CHAPTER XVIII
CAREG CENNEN
Before dawn Pabo was on his way, bound to Careg Cennen, riding betweenfour soldiers. He had been taken in the house of Howel. It had been hisintention to deliver himself up early on the morrow; but he wasforestalled.
He regretted this, for more reasons than one. He had been unable to makefinal arrangements for the protection of Morwen, and he had been unableto communicate with Howel as he desired, relative to the secret of thetreasure in the Roman gold-mines.
The owls were hooting and night-jars screaming as the cavalcadeproceeded along the Sarn Helen towards the broad valley of the Towy bythat of its tributary the _Dulais_. As they reached the main river, thedawn was lightening behind the Brecknock Mountains, and the watersliding down toward the sea shone cold as steel.
With daylight men were met upon the road, and occasionally a woman; thelatter invariably, the former for the most part fled at the sight of thearmed men. But some, less timorous remained, and recognizing theArchpriest, saluted him with respect and with exclamations oflamentation at seeing him in the hands of the common enemy. At Llandeilothe river was crossed, and Pabo was conveyed up a steep ascent into thetributary valley of the Cennen. But this stream makes a great loop, andthe troopers thrust their horses over the spur of hill about which thetorrent sweeps.
Presently the castle came in view, very new and white, constructed oflimestone, on a crag of the same substance, that rises precipitously forfive hundred feet sheer out the ravine and the brawling stream thatlaves the foot of the crag.
After a slight dip the track led up a bold stony rise to the castlegate.
The situation is of incomparable wildness and majesty. Beyond the ravinetowers up the Mynydd Ddu, the Black Mountain, clothed in short heather,to cairn-topped ridges, two thousand feet above the sea, the flanksseamed with descending threads of water; while further south over itsshoulder are seen purple hills in the distance. A solitary sycamore hereand there alone stands against the wind on the ridge about which theCennen whispers far below.
The bishop had already arrived at the castle. He had followed up hisemissary pretty quickly, anxious that his own view of the case should bemaintained in the event of the capture of Pabo.
He and Gerald of Windsor were on excellent terms. Between them they wereto divide the land, so much to the crook and so much to the sword; andwhom the latter did not consume were to be delivered over to feel theweight of the crozier. In the subjugation of Wales, in the breaking ofthe spirit of the people, church and castle must combine and play eachother's game.
The staff of the bishop has a crook above and a spike below, to signifythe double power that resides in his hands, that of drawing and that ofgoading. The time for the exercise of the curved head might come in thefuture, that for the driving of the sharp end was the present, thoughtBernard.
No sooner did he learn of the arrival of Pabo than he bade that heshould be brought into his presence, in the room given to him by hishost on whom he had intruded himself--a room facing south, overhangingthe precipice.
The weather was mild, and the sun shone in at the window. There was nofire.
"So!" said the prelate, fixing his gray dark-rimmed irises on theprisoner, "you are he who give yourself out to be the Archpriest ofCaio?"
"I am he," answered Pabo.
The bishop assured himself that the strongly built upright man beforehim was bound and could not hurt him; and he said to the attendants, "Goforth outside the door and leave this dissembler with me. Yet remainwithin call, and one bid Gerald, the Master, come to me speedily."
The men withdrew.
"I wonder," said Bernard, and his words hissed through the gap in histeeth, "I wonder now at thy audacity. If indeed I held thee to be Pabo,the late Archpriest of Caio, who smote me, his bishop, on the mouth anddrew my blood, there would be no other course for me but to deliver theeover to the secular arm, and for such an act of treason against thysuperior in God--the stake would be thy due."
"I am he, Lord Bishop, who struck thee on the mouth. The insult wasintolerable. The old law provided--an eye for an eye, and a tooth for atooth. If thou goest by the law of Moses deal with me as seems right.What the Gospel law is, maybe thou art too recent in Holy Orders and toonew to the study of the Sacred Scriptures to be aware."
"Thou art insolent. But as I do not for a moment take thee to be thedeceased Pabo----"
"Lord Bishop, none doubt that I am he."
Bernard looked at him from head to foot.
"Methinks a taller man by three fingers' breadth, and leaner in facecertainly, as also browner in complexion, and with cheek-bones standingout more forcibly."
Pabo hardly knew what to think of the bishop's words. It occurred to himthat the prelate was beating about for some excuse for pardoning himwhilst saving his dignity.
He smiled and said, "If it be a matter of doubt with thee, whether I beindeed Pabo----"
"Oh! by no means," interrupted Bernard, "I have no manner of doubt. Onthe surest testimony I know that the Archpriest Pabo was consumed byfire from heaven. This is known far and wide. His Majesty the King isaware of it; it is a matter of common talk."
"Yet is it not true."
"It is most assuredly true. I have the testimony of credibleeye-witnesses."
"Yet," said Pabo, "my own wife knows me."
"Of her I can believe anything," said Bernard, thrusting his seat alittle back, to give more space between himself and the prisoner.
"Hearken unto me," said the bishop; "I have heard say of these Welshthat they keep their King Arthur somewhere, ready to produce him in thehour of need, to fight against their rightful lord and sovereign theKing of England. And I warrant ye--they will turn out some scullionknave, and put a tinsel crown about his head, and shout 'God save KingArthur!' and make believe it is he come from his long sleep to fightagainst us. But we are prepared against such make-believes and mummingkings. And so, in like manner, when Pabo, Archpriest of Caio, is dead,burned to a cinder, as it has been most surely reported to us, then upstarts such as you and assume to be what you are not, so as to fan theflame of discontent among the people, and inspire them with hopes thatcan never be fulfilled; and so persuade them to resist rightfulauthority. Have I not appointed my late chaplain to be Archpriest in theroom of that unhappy man who, for temerity in lifting his hand againsthis ecclesiastical father, was evidently, before the eyes of all men,smitten by Heaven? I, of all men, I, who was struck in the face, andthereby lost my teeth, have a right to recognize the impious man whosmote me. But I tell thee I do not identify thee. Further, I am ready todeclare, and if need be, to swear, that thou art not the man. Thou artbut a sorry makeshift. Who should know him, if not I?"
"My dear people of Caio, whose pastor I have been, among whom I havegone in and out, will know me well enough. Confront me with them and thematter will be settled at once."
"Nay--the word of a Welshman is not to be trusted. They will combine tobolster up a lie. Thou art an impostor, a false Pabo. That is certain."Then he turned his hands one over the other: "If thou wert the realPabo, then be very sure of this: I would deliver thee over to thesecular arm to be burned in verity--and only Norman and English soldiersshould surround the fire, and they would see that thou wast in truththis time burned to a coal. But as I do not and will not hold this, Iask thee, for thine own sake, to acknowledge that there has been a plotto thrust thee forward--that thy people are in a league to accept theeas their priest and chief, knowing very well that their true priest andchief was burned in his house. Confess this, and I will use my endeavorto get thee thrust away into some distant part, where no harm shall cometo thee. Nay, further," the bishop brightened up, "I will even keep theeabout myself and advance thee to honor, and I will put thee into a fatbenefice at the other extremity of the diocese, if thou wilt constantlyaffirm that thou art not Pabo, and never wast Pabo, neither ever knewhim--but hast been mistaken for him through some chance resemblance."
"Although a Welshman," said the A
rchpriest, with a curl of the lip,"and, as thou sayest, ready with lies, I will not say that."
"Then take the consequences," exclaimed the bishop. "I give one minutein which to resolve thee. Admit that thou art an impostor, and I will dowhat I can for thee; refuse--and--and----"
"Do your worst," exclaimed Pabo indignantly. "What your object is Icannot devise; but, be it what it may, I will not help with afalsehood. I am Pabo, still Archpriest and head of the tribe of the landof Caio."
"Then," said the bishop, with harshness in his tone but with noalteration in his mask-like face, "be content, as simulating the Pabowho struck his ecclesiastical father in the face, and knocked out onetooth and broke another, to receive such punishment as is due to sotreasonable an action."
"If we two met as plain Christian people, living under the Gospel," saidPabo, "I would say the act was done under provocation; but it was anunworthy act, and I, who committed it, express my regret and ask forpardon of my brother Christian."
"And I," said the bishop, "as a Christian man and a prelate of the HolyRoman Church, do cheerfully give forgiveness. Yet inasmuch as it isunwise that----"
"I see," said Pabo; "a forgiveness that is no forgiveness at all. Thetransgression must be wiped out in blood."
"The Church never sheds blood," said Bernard. "She hands over stubbornoffenders to the secular arm. Here it comes--in at the door."
The hand of Gerald of Windsor was thrust in, followed by the manhimself.
"See here," said Bernard, addressing the Baron and pointing to Pabo,"this is a man who sets himself up to be a leader among the rebelliousWelsh, and is stirring up of hot blood and fomenting of intrigue."
"Aye," said Gerald, "I have tidings come this day that the beggars arerising everywhere. They have among them their Prince Griffith ap Rhys."
"And here," said the prelate, "is one of his agents. This man giveshimself out to be a certain person whom he is not, and he has come amongthe people of Caio to bid them take up arms. But happily my brotherRogier is there."
"What shall we do with him?" asked Gerald.
"Beau Sieur," said the prelate, "with that I have nought to do.Sufficient that I place him--a dangerous fellow--in your hands. And markyou, a priest as well as an agitator, one to arouse the religiousfanaticism of the people against the Church as well as against theCrown."
"What shall be done with him? Cut off his head?"
"Nay, I pray shed no blood."
"Shall we hang him?"
"I think," said the bishop, after musing a moment, "that it would bewell were he simply to disappear. Let him not be hung so that,perchance, he might be recognized, but rather suffer him to be cast intoone of the dungeons where none may ever cast eye on him till he be butbones and there be forgot."