CHAPTER XXI
Sun came more and more slanting through the trees. Eating was done. Thetwo sat in forest light and coolness, and they went over plans step bystep so that there might rest no misunderstanding nor any happeningunprovided against. “The _Vineyard_ boat, and the word is ‘_Gold andsilver_.’ South around Middle Forest and then east. Leave the ruinedfarm at dusk to-morrow.”
“I have found a great hollow tree,” said Englefield and pointed to it.“If any come, in I creep!”
“Good! Unless there are dogs,” Bettany said. With that he fell intosilence.
The other, half-reclining, also was silent. Gold light playing over himshowed how gaunt he was and his face how lined and smitten.
Bettany spoke. “Dost think True Religion has taken any hurt?”
“How should True Religion take hurt, having been all the time inanother country?”
The young man mused. “To have thought one’s self Chosen out of allthe world because of one’s qualities--and then to be thrown back, pastone’s old dwelling, past, past, down past the whole world--”
Richard Englefield spoke. “I looked on Medusa. Do you know what isthat, to look on Medusa? And looking, to open on the knowledge that youyourself were the artist?”
“Eh?” said Thomas Bettany. “But the first of it must have beenglorious! Honey and kingship and worship and safety for aye!”
“_Honey and kingship and worship and safety for aye._ Just that! Thenthe hair turned to snakes.”
Silence in the forest. Bettany moved a little. “Friday. I suppose youare glad of Friday?”
“What happeneth Friday?”
“She burns at town cross. Morgen Fay.”
“_What have I to do with that?_”
Forest silence filled with tongues. Bettany untied his horse andstrapped the empty leathern case before the saddle. He looked at thediscarded habit of monk of Silver Cross. “Put it in the hollow tree?”
“No. In the deep sea to-morrow night.”
“Better in river. Then if ’tis found, as like enough it may be,surely--all say--you were drowned!”
He stood, bridle in hand. “Morgen Fay. She had a house by the riverand a fair, small garden. Aye! she was harlot, but then what wereMontjoy and Somerville and others? It is a speckled earth. There isother sale than that? Aye, she made it, and bought blackness and flameand peril maybe for ever and ever. Because she was harlot and FatherEdmund preached mightily just then against her, they broke her houseand garden and stoned her forth from town. Then one that I know who isspeckled, too, hid her for a time. Then, as fate or somewhat would haveit, came to Prior Matthew knowledge that she had to certain eyes muchof outward face and form of the great picture, so that he who paintedmight have set her before him for first model. That knowledge and thatshe was still in Wander vale. So all followed. She thought she wasbuying ransom--safety if not honey. Once I saw played at the Great Fair_Faustus and the Devil_. Faustus thought he would buy happiness, andhere was to-day and perhaps would never come to-morrow and death! Soshe thought. Safety and perhaps house and garden once more, and maybeto-day will last! But _thy soul is required of thee_,--and she is inprison waiting.”
He mounted horse. “I will come ere sunset to-morrow. When you hear_Otterbourne_ whistled, it is I.”
“Should something happen,” said Englefield, “and all this go awry,still have you done for me what if I had younger brother or dearcomrade or old fellow-worker with me in my craft, I might have hopedfor--”
“I don’t know why I do it, but I must do it. For a time I thought ofyou five times a day as most blessed. You were heaven’s courtier, youwere sailing on heaven’s ship! Now you are man like me, though olderthan me, and I see you need a friend. You thought you had so great aone--and then there was blackness! I’m nothing but Thomas Bettany, butI’ll set you at least on the _Vineyard_. Let’s say no more!”
The merchant rode away. The master goldsmith was left by the ruinedfarm in Wander forest.
He saw the red orb of the sun descend past boles of trees. It sankbeneath the earth. All the west hung fire red, then the colour faded.“I will go now to sleep, and God knoweth I need it! When I come toLondon, or rather, I think, to France--”
Down he lay. Bettany’s cloak was thick, the leaves and moss apleasant bed, soft dusk around, the forest a cradle with cradle song.“Sleep--sleep! Sleep--sleep!”
But sleep was at the antipodes. “This place--what is this place?”
“Bitter Shame, Very Anger, strengthen me! Let me not pity the witch!Let me not feel her misery mine! Let me not long to see her face, touchher, hold her!”
“_Shall I desire the dragon that slew me? Shall I cherish Medusa?_Burning--burning!”
He sprang to his feet and walked the wood, up and down, up and down. Hemoved with disordered steps, twigs and boughs striking him. The longJune day left still a radiance.
He threw himself down and lay with face buried. Time dropped away, dropby drop, and each drop a world and an æon.
Dark clear night, moonless but starlight.
Thomas Bettany, returning to Middle Forest, found at his own door aship’s boy sent by Diccon Wright. The latter was again at the GoldenShip and would see him there. He went and found that the matter wasthat _Vineyard_ boat could not be at landing first planned. The_Alan-a-Dale_ had come in and chosen to drop anchor just there. Bestnow the old landing by the reeds. Bettany agreed. Old landing by thereeds.
Home again and preparing for bed he determined to rise early and rideto the ruined farm. If at dusk aught happened and he did not reach theman nor tell him of where now he was to go--then mischance enough! Witha long sigh he put himself into his comfortable merchant’s bed incomfortable merchant’s room. He slept and waked, slept and waked and atlast an hour before dawn gave up sleeping and lay staring before him.“Now it is Wednesday. To-morrow is Thursday, and then Friday.”
