CHAPTER XIX
LA JOYEUSE BAITS HER HOOK
On the morrow, the ambassador of France being confined to his roomwith a slight quinsy caught from the marshy nature of the environmentof Thrieve, the Earl escorted the Lady Sybilla to the field of thetourney, where, as Queen of Beauty, her presence could not bedispensed with.
The Maid Margaret, the Earl's sister, remained also in the castle, nothaving yet recovered from her fright of the preceding evening.
With her was Maud Lindesay and her mother--"the Auld Leddy," as shewas called throughout all the wide dominions of her son.
In spite of his weariness Sholto led his archer guard in person to thefield of the tournament. For this day was the day of the High Sport,and many lances would be splintered, and often would the commonaltyneed to be scourged from the barriers.
But ere he went Sholto summoned two of the staunchest fellows of hiscompany, Andro, called the Penman, and his brother John. Then, havingposted them at either end of the corridor in which were the chambersoccupied by the two girls, he laid a straight charge, and a heavy,upon them.
"On your heads be it if you fail, or let one soul pass," he said."Stand ready with your hands on the wheel of your cross-bows, and ifany man come hither, challenge him to stand, and bid him return theway he came. But if any dog or thing running on four feet ascend ordescend the stair, make no sound, ask no question, cry no warning, butwhang the steel bolt through his ribs, in at one side and out at theother."
Then Andro the Penman and his brother John, being silent capablefellows, said nothing, but spat on their hands, smiled at each otherwell pleased, and made the wheels of their cross-bows sing a clearwhirring note.
"I would not like to be that dog--" said Andro the Swarthy.
"Whose foul carcase I pray God to send speedily," echoed John theBlond.
Sholto had hoped that whilst he was at the guard-setting, he mighthave had occasion to see once more the tantalising mischief-maker whomhe yet loved with all his heart, in spite of, or perhaps because of,the distraction to which she continually reduced his spirit by meansof her manifold and incalculable contrarieties.
Nevertheless, it was with an easier heart that Sholto wended his wayout of the castle yett, all arrayed in the new suit of armour his lordhad sent him. It was made of chain of the finest, composed of manyrings set alternately thick and thin, and the whole was flexible asthe deer leather which he wore underneath it. Over this a doublet ofblue silk carried the Lion of Galloway done in white upon it, and allthe cerulean of the ground was dotted over with the Douglas heart.But, greatest joy of all, there was brought to him by command of theEarl a suitable horse, not heavily armed like a charger for the tilt,but light of foot, and answering easily to the hand. Blue and red werethe silken housings, fringed with long silver lace, through whichcould be seen here and there as the wind blew the sheen of the glossyskin. The buckles and bits were also of massive silver, and at sightof them the cup of Sholto's happiness was full. For a space, as hegazed upon his steed, he forgot even Maud Lindesay.
Then when he was mounted and out upon the green, waiting for thecoming forth of his lord, what delight it was to feel the noble darkgrey answer to each touch of the rein, obeying his master's thoughtmore than the strength of his wrist or the prick of his heel.
As he waited there, his predecessor in office, old Sir John ofAbernethy, Landless Jock as he was nicknamed, came out from the maindoorway. He carried a gleaming headpiece from which the blue featherof the Douglas fell over his arm half-way to the ground. On its frontwas a lion crest which ramped among golden _fleur-de-lys_. The old manheld it up for Sholto to take.
"Hae," he said in a surly tone, "this is his lordship's new helmetjust brought as a present frae the Dauphin of France. So he has castoff the well-tried one, and with it also the auld servant that hathserved him these many years."
"Nay, Sir John," said Sholto, with courtesy, taking the helmet whichit was his duty as his master's esquire to carry before him on avelvet-covered placque, "nay--well has the good servant deserved hisrest, and to take his ease. The young to the broil and the moil, theold to the inglenook and the cup of wine beneath the shade."
"Ah, lad, I envy ye not, think not that of puir Landless Jock," saidthe mollified old man, sadly shaking his head; "I also have tried thenew office, the shining armour, and felt the words of command riseproudly in the throat. I envy you not, though your advancement hathbeen sudden--and well--for my own son John I had hoped, though indeedthe loon is paper backed and feckless. But now there remains for meonly to go to the Kirk of Saint Bride in Douglasdale, and there set medown by my auld master's coffin till I die."
At that moment there issued forth from the gateway the young Earl,holding by the hand the Lady Sybilla. His mother, the Countess, cameto the door to see them ride away. The Queen of the Sports was in amerry mood, and as she tripped down the steps she turned, and lookingover her shoulder she called to the Lady Douglas, "Fear not for yourson, I will take good care of him!"
But the elder woman answered neither her smile nor yet her word, butstood like a mother who sees a first-born son treading in placesperilous, yet dares not warn him, knowing well that she would drivehim to giddier and yet more dangerous heights.
The pennons of the escort fluttered in the breeze as the men onhorseback tossed their lances high in the air, in salutation of theirlord. The archer guard stood ranked and ready, bows on their shouldersand arrows in quiver. Horses neighed, armour clanked and sparkled, andfrom the moat platform twenty silver trumpets blared a fanfare as theLady Sybilla, the arbiter of this day's chivalry, mounted her palfreywith the help of Earl Douglas. She thanked him with a low word in hisear, audible only to himself, as he set her in the saddle and bent tokiss her hand.
A right gallant pair were Douglas and Sybilla de Thouars as they rodeaway, their heads close together, over the green sward and under thetossing banners of the bridge. Sholto was behind them giving greatheed to the managing of his horse, and wondering in his heart ifindeed Maud Lindesay were looking down from her chamber window. Asthey passed the drawbridge he turned him about in his saddle, as itwere, to see that his men rode all in good order. A little jet ofwhite fluttered quickly from the sparred wooden gallery which clung tothe grey walls of Thrieve, just outside the highest story. And theyoung man's heart told him that this was the atonement of MistressMaud Lindesay.
Earl Douglas was in his gayest humour on this second day of the greattourneying. He had got rid of his most troublesome guests. His uncleJames of Avondale, his red cousin of Angus, the grave ill-assortedfigure of the Abbot of Dulce Cor, had all vanished. Only the young andchivalrous remained,--his cousins, William and James, Hugh andArchibald, good lances all and excellent fellows to boot. It was alsoa most noble chance that the French ambassador was confined by thequinsy, for it was certainly pleasant to ride out alone with thatbeauteous head glancing so near his shoulder, to watch at will the suncrimsoning yet more the red lips, sparkling in the eyes that werebright as sunshine slanting through green leaves on a water-break, andto mark as he fell a pace behind how every hair of that luxuriant coifrippled golden and separate, like a halo of Florentine work about thehead of a saint.
The Lady Sybilla de Thouars was merry also, but with what a differentmirth to that of Mistress Maud Lindesay--at least so thought CaptainSholto MacKim, with a conscious glow of pride in his own Scottishsweetheart.
True, Sholto was scarce a fair judge in that he loved one and did notlove the other. He owned to himself in a moment of unusual candourthat there might be something in that. But when the gay tones of thelady's laughter floated back on the air, as his master and she rodeforward by the edge of Dee towards the Lochar Fords, the first fearwith which he had looked upon her in the greenwood returned upon thecaptain of the guard.
Earl William and the Lady Sybilla talked together that which no oneelse could hear.
"So after all you have not become a churchman and gone off to dronemasses with the monks of your good uncle?" sh
e said, looking up at himwith one of her lingering, drawing glances.
"Nay," Earl William answered; "surely one Douglas at the time is giftenough to holy church. At least, I can choose my own way in that,though in most things I am as straitly constrained as the Kinghimself."
"Speaking of the King," she said, "my uncle the Marshal must perforceride to Edinburgh to deliver his credentials. Would it not be a mostmirthful jest to ride with equipage such as this to that mongrelpoverty-stricken Court, and let the poor little King and his starvedguardian see what true greatness and splendour mean?"
"I have sworn never again to enter Edinburgh town," said the Earl,slowly; "it was prophesied that there one of my race must meet ablack bull which shall trample the house of Douglas into ruins."
"Of course, if the Earl of Douglas is afraid--" mused the lady. Theyoung man started as if he had been stung.
"Madame," he said with a sudden chill hauteur, "you come from far anddo not know. No Douglas has ever been afraid throughout all theirgenerations."
The lady turned upon him with a sweet and moving smile. She held outher fair hand.
"Pardon--nay, a thousand pardons. I knew not what I said. I am notacquainted with your Scottish speech nor yet with your Scottishcustoms. Do not be angry with me; I am a stranger, young, far from myown people and my own land. Think me foolish for speaking thus freelyif you like, but not wilfully unkind."
And when the Earl looked at her, there were tears glittering in herbeautiful eyes.
"I _will_ go to Edinburgh," he cried. "I am the Douglas. The Tutor andthe Chancellor are but as two straws in my hand, a longer and ashorter. I fling them from me--thus!"
The Lady Sybilla clapped her hands joyously and turned towards theyoung man. "Will you indeed go with me?" she cried. "Will you truly? Icould kiss your hand, my Lord Douglas, you make me so glad."
"Your kiss will keep," said the Earl, with a quiet passion quiveringin his voice.
"Nay, I meant it not thus--not as you mean it. I knew not what I said.But it will indeed change all things for me if you do but come. Then Ishall have some one to speak with--some one with whom to laugh attheir pitiful Court mummery, their fiasco of dignity. You are not likethese other beggarly Scots, my Lord Duke of Touraine."
"They are brave men and loyal gentlemen," said the generous youngEarl. "They would die for me."
"Nay, but so I declare would I," gaily cried the lady, glancing at hishandsome head with a quick admiring regard. "So would I--if I were aman. Besides, there is so little worth living for in a country such asthis."
The Earl was silent and she proceeded.
"But how joyous we shall be at Edinburgh! Know you that at the Courtof Charles that was my name--La Joyeuse they called me. We will keepsolemn countenances, you and I, while we enter the presence of theKing. We will bow. We will make obeisances. Then, when all is over, wewill laugh together at the fatted calf of a Tutor, the cunningChancellor with his quirks of law, and the poor schoolboy scarcebreeched whom they call King of Scotland. But all the while I shall bethinking of the true King of Scots--who alone shall ever be King tome--"
At this point La Joyeuse broke off short, as if her feelings werehurrying her to say more than she had intended.
"I did wrong to flout their messengers yesterday," said WilliamDouglas, his boyish heart misgiving him at dispraise of others;"perhaps they meant me well. But I am naturally quick and easilyfretted, and the men annoyed me with their parchments royal, theirheralds-of-the-Lion, and the 'King of Scots' at every other word."
"Who is the youth who rides at the head of your company?" said theLady Sybilla.
"His name is Sholto MacKim, and it was but yesterday that I made himcaptain of my guard," answered the Earl.
"I like him not," said the Lady Sybilla; "he is full of ignorance andobstinacy and pride. Besides which, I am sure he loves me not."
"Save that last, I am not sure that a Douglas has a right to dislikehim for any such faults. Ignorance, obstinacy, and pride are, indeed,good old Galloway virtues of the ancientest descent, and not to bedespised in the captain of an archer guard."
"And pray, sir, what may be the ill qualities which, in CaptainSholto, make up for these excellent Scottish virtues?" asked the lady,disdainfully.
"He is faithful--" began the Earl.
"So is every dog!" interjected Sybilla de Thouars.
The Earl laughed a little gay laugh.
"There is one dog somewhere about the castle, licking an unhealedsword-thrust, that wishes our Sholto had been a trifle less faithful."
The Lady Sybilla sat silent in her saddle for a space; then, strikingabruptly into a new subject, she said, "Do you defend the liststo-day?"
"Nay," answered the Earl, "to-day it is my good fortune to sit by yourside and hold the truncheon while others meet in the shock. But theknight who this day gains the prize, to-morrow must choose a sideagainst me and fight a _melee_."
"Ah," cried the girl, "I would that my uncle were healed of hisquinsy. He loveth that sport. He says that he is too old to defendhis shield all day against every comer, but in the _melee_ he is stillas good a lance as when he rode by the side of the Maid over thebridge of Orleans."
"That is well thought of," cried the Earl; "he shall lead the Knightsof the Blue in my place."
"Nay, my Lord Duke," cried the Lady Sybilla, "more than anything onearth I desire to see you bear arms on the field of honour."
"Oh, I am no great lance," replied the Douglas, modestly; "I am yettoo young and light. As things go now, the butterfly cannot tiltagainst the beef barrel when both are trussed into armour. But withthe bare sword I will fight all day and be hungry for more. Aye, orrattle a merry rally with the quarter-staff like any common varlet.But at both Sholto there is my master, and doth ofttimes swinge metightly for my soul's good."
The lady went on quickly, as if avoiding any further mention ofSholto's name.
"Nevertheless, to-morrow I must see you ride in the lists. My unclesays that your father was a mighty lance when he rode at Amboise, onthe famous day of the Thirteen Victories."
"Ah, but my father was twice the man that I am," said the Earl, whohad not taken his eyes from her face since she began to speak.
"Great alike in love and war?" she queried, smiling.
"So, at least, it is reported of him in Touraine," answered his son,smiling back at her.
"He loved and rode away, like all your race!" cried the girl, with astrange sudden flicker of passion which died as suddenly. "But I thinkit not of you, Lord William. I know you could be true--that is, whereyou truly loved."
And as she spoke she looked at him with a questioning eagerness in hereyes which was almost pitiful.
"I do love and I am loyal," said the young man, with a grave quietwhich became him well, and ought to have served him better with awoman than many protestations.