to death he would certainlynever get home.
It was quite warm, and the boards had been taken from the window, sothat there was plenty of light. The window faced the north, and in thenight, wakened by some outcry in the street below, Nick had leaned hislog-pillow against the wainscot, and, climbing up, looked out into thesky. It was clear, for a wonder, and the stars were very bright. Themoon, like a smoky golden platter, rose behind the eastern towers of thetown, and in the north hung the Great Wain pointing at the polar star.
Somewhere underneath those stars was Stratford. The throstles would besinging in the orchard there now, when the sun was low and the coolwind came up from the river with a little whispering in the lane. Thepurple-gray doves, too, would be cooing softly in the elms over thecottage gable. In fancy he heard the whistle of their wings as theyflew. But all the sound that came in over the roofs of London town was ahollow murmur as from a kennel of surly hounds.
"Nick!--oh, Nick!"
Cicely Carew was calling at the door. The rat scurried off to its holein the wall.
"What there, Nick! Art thou within?" Cicely called again; but Nick madeno reply.
"Nick, _dear_ Nick, art crying?"
"No," said he; "I'm not."
There was a short silence.
"Nick, I say, wilt thou be good if I open the door?"
"No."
"Then I will open it anyway; thou durstn't be bad to me!"
The bolts thumped, and then the heavy door swung slowly back.
"Why, where art thou?"
He was sitting in the corner behind the door.
"Here," said he.
She came in, but he did not look up.
"Nick," she asked earnestly, "why wilt thou be so bad, and try to runaway from my father?"
"I hate thy father!" said he, and brought his fist down upon his knee.
"Hate him? Oh, Nick! Why?"
"If thou be asking whys," said Nick, bitterly, "why did he steal me awayfrom my mother?"
"Oh, surely, Nick, that cannot be true--no, no, it cannot be true. Thouhast forgotten, or thou hast slept too hard and had bad dreams. Myfather would not steal a pin. It was a nightmare. Doth thine head hurtthee?" She came over and stroked his forehead with her cool hand. Shewas a graceful child, and gentle in all her ways. "I am sorry thou dostnot feel well, Nick. But my father will come presently, and he will healthee soon. Don't cry any more."
"I'm not crying," said Nick, stoutly, though as he spoke a tear ran downhis cheek, and fell upon his hand.
"Then it is the roof leaks," she said, looking up as if she had not seenhis tear-blinded eyes. "But cheer up, Nick, and be a good boy--wilt thounot? 'Tis dinner-time, and thy new clothes have come; and thou art tocome down now and try them on."
When Nick came out of the tiring-room and found the master-player come,he knew not what to say or do. "Oh, brave, brave, brave!" cried Cicely,and danced around him, clapping her hands. "Why, it is a very prince--aking! Oh, Nick, thou art most beautiful to see!"
And Master Carew's own eyes sparkled; for truly it was a pleasant sightto see a fair young lad like Nick in such attire.
There was a fine white shirt of Holland linen, and long hose of grayishblue, with puffed and slashed trunks of velvet so blue as to be almostblack. The sleeveless jerkin was of the same dark color, trellised withroses embroidered in silk, and loose from breast to broad lace collar sothat the waistcoat of dull gold silk beneath it might show. A cloak ofdamask with a silver clasp, a buff-leather belt with a chubby purse hungto it by a chain, tan-colored slippers, and a jaunty velvet cap with ashort white plume, completed the array. Everything, too, had been laiddown with perfume, so that from head to foot he smelt as sweet and cleanas a drift of rose-mallows.
"My soul!" cried Carew, stepping back and snapping his fingers withdelight. "Thou art the bravest skylark that ever broke a shell! Finefeathers--fine bird--my soul, how ye do set each other off!" He tookNick by the shoulders, twirled him around, and, standing off again,stared at him like a man who has found two pound sterling in acast-off coat.
"I can na pay for them, sir," said Nick, slowly.
"There's nought to pay--it is a gift."
Nick hung his head, much troubled. What could he say; what could hethink? This man had stolen him from home,--ay, made him tremble for hisvery life a dozen times,--and with his whole heart he knew he hatedhim--yet here, a gift!
"Yes, Nick, it is a gift--and all because I love thee, lad."
"Love me?"
"Why, surely! Who could see thee without liking, or hear thy voice andnot love thee? Love thee, Nick? Why, on my word and honour, lad, I lovethee with all my heart."
"Thou hast chosen strange ways to show it, Master Carew," said Nick, andlooked straight up into the master player's eyes.
Carew turned upon his heel and ordered the dinner.
It was a good dinner: fat roast capon stuffed with spiced carrots;asparagus, biscuit, barley-cakes, and honey; and to end with, a flakypie, and Spanish cordial sprinkled with burnt sugar. With such fare anda keen appetite, a marvelous brand-new suit of clothes, and Cicelychattering gaily by his side, Nick could not be sulky or doleful long.He was soon laughing; and Carew's spirits seemed to rise with the boy's.
"Here, here!" he cried, as Nick was served the third time to the pie;"art hollow to thy very toes? Why, thou'lt eat us out of house andhome--hey, Cicely? Marry come up, I think I'd best take Ned Alleyn'sfive shillings for thine hire, after all! What! Five shillings? Set mein earth and bowl me to death with boiled turnips!--do they think toplay bob-fool with me? Five shillings! A fico for their fiveshillings--and this for them!" and he squeezed the end of his thumbbetween his fingers. "Cicely, what dost think?--Phil Henslowe had theface to match Jem Bristow with our Nick!"
"Why, daddy, Jem hath a face like a halibut!"
"And a voice like a husky crow. Why, Nick's mere shadow on the stage isworth a ton of Jemmy Bristows. 'Twas casting pearls before swine, Nick,to offer thee to Henslowe and Alleyn; but we've found a better troughthan theirs--hey, Cicely Goldenheart, haven't we? Thou art to be one ofPaul's boys."
"Paul who?"
Carew lay back in his chair and laughed. "Paul who? Why, Saint Paul,Nick,--'tis Paul's Cathedral boys I mean. Marry, what dost say to that?"
"I'd like another barley-cake."
"You'd _what_?" cried the master-player, letting the front legs of hischair come down on the floor with a thump.
"I'd like another barley-cake," said Nick, quietly, helping himself tothe honey.
"Upon my word, and on the remnant of mine honour!" ejaculated Carew."Tell a man his fortune's made, and he calls for barley-cakes! Why,thou'dst say 'Pooh!' to a cannon-ball! My faith, boy, dost understandwhat this doth mean?"
"Ay," said Nick; "that I be hungry."
"But, Nick, upon my soul, thou art to sing with the Children of Paul's;to play with the cathedral company; to be a bright particular star inthe sweetest galaxy that ever shone in English sky! Dost take me yet?"
"Ay," said Nick, and sopped the honey with his cake.
Carew played with his glass uneasily, and tapped his heel upon thefloor. "And is that all thou hast to say--hast turned oyster? There's noR in May--nobody will eat thee! Come, don't make a mouth as though thehoney of the world were all turned gall upon thy tongue. 'Tis theflood-tide of thy fortune, boy! Thou art to sing before the schoolto-morrow, so that Master Nathaniel Gyles may take thy range and worth.Now, truly, thou wilt do thy very best?"
The bandy-legged man had brought water in a ewer, and poured some in abasin for Nick to wash his hands.
There was a green ribbon in his ear,and the towel hung across his arm. Nick wiped his hands in silence.
"Come," said Master Carew, with an ugly sharpness in his voice, "thou'ltsing thy very best?"
"There's nothing else to do," replied Nick, doggedly.