Light stole into the chamber. He rose, moved softly, dressed quietly,stole downstairs, unbarred the small door and was out in court andacross to merchant’s stable. Here he saddled his horse, Black Prince.East was daffodil; morning star shone over the castle. Poor Clares’bell rang lauds, Black Prince went by the softer ways as though velvetshod. So at peace was the land that town gates were no longer closed atnight. The industrious young merchant riding through rode off towardWander forest.
Sun had risen when he came nigh to the ruined farm and began to whistle“Otterbourne.” Beech and ash and oak, fern and thorn, and by a thorntree he who had been, but was no more Brother Richard. “Well, in thesedays, many leave cloister--
‘But gae ye up to Otterbourne And wait there day is three; And if I come not ere three day is end, A fause knight ca’ ye me.’”
Thomas Bettany, dismounted now, looked with wonder at the other whostood tall and gold-brown and determined. A night had made a difference!
“You must have slept well under oaken tree!”
“No. I did not sleep.”
“Then faery queen must have visited you! Truly you have the look of it!”
“I longed for your coming, fellow worker, and that I should not have towait for it till eve! Who brought it about? Still that Success!”
“_Vineyard_ boat cannot be at the landing I told you of. It is now theold landing by the reeds. It seemed best to let you know without delay.”
“Had you not come I might have stained my face and gone into town,changing voice, changing step and figure--Richard Dawn, traveller withgold in his purse, sending from the inn to Master Thomas Bettany--”
“I think well that all the Folk in Green have been here! It is such aplace as they flock to. Morgen Fay hid here at the ruined farm.”
“No! _She walked in this wood._”
Green light and purple light and gold. Throstle and finch and cuckoo,robin and lark. Fern up-growing, wild plants in bloom, the wood achalice of odours, censer swinging. Englefield put his hands to histemples. “Friday!”
“What is it, man?”
> The other moved to a tree whose great roots pushed above the soil.“Come sit here, younger brother, and listen to me!”
Thomas Bettany obeyed and he moved as one in a dream, or as though thewood had grown a magic wood. “You have become leader here. Somethinghas come to bloom and to fruit in you in a night!”
“I shall not go upon the _Vineyard_ unless there go two.”
“Two?”
“Unless she that lies in prison goes.”
“Morgen Fay!”
“Aye. Morgen Fay--Morgen Fay.”
Bettany put hands to tree to steady himself. “What is here?”
“Didst never read that man holds within himself autumn, winter, springand summer, the moon, the earth, the sun and the four kingdoms? Maybethe fifth, but we have not come to that yet.”
“Friday.”
“Are you not willing that she should vanish from them, cheating thecheaters? Friday. Death in flame!”
“God, He knoweth. I think that she should live!”
“Look at me!”
Thomas Bettany looked. Again he steadied himself, he drew hard breath.
“How could you get her out of prison? It is not to be done!”
“Then no ship takes me to-night or to-morrow night! Friday. There willI be by town cross!”
“Not in two days could you save her!”
“Suppose we try?”
Thomas Bettany stared at an artist in daring. This gold-worker hadimaged, drawn and beaten out many a bold pattern, many an intricateand subtle. Now he said, “Come, deliver what material you may! Howlies prison within and without? Who are there? Tell what you know. Wehave to-day which is Wednesday and to-morrow which is Thursday. The_Vineyard_ must not sail before cockcrow Friday.”
“I could not buy Diccon there! I might beg him for love.”
“However you do it, you will do it. I see in fine air within gross aira ship that weighs anchor at dawn, Friday. Now, tell!”
Bettany described with minuteness that prison and its economy. “I havea man, John Cobb. His cousin Godfrey is gaoler.”
“So, thou seest!”
“But there is naught I know of that would buy Godfrey. Keys might bemelted in his hold but he would not give them up! Town, castle andChurch know Godfrey.”
“Then let him not know that they are gone.”
“That is not possible.”
“It is possible, or I would not see the _Vineyard_ sailing Friday.Everything is possible save her burning. Can your man sit with Godfrey,drinking ale with him maybe, and come to handling and fingering keysgreat and small, and questioning, ‘This is great door, this inner ward,and this where she lies who burns a-Friday?’”
“So much as that is possible.”
Englefield, leaving him seated, staring, took himself three turnsbetween thorn and oak, by ash and beach. The forest was gold, the daywas gold, the morrow gold and he the smith. He returned. “Have you apiece of wax, fine and smooth, such as might be held secretly in palmof hand, softening just enough with heat of body?”
Bettany gave an abrupt small laugh. “I’ve read of that in a book fromthe Italian! But if John Cobb were bold enough and skilful enough totake--Godfrey’s face being buried in tankard--impress of keys, whatthen, beseech you, unless you had all the fairies?”
“Sun is an hour high. If I could have that mould here ere he risesagain! But it must be well done, well taken, with pains. Our keys mustturn in our locks.”
“In the greenwood? I know that Brother Richard made wondrous things!But this were to make wondrously!”
“I planned through the night--this plan, that and the other. But thisone is best. When the moon rose and again at first dawn I went softlyabout that house yonder. None saw nor heard; they were sleeping. Theman has burned charcoal, and surely they have oven or hearth. Gold inthis purse may buy them, seeing they cannot know whom I am nor what wedo. You say they are old and losing wit.”
“Furnace and fuel and print of keys in wax and smith--”
“Do you bring me iron and the tools. I shall show you.”
“Thou’rt a bold man!”
“Thou’rt another!